Chappel Roan, Travis Scott, Hozier and Bring Me The Horizon Headline an Unforgettable Weekend at Reading Festival

29th August 2025

Rockstar Energy presents Reading & Leeds, the festival where history is written, closed out the 2025 festival season in style with Chappell Roan, Travis Scott, Bring Me The Horizon and Hozier alongside the most exciting names in contemporary music as the twin festival delivered a landmark celebration of music, community and innovation.

Bring Me The Horizon - Photo credit: Emily Marcovecchio

Making his UK Festival headline debut on Friday, Hozier captivated Reading & Leeds with an impassioned demonstration of not just one of the modern era’s greatest songwriters but one whose vital message serves as a call to action against injustice around the globe. The anthemic smash ‘Too Sweet’ had crowds singing along at the top of their lungs whilst the likes of ‘Nina Cried Power’, ‘Jackie & Wilson’ and the soaring ‘Take Me To Church’ put a stamp on a night crossing genre and generations to become a true modern great. 

Friday at Reading saw superstar of the moment Chappell Roan deliver a set that drew from ‘The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess’ as the pop culture leader and her incredible band wowed one of the biggest crowds seen at Reading Festival with tracks such as ‘Femininomenon’, ‘The Giver’, ’HOT TO GO!’ and a huge sing along rendition cover of Heart’s ‘Barracuda’. At her first ever appearance at a British music festival, Chappell Roan delivered a headline set for the ages.
Closing the weekend, Travis Scott delivered a high-octane statement of intent for a European exclusive performance. Debuting an all-encompassing brand new live show, tracks from across his career put a true exclamation point on his superstar status. Emphatic and leaving no room for pause - cuts such as ‘Goosebumps’, ‘FEIN!’, ‘Sicko Mode’, ‘NO BYSTANDERS’, ‘Highest In The Room’ and ‘Stargazing’ let off a firework display proving that Travis Scott is an undeniable superstar.

Bring Me The Horizon’s Post Human: NeX GEn-era was crystalised in a headline performance of awe inspiring production, pyro, video game visuals and total rock power. A band whose career has been marked throughout by pivotal Reading & Leeds moments added their biggest moment to date in 2025 - closing the chapter on an era which has seen them cemented as one of the biggest bands on the planet. ‘Happy Song’, ‘MANTRA’, ‘Shadow Moses’, ‘Drown’ and even a scorching cover of ‘Wonderwall’ proved to be highlights for an unstoppable night on both sites.  

Chappell Roan - Photo Credit: Emily Marcovecchio

Festival Director Melvin Benn said “This has been a seismic year in the continued evolution of Reading and Leeds. I’m so pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve had to our campsite overhaul, which has massively impacted the positive experience our festival fans have had on-site and something we’ll have to expand even further next year. We strive to deliver a world class line-up every year and this was such a standout. Hozier’s headline set was one of the most moving and impactful ever witnessed at the festival and everyone will be talking about where they were when Chappell Roan headlined Reading & Leeds. Welcoming Travis Scott as a Reading & Leeds headliner felt so right when watching that mind-blowing show and we couldn’t be more proud of Bring Me The Horizon closing the weekend with their biggest ever show in their home county. I’ve also loved seeing so many fantastic new artists performing across all our stages, with the promise of future headliners at every turn. There is so much incredible music out there right now and I don’t think anything comes close to Reading and Leeds for capturing the most vital artists in the world in one place over an unmissable weekend’.

As ever, fans were treated to unrivalled one-off moments that Reading & Leeds has become synonymous for. The Kooks surprised the world by bringing out Hollywood icon Rebel Wilson for a duet cover of ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’, SOFT PLAY tore Reading into a frenzy with Kate Nash joining the band on their track ‘Slushy’ (before crowdsurfing into the waiting Reading masses), hometown favourites The Amazons popped up for a blistering set on the BBC Introducing Stage whilst Royel Otis made a main stage memory welcoming Sophie Ellis-Bextor on stage to perform ‘Muder On The Dancefloor’.

Reading & Leeds’ award-winning Chevron Stage roared back to life with a bold new look, reaffirming its standing as one of the UK’s premier festival stages, powered by bespoke creative visuals, cutting-edge technology and a world-class sound system. Becky Hill transformed the re into a euphoric dance-pop haven, while AJ Tracey delivered a commanding performance that cemented his status as a UK rap heavyweight and bassline powerhouse Sammy Virji brought the house down with a phenomenal headline set—made unforgettable in Reading by a surprise appearance from none other than rap visionary Skepta. As night fell, the Chevron Stage proved the party was far from over, with After Hours programming featuring silent disco DJ battles and late-night sets from Pendulum, BBC’s Charlie Tee and more.

Other standout performances over an action packed bank holiday weekend included Limp Bizkit (who welcomed a young fan on stage for a showstopping duet nobody will forget) Enter Shikari, D-Block Europe, Leigh-Anne, Suki Waterhouse, Conan Gray, Wallows, Amyl and the Sniffers, The Dare, Alessi Rose, Trippie Redd and Bloc Party - who played the festival’s very first Icon slot. The Aux Stage welcomed some of the most influential names in pop culture with Brittany Broski and Max Balegde, JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, Old & Bald with Harry Pinero and Darkest Man and a special surprise appearance from The Useless Hotline. 

Photo credit: Luke Dyson

Scintillating late night programming proved popular once again in Leeds with the return of crowd favourite LS23, and Saturday night provided another unforgettable moment when Rudim3ntal graced the decks for a surprise DJ set.

The Reading & Leeds campsites delivered the most comprehensive overhaul of the camping experience in UK festival history with five brand new campsites offering experiences including Get Ready With Me Stations, the festival's first ever morning run clubs, yoga, upcycling workshops and collaging, solo, eco and quiet camping. Also introduced was a dedicated warm and welcoming campsite for festival-goers who wanted to camp with a supportive, like-minded community in partnership with Safer Spaces Now CIC, with gender-inclusive teams dedicated to creating a safe and fun environment for all. Redefining the festival experience at every turn, it confirms why Reading & Leeds leads the pack. 

In another significant expansion, two brand new stages debuted at the festival with the Smirnoff Stage appearing in Reading and the Reload Stage launching in Leeds showcasing up-and-coming talent and broadened the festival’s musical landscape. 

Photo credit: Ben Awin

Rockstar Energy presents Reading & Leeds will return in 2026. Tickets for Reading & Leeds 2026 are on sale now through an exclusive pre-sale. Fans are encouraged to register now to gain first access to 2026 tickets at the lowest price.