Reading & Leeds Festival has unveiled a huge overhaul and major new plans for the festival site at both locations in 2026. The upcoming edition, set for the bank holiday weekend of Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 August, will see a complete reimagining of the festival’s infrastructure at Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds.
As part of this massive revamp, the festival is introducing a new naming convention and fresh stage concepts. The main stage will now be known as The Grid, while the second stage has been rebranded as The Gallery. Additionally, 2026 marks the launch of The Warehouse, a purpose-built home for dance music featuring viewing platforms and high-end screen production.
New Stage Experiences
The Grid will serve as the home of the festival’s main stage, hosting headliners and a diverse array of acts including Skepta, Loyle Carner, Blossoms, Declan McKenna, Maisie Peters, and more. The Gallery presented by Budweiser is a brand-new, undercover immersive stage featuring LED screen lights and a lineup that includes Geese, Kneecap, and Holly Humberstone.
The Warehouse represents the first custom-built, experiential dance stage for the festival, with sets confirmed from artists such as Skepta b2b Prospa, Hybrid Minds, and Hedex. Meanwhile, The Ballroom will feature unique chandeliers and draping, hosting a genre-defying mix of artists including Clementine Douglas and Bleech 9:3. Finally, The Canopy will act as a major platform for emerging talent, while The Yard—exclusive to the Reading site—will provide an industrial, open-air alternative club atmosphere.
These structural changes are designed to elevate the attendee experience, with Leeds Festival also seeing the return of the popular LS23 and Piccadilly Circus stages. Further programming details are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.