Charli XCX to make major UK return at Reading and Leeds Festival

Charli XCX has updated her festival setlist (Credit: Charli XCX/Instagram)

Charli XCX is set to make a major return to the UK this weekend, headlining both Reading and Leeds Festival.

The Von dutch singer has entered a new era of music following the global success of her Brat era.

The pop star will headline Reading Festival on Friday 28 August before travelling north to headline Leeds Festival on Saturday 29 August.

The twin festivals take place across the August Bank Holiday weekend, from 27–30 August.

Her appearance marks another major homecoming for one of Britain’s most influential and notable pop stars.

Charli has spent the past two years at the centre of pop culture, with Brat becoming more than just an album and turning into a global cultural phenomenon.

Now, she is bringing that energy into a new era with her latest album, Music, Fashion, Film, which released in July.

The record follows Brat and sees Charli continuing to explore the relationship between pop, club music, fashion and visual art.

Her Reading headline set is scheduled for Friday night, with Charli taking to The Grid at 7:45pm.

She will be followed by Fontaines D.C, while the weekend’s lineup also features Dave, Florence + The Machine, RAYE, Chase & Status and Skepta.

Over at Leeds, Charli will headline on Saturday on The Grid at 7:10pm, alongside Fontaines D.C. and Skepta, with artists including Dave, Florence + The Machine and Chase & Status also performing across the weekend.

The festival appearances come at an important point in Charli’s career.

Following the huge success of Brat, there is no doubt that expectations will be high when she takes to the stage.

But rather than simply returning to what made Brat so successful, Charli has continued to push herself creatively and move into a new persona.

Her music has always been made for big crowds, from her early club-inspired hits to the huge moments of the Brat era.

Now, over 170,000 festival-goers will get the chance to experience the phenomenon live once again.

The 2026 Reading & Leeds line-up is also notable for its focus on British and Irish headliners, with Charli joined by Dave, RAYE, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C. and Chase & Status.

It is the first time in 25 years that the festival has had an exclusively British and Irish headline line-up, according to IQ.

For Charli, the weekend is more than just another festival appearance.

It marks her return to the UK as a headlining act and gives fans the chance to see what comes next from one of pop’s most exciting performers.

After the success of Brat, the pressure is certainly there.

But if anyone can turn a festival crowd into a dancefloor, it’s Charli XCX.