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LIVE REVIEW: Leeds Festival 2026
- Lucy Thomas
- 2 minutes ago
- 5 min read
This weekend saw around 90,000 festival goers descend on the iconic Bramham Park site for a weekend of unforgettable music. Across the site, established headliners shared the bill with a wealth of emerging talent, resulting in a host of triumphant performances. Overall, Leeds once again proved why it remains one of the UK’s favourite festivals.
Since its inception back in 1999, Leeds Festival has firmly established itself as a mainstay in the festival calendar. Whilst its roots lie heavily in rock and alternative music, the festival has continually evolved in tandem with the listening habits of its audience. The festival has broadened its horizons in the past decade, embracing an increasingly diverse range of genres, as well as the industry’s most exciting emerging talents.
This progression was abundantly clear this year. With headliners including Dave, Fontaines D.C and Charli XCX, the festival undoubtedly offered a strikingly varied top end to its bill, spanning hip-hop, post-punk and pop. Across the festival’s seven different stages, a wealth of emerging artists also took the spotlight, with standout sets from the likes of Westside Cowboy and Arkayla proving that some of the weekend’s most memorable moments could be found well away from the main stage. With such a vast lineup spread across the site, the real challenge of the weekend was not finding something worth watching, but deciding what to miss.
The festival opened with Arkayla on The Grid stage on Thursday evening. The day’s all-indie bill was confidently kicked off by the Manchester four-piece, who made the stage their own in front of a youthful crowd. Seemingly unphased by the size of their stage, the band delivered a set brimming with energy that demonstrated why they are one of the UK indie scene’s most exciting rising names. Their assured opening was followed by The Lathums, who built on that momentum with their infectious indie-rock sound. They drew an increasingly animated crowd into the festival spirit, and by the time Kasabian took to the stage, anticipation was firmly established for the festival’s first-ever Thursday headliners.
The seasoned festival veterans responded with a career-spanning set that balanced newer material with the fan-favourite classics that have cemented their place in the festival circuit. Their command of the crowd was clear from the get go, as they provided a triumphant close to the opening day and established a formidable pace for the weekend ahead, despite the relentless threat of unruly weather.
Friday saw an unfortunate clash between Holly Humberstone and Westside Cowboy, both of whom have released two of the year’s most accomplished new albums. Humberstone delivered an impressive set that embodied her signature blend of vulnerability and confidence.
Meanwhile, Westside Cowboy impressed with songs from their meritorious debut album, ‘It Goes On’. As the afternoon rolled on, the threat of heavy thunderstorms thankfully gave way to clear skies, providing the perfect conditions for Blossoms and Role Model to deliver high-energy sets on the Main Stage. Florence + The Machine’s ethereal performance was a true festival highlight, as Welch’s effortless vocals captivated the fields and commanded the crowd from start to finish.
Day 2 closed with another difficult decision: Chase & Status or Kneecap. However, no matter which crowd you found yourself in, it was clear that Leeds Festival had saved its biggest energy for the final hours of the day. Chase & Status dominated the main stage in a rave-fuelled spectacle, while Kneecap owned the stage and their crowd with their trademark blend of charisma and chaos.
Day 3 of the festival was kicked off by some of the most exciting emerging talents in the current scene. Tooth, Bleech 9:3 and The Guest List all delivered phenomenal sets throughout the afternoon. Each act already boasts a devoted fan base that helped create some of the festival’s most electric crowds. There is no doubt that these names will continue to rise up the festival bill in the years to come and make their way onto the main stage. Elsewhere, Keo proved yet again why they are among the indie-rock scene’s future torchbearers, delivering a polished set to a crowd brimming with excitement for their upcoming debut album.
Later in the day, Skepta and Geese went head to head for Bramham Park’s attention. Skepta brought his signature high-octane energy to a lively main stage crowd, while Geese unleashed their unpredictable energy to The Gallery stage. Their varied set was a festival highlight and struck the perfect balance between mosh pits and more sentimental, introspective moments.
In what was arguably the most exciting run of acts in the whole weekend, Charli XCX offered a compelling performance as the first of Saturday’s headliners. Her relentless stage presence and infectious confidence set a euphoric pace for the night’s closing act. Fontaines D.C concluded day 3 in what can only be described as a five star performance. Throughout their set, the widescreens slowly revealed themselves. This perfectly captured the tension and release of their emotional set that was so clearly and beautifully dedicated to their late manager Trevor Dietz. Their perfectly curated setlist of old, new and unreleased material paid homage to their ‘Romance’ era, and welcomed their ‘Dopamine Chamber’ era with open arms.
Moving on to the festival’s final day, standout sets came from Sombr and RAYE. Despite some unruly weather, Sombr shone on the main stage. His name will no doubt be at the top of the bill in the future, as he interacted with his audience with admirable charisma and charm. During his performance of ‘back to friends’ he waved a ‘Leeds is the best’ flag for his crowd, proving just how effortlessly he can command his audience. RAYE was accompanied by a huge orchestral ensemble, bringing an impressive sense of scale to her set. Her signature vintage sound provided the perfect foundation for a performance packed with soaring instrumentation and striking production.
Dave’s closing headline set was by no means a disappointment. From guest appearances by Central Cee, Kano and Tems, to his commanding stage presence, the performance quickly established itself as one of the weekend’s best. Those expecting a spectacle centred purely on rap were largely mistaken, as he instead charmed the fields with moments of spoken poetry and a genuine sense of gratitude. It was a performance that undeniably left a long-lasting impression, showcasing the thoughtfulness and humility behind his exceptional talent.
So, with its mix of rising talent and unforgettable headline sets, Leeds Festival 2026 proved itself to be a weekend worth remembering. Whatever the weather, and whichever clash you found yourself facing, the energy of the festival never wavered. Across four days, the fields became a celebration of everything live music can offer. From intimate breakthrough performances to huge, career-defining moments, there is no doubt that the festival once again left its mark, and will continue to do so in the years to come.
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