Reading Festival 2025: A weekend of fireworks, fury and pure pop joy

Reading always offers its own special high definition version of rebellion and chaos. From pop theatre to rock tantrums and a conveyor belt of future headliners punching above their weight, across three days, tents heave, the main stage roars, and small-print names fight their way into the memory bank. This is the weekend as it unfolded, start to finish, from giddy early-afternoon sprints to nighttime detonations. None of the dull bits.

FRIDAY

Alessi Rose to Main Stage isn’t a leap many artists can make in a year, but it’s indicative of the year she’s had. She seems baffled by it when she acknowledges it on stage; Reading 2024 was her introduction to festivals, and as she says, “wow, a lot has changed”.

A trip around the world and back that’s seen the stages she graces get bigger and bigger – either on her own merit (sold out KOKO anyone? How about Kentish Town Forum?) or at stadiums with pop’s A-list (hello Wembley!) – has warmed her up thoroughly. Barely two years into her career, she could feel lost taking on these big bookings, but she shines.

She’s got a vaguely religious setup, a huge illuminated crucifix behind her and flowers arranged around pillars and beams, but she doesn’t need it. She’s aware she might be an unknown to much of the crowd gathering, but she works them regardless. Dropping material at a rate that’d make Taylor Swift jealous, her set has been rapidly adapting as the year’s gone on, this time incorporating much of latest EP ‘Voyeur’. New tracks like ‘That Could Be Me’ pack as much of a punch as opener ‘IKYK’, while ‘oh my’, fast becoming her signature track, is a clear highlight.

It’s half an hour of magic that nails Alessi Rose as pop’s next best export. (AF)

The ferocious snarl of ‘Scream From New York, NY’ is one hell of a way to start a festival set, but Been Stellar somehow keep that electric energy going for the entirety of their brilliant showing on the Festival Republic stage. There’s a dizzying urgency to the dreamy ‘Shimmer’ while the closing thunder of ‘I Have The Answer’ is simply massive. You really don’t need us to tell you how incredible the band’s debut album is, but today, it’s the new stuff that has the most bite. ‘Always On My Mind’? Pretty much. (AS)

Just a few EPs in, most artists are still trying to make a name for themselves and build a fanbase. Judging by the absolutely rammed tent and the hysterical screams when she walks on stage, that’s not an issue Sofia Isella has to worry about.

Huge slots supporting Taylor Swift and Glass Animals may be part of the reason her rise has been so meteoric, but translating that exposure to dedicated fans isn’t as easy as Sofia makes it look. She manages with a combination of theatricality and poetic lyricism, all topped off with more than a hint of gothic energy.

She’s burst out of the gate with momentum most artists would kill for, but make no mistake – Sofia Isella deserves every single one of her screaming fans. (JH)

Wallows have always felt at home on a festival stage. Climbing the ranks of the Reading lineup since breaking out in 2018, the boys have more than earned their Main Stage afternoon slot.

Building their last album ‘Model’ with live in mind, their set includes little of it, plumping instead for 45 minutes of their own greatest hits. In 2025, that includes more than the big singles; it means including fan favourites and old EP tracks that’ve taken on a life of their own. That said, ‘Your Apartment’ explodes as an opener, as does ‘Calling After Me’ as the set winds down.

It takes about three songs for frontman (for the most part, they occasionally rotate) Dylan Minnette to get down to the front row, slapping the hands of the barrier campers during ‘These Days’. While wonkier tracks like 2020 single ‘OK’ get an outing, it’s the debut album ‘Nothing Happens’ that proves to have the most crowd-pleasers. ‘Are You Bored Yet?’ has Dylan pointing the mic at the crowd in lieu of Clairo for the second verse, while ‘Remember When’ is an undeniable festival anthem.

It’s an instant step up from their last appearance here in 2022, where they played an earlier slot on the festival’s second stage. The relentless ‘Model’ tour, which started last summer, has solidified Wallows as one of the most underrated live acts of their wave. Bookended by two veterans of the British festival circuit – Bloc Party and The Kooks – Wallows don’t exactly fit in; rather, they stand out as a band leading the pack when it comes to the next generation of festival greats. (AF)

Bursting straight into their set with the force of a jackhammer, Soft Play are on top form, complemented by the Chevron stage’s impressive roof-spanning lightshow, which turns 5pm in a field into 2am at an Ibiza club.

‘Mirror Muscles’ and ‘Isaac is Typing’ are a massive one-two punch that sets the crowd off, the band proving that even without dipping into their impressive back catalogue of songs, their newest album more than brings the heat.

“Fuck Benjamin Netanyahu!” shouts Laurie between tracks, leading the crowd in chants of “Free Palestine” before the band batter their way into ‘Bin Juice Disaster’. Later on, J.K. Rowling gets called a “horrible cunt”, with mass cheers from the crowd in response.

The first track from before the band’s 2019 hiatus is ‘Fuck the Hi-Hat’, with a call and response spelled out in comic sans on the screen behind them. From there it’s a pacey rattle through ‘Sockets’ before they welcome the one and only Kate Nash on stage for a barnstorming rendition of ‘Slushy’ – it’s the cherry on top of an already world-class set.

A year on since the release of ‘Heavy Jelly’, today feels like something of a victory lap for Soft Play. Both Isaac and Laurie are having the time of their lives, bantering between tracks and hugging fans at the barrier. With both new and old songs sounding as explosive as ever, and a bigger mosh pit for ‘Punk’s Dead’ than for any of their old hits, this is a band who feel as vital as they did when they first formed. (JH)

We’ll get straight to it: The Linda Lindas are incredible. Their scrappy debut album ‘Growing Up’ was fuelled by wide-eyed excitement, but 2024’s ‘No Obligation’ was a far bolder, more ambitious collection of fuzzy guitar-driven anthems that saw the band demanding change. Today, the four-piece start their set with a burst of Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Crazy Train’ and things don’t get any less wonderfully hectic from there on out.

The title track to their second album is delivered with sheer ferocity, but the band slip effortlessly into the chirpy funk of ‘Too Many Things’ and the playfully spiky ‘Resolution/Revolution’. There’s giddy celebration behind ‘Lose Yourself’ while ‘Nino’ is perhaps the fastest, most furious song ever written about a cat. The band deliver sleek, punk rock anthems with a reckless abandon and look like they’re having a ball doing it.

Joy is a huge part of The Linda Lindas, but that doesn’t stop a searing ‘All In My Head’ offering pure, guttural catharsis while a fiery ‘Oh!’ turns snarling frustration into a punk pop bop. “We have to stick together,” says the band’s Eloise Wong, before asking the crowd to continue standing with trans people and immigrants. Closing out with the defiant ‘Racist, Sexist Boy’, it’s an absolute triumph underpinned by much-needed hope. (AS)

A handful of artists have headlined Reading Festival on one album. The Darkness in 2004, The Strokes in 2002, Inspiral Carpets in 1990 and on Friday night, Chappell Roan. She’s also the first pure pop act to ever headline the Bank Holiday Weekend… oh, who are we kidding? There’s absolutely nothing about Chappell Roan topping the bill at Reading that feels like a risk.

That’s not to say her 90-minute powerhouse performance is ever predictable. From the dark fairytale opening and the dungeons-and-drag-queens-inspired stage show to the excitable energy behind the many, many smash hits, it’s massive in every way.

The music is just as gloriously over the top. There’s the smirking rage of ‘Feminonomenon’, the country kiss off of ‘The Giver’ and the knowingly dramatic ‘After Midnight’. Sure, a live band gives her polished bangers a rugged snarl and a fiery cover of Heart’s ‘Barracuda’ is a glam rock rager, but at no point during her 90-minute set does Chappell make concessions to fit the expectation of a Reading headliner. It’s deliciously Pop with a capital P.

She sings the soaring ‘Good Luck Babe!’ into a wind machine and starts the show dressed like a Disney villain. “I want to teach you a dance,” she grins before a giddy ‘HOT TO GO!’, clearly having fun with the whole thing. That playful spirit weaves its way through the show. The tender ‘Coffee’ sees her cuddling a goblin, and the “not overdramatic” line from opener ‘Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl’ is delivered with the biggest of winks as fireworks erupt behind her.

As big and shiny as Chappell Roan’s pop spectacle is, it’s underpinned by raw emotion. There’s a dizzying excitement for recent single ‘The Subway’, a gut-wrenching post-breakup anthem that doesn’t skimp on heartbreak and the searing ‘Kink Is Karma’ feels like a purge for both Chappell and the tens of thousands watching. She goes on to dedicate the stripped-back beauty of ‘Love Me Anyway’ to the fans. “It’s truly a thank you for standing with me. I love you so much.” It ends with ‘Pink Pony Club’ – an anthem of ambition, belonging, staying true to your roots and, most importantly, joy. The whole thing is as warm, inspiring and thrilling as Reading headline sets get. (AS)

The slot directly after Chappell Roan isn’t exactly an easy one to fill, but AJ Tracey is up to the task. He’s on home turf here from the moment he walks on stage, demanding a level of energy that the crowd is only too willing to provide. 

Barely 30 seconds in the bass is rattling the entire tent, and between songs the chants for smash hit ‘Thiago Silva’ are so loud he has to ask people to stop so he can be heard. 

AJ is a Reading regular at this point, reliably giving the mid-afternoon slot a shot in the arm, but with a late night slot and new album ‘Don’t Die Before You’re Dead’ fresh in people’s minds, the crowd feels extra feral. Luckily he’s brought the energy to match, jumping around, amping up the tent and somehow still never missing a beat. Bouncing between songs with barely any room to breathe, it’s a rollercoaster ride through his entire career. The first wheel-up from DJ Big Zuu happens during ‘Kiss and Tell’, somehow generating even more energy from the crowd. AJ responds in kind, going as far as rapping along to Skepta’s part as well as his own, just because he can.

‘Crush’ sees the BPM brought down a notch, but also sees the biggest singalong of the set. Jorja isn’t here, but she probably wouldn’t be audible over the crowd even if she were.

At this point every song is causing mosh pits from the front to the back of the tent, but the temptation to lean heavily on new songs is resisted. AJ knows the assignment and plays a greatest hits set which flexes his entire back catalogue to its limit. (JH)

SATURDAY

Saturday lunchtime and heads are pounding, but Sunday (1994)‘s blend of cinematic nostalgia and polished delivery do a good job of perking everyone back up. “This is the earliest show I’ve ever played in my life,” jokes singer Paige Turner, adding, “I’m drinking Guinness and it’s still the morning!”

It’s a tight set honed by relentless playing over the last few months, with Paige dancing around the stage during songs and amping up the crowd in between, while guitarist Lee (born just up the road in sunny Slough) throws plectrums into the front row.

We love a bit of hyperbole here at Dork, but we’re not exaggerating when we say that this is a band you need to catch now, before they’re absolutely massive. (JH)

It’s their first time playing at Reading, and Keo already feel too big for the stage they’re on. Packing out BBC Introducing pre-1pm could be tough, but Keo are rocketing past their peers. Their debut EP, released only two months ago, positioned the band as an instant next-in-line to the indie throne, and tracks like ‘Thorn’ and ‘Hands’ already feel bedded in.

The crowd, made up of Keo’s already well-established fanbase and curious onlookers, shake off their Saturday morning cobwebs with a band who are obviously going to be a Reading mainstay. Even at this hour, on a stage this small, there are fans on one another’s shoulders and with arms in the air for big single ‘I Lied, Amber’. (AF)

Since their debut single ‘Home’ rocketed into the Top 40, Good Neighbours have managed to ride a wave of hype that today sees them on Reading’s Main Stage. With their first album ‘Blue Sky Mentality’ released next month, this is a band who are far more than a one-trick pony, though.

The front rows are singing along in euphoria to every song, with Good Neighbours themselves seemingly almost as giddy. “We’ve been away from the UK for a whole year and it feels so good to be home,” says singer Oli Fox, before blasting into ‘Kid’s Can’t Sleep’, one of an impressive run of earworm bangers.

Unsurprisingly, the biggest response is reserved for FC25 soundtrack smash hit ‘Daisies’. Judging by the crowd response, either everyone here is massively into playing virtual football, or this is a band who have well and truly broken out. (AF)

“We’re gonna bring out some massive balls.” Royel Otis have just waved Sophie Ellis-Bextor offstage and are throwing, well, massive inflatable balls into the crowd. One reads “you are watching royel otis live”. If it’s always like this, we’ll have a bit more.

It’s the kind of bonkers live show that immediately wakes up a Saturday afternoon. Blinding hot pink screens display messages throughout: “welcome to the show”, “show us your crooked teeth”, “this is a song we did not write”, the latter during a cover of ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ with the original artist herself. It’s dry Australian humour that always lands in the UK.

But for all the silliness, Royel Otis are an incredibly tight live band. ‘Heading for the Door’ and ‘Sofa King’ are chant-worthy bangers, while brand new tracks (literally, the album came out yesterday) ‘car’ and ‘moody’ are met with equal enthusiasm.

Reading arrives at the end of a very hectic summer for Royel Otis, but when they’re on arguably one of the biggest stages of their career, that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. As Sophie walks off stage, they thank her, Otis saying they wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t covered her song last year, but as ‘Oysters in My Pocket’ kicks in as the closer, it’s clear they’ve got some anthems of their own. (AF)

‘Smitten’ saw Pale Waves embrace their legacy after three very different chapters and basically create a greatest hits of everything the band do so well. They’re also back on familiar ground today after playing Reading Festival “maybe four or five times before” but rather than playing things safe, the band have turned the Chevron stage into an ornate manor house, complete with marble busts and a twinkling chandelier.

It’s almost as grand as the music. Opener ‘Perfume’ is a sugary slice of 80s pop that wears its heart on its sleeve, the majestically defiant ‘Not A Love Song’ morphs into an agile chunk of rock & roll excess, and a searing cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ trembles with rage. Classics ‘There’s A Honey’ and ‘Television Romance’ still crackle with excitement, but the sing-alongs are just as loud for the serene gut-punch of ‘Glasgow’ and the spiky ‘Jealousy’. The whole thing is delivered with a giddy swagger. Smitten? We’re head over heels. (AS)

Opening with ‘Heartbeat’, VLURE are here to cause chaos. Lead singer Hamish is on the barrier within minutes, telling the crowd, “We’re gonna get a bit crazy; if someone falls, pick them up,” before welcoming Psweatpants to the stage for a brutal rendition of latest single ‘Something Real’.

The crowd respond with religious fervour, surging forwards to make the biggest mosh pit that 4pm has ever seen. It helps that Psweatpants is straight off stage and acting as pit general, waving a Scottish flag in the eye of the storm.

‘Cut It’ is a highlight, the whole crowd bouncing in unison and causing what feels like a minor earthquake in the process. By the end of the set, Hamish and guitarist Conor are both in the crowd too, Conor crowdsurfing from the front to the back while grinning from ear to ear.

VLURE are a band designed for sweaty clubs and 3am raves, but it’s a testament to their sheer energy (and their catalogue of more than a few absolute bangers) that they make just as much of an impact in a dusty tent in a field as they would at Berghain. (JH)

With Bring Me The Horizon closing out their Nex Gen cycle this weekend at Reading & Leeds, there’s a big question around who will take over their throne.

As fun as they are, it probably won’t be Limp Bizkit. Sure, fellow 90s icons Deftones and Nine Inch Nails are cooler than ever, but Fred Durst and co. are comfortably embracing dad rock. ‘Break Stuff’ and ‘My Generation’ used to seem dangerous, but now just feel like rock karaoke classics, and the band perform in front of AI memes that presumably have been lifted straight from Facebook. It might sound horrible, but it’s everything you’d want from Limp Bizkit in 2025. During the closing swagger of ‘Take A Look Around’, Fred even imparts some fatherly advice: “They keep feeding us all this bullshit in the news, but we can’t let them push us into hating each other.” (AS)

Meanwhile, Enter Shikari have always sounded like the future. Today’s Main Stage slot sees them bouncing between glorious, escapist pop rock and snarling political fury. A filthy remix of ‘Bloodshot’ sets the urgent pace, while ‘The Dreamer’s Hotel’ has vocalist Rou Reynolds reminding the crowd that “the first duty of a human is to dream and dream big.”

In between the soaring ‘Live Outside’, a thundering ‘Juggernauts’, and a rave-ready reworking of breakout hit ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’, there are hard-hitting speeches about climate change and the war crimes being committed in Gaza. “No politics please – we’ve been told that for 20 years and for 20 years we’ve ignored it,” says Rou. “We will not refrain from trying to heal this world.”

But away from the acts who have more Readings than hot dinners under their belts, there are plenty of relative newcomers to the festival to be excited about. After an arena tour with Sleep Token, Bilmuri couldn’t be more confident in delivering his deliciously aggressive party rock bangers in the Festival Republic tent, while Ecca Vandal‘s sleek mix of emo, alt-rock and indie is well-crafted and catchy as hell.

Their Main Stage slot might be cut short due to technical difficulties, but South Arcade make every moment count. ‘2005’ is a knowing wink to noughties nu-metal that never feels tired, ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ is wonderfully wonky, and the glitching ‘Supermodels’ is futuristic pop-punk that’s as instant as any of the classics. The cocksure Y2Kcore stomp of recent single ‘Fear Of Heights’ was clearly written with massive stages like this in mind. South Arcade make rock music look like the most exciting thing in the world.

The whole of NXDIA‘s headline set on the BBC Introducing Stage clashes with Limp Bizkit, which would be a death sentence for most acts, but, despite the odds, they pull a huge crowd. It only gets bigger and louder as the gig goes on – and for good reason. ‘Nothing At All’ is all dreamy wonderstuff, ‘Boy Clothes’ offers hammering empowerment, and ‘Just A Body’ is brilliantly cool slacker rock.

The different moods are tied together by NXDIA’s conversational songwriting. They get the crowd to boo various things (overpriced festival food, J.K. Rowling) as a segue into ‘Boo, Nevermind’, but also “because it’s fun”. That feel-good spirit continues throughout the set, with the bratty ‘More!’ sounding like Sabrina Carpenter fronting The Hives, and the closing, cathartic purge of ‘Feel Anything’ giving the crowd space to rage. The Nex Gen is well and truly here. (AS)

Isn’t it great when a pop star comes to Reading and brings a massive show with them? Well, that’s exactly what Conan Gray has done. A week out from the release of his fourth album ‘Wishbone’, and it’s the Reading Festival crowd who are treated to its first live outing.

Pulling out all the stops, Conan brings with him no less than a whole shipwreck, a string section and a host of new songs with him. Doubling down on the nautical theme, he’s dressed as a pirate (down in the front, fans don sailor outfits to match) as he opens with new track ‘This Song’. 

Impressively, much of the audience already know the words, surprising Conan too as they sing along to ‘Nauseous’ and ‘Romeo’ on their live debut. But it’s the tracks from debut album ‘Kid Krow’ that prove the biggest hitters, Conan boldly slapping his most-streamed (a casual two billion) song, the pensive ‘Heather’, in the middle of the set, not closing on the vengeful ‘Maniac’ either.

There’s often the argument that the 2020s haven’t given us any great male pop stars, but here’s Conan Gray, making a pretty solid case for himself. It’s his first time at Reading and he’s making it count, bringing a perfectly polished pop show to the middle of Reading’s rock day. (AF)

Bring Me The Horizon kicked off their Nex Gen album cycle with a defiant first headline slot at Download Festival. Big on spectacle, it saw the biggest metal band in Britain confidently stake their claim at the top. Two years later, they’re now closing things out at Reading Festival and, somehow, are operating at an even more impressive level. Confetti erupts for the opening swing of ‘Darkside’ while the twitching hammer of ‘Mantra’ comes with fireworks. “We’re going to rock your fucking world,” promises Oli Sykes, knowing full well they’re throwing absolutely everything at this 90-minute masterclass.

The visuals for the chirpy ‘Happy Song’ offer a crash course in being a mosher, while some clever camera trickery turns Oli into a snarling hellbeast for the ferocious ‘Amen!’, marking perhaps the first outing of stadium horror. There’s more to Bring Me than opening up those circle pits, though. ‘Kingslayer’ is a euphoric hunk of rave-rock, and the glitching hyperpop of ‘Lost’ is all urgent ass-shaking. Sure, the Liam Gallagher-approved ‘Wonderwall’ cover inspires a deafening chantalong, but so does ‘Shadow Moses’ and the emotionally-charged ‘Can You Feel My Heart’.

There’s no guest appearance from Ed Sheeran this time around, but when you’ve got crossover bangers ‘Drown’ and ‘Throne’ in your arsenal, you don’t really need any extras to make things more thrilling. Taking a second to soak up the scene before him, Oli reflects on his first time on Reading’s Main Stage, which saw both Avenged Sevenfold and Slipknot pulling out at the last minute and Bring Me having impossibly big shoes to fill. No one would have guessed the scrappy deathcore band would be here 15 years later, let alone headlining the whole thing, but no one’s questioning this booking.

Tonight is a deserved celebration of Bring Me The Horizon’s undeniable legacy, but it also sees them once again raising the bar for what a rock band can be. It’s one of those all-time sets that people will be talking about in 15 years’ time. (AS)

SUNDAY

Waterparks haven’t played a gig in more than a year, but they’ve lost none of their chaotic goodness as they return to Reading Festival on Sunday. “How many people don’t know who the fuck we are?” grins Awsten Knight near the start of a blistering 30-minute rampage through their back catalogue. He seems even more excited, realising just how many Travis Scott fans they’ll be playing for.

The band kick things off with shredding new single ‘Red Guitar’, a bratty, over-the-top hunk of ambition and guitar solos, before a sugary ‘Stupid For You’, the ferocious ‘Numb’ and urgent ‘Turbulent’ keep the giddy anarchy going.

There are circle pits for ‘Real Super Dark’, but the band also comfortably veer between the snotty, hip-hop-inspired ‘Reboot’, the chirpy ‘I Miss Having Sex…’ and the lush, indie sunshine of ‘Funeral Grey’. Based on the snippet of the unreleased ‘If Lyrics Were Confidential’ that’s aired today, a smirking slice of rap-rock, Waterparks’ unique brand of glorious disorder is here to stay. (AS)

Little Mix were a rebellious group, but even they wouldn’t have dared play Reading Festival. If Leigh-Anne is nervous about stepping into the unknown, though, she certainly doesn’t look it during a powerful 45-minute set on the Chevron Stage. Swaggering opener ‘Don’t Say Love’ is fierce and unwavering, while the sleek ‘OMG’ and spicy ‘Forbidden Fruit’ are playful pop bangers with plenty of attitude.

“The world is really shitty right now, and it reminds me of something my Dad always said to me growing up – ‘teach your kids love because the world’s going to teach them hate’,” explains Leigh-Anne. Today, though, she’s determined “to sing for love, to stand for love and to spread the love, in a world that needs it so bad right now.” Her deliberately celebratory cover of Bob Marley’s ‘You Could Be Love’ demands that same sense of unity.

Backed by a live band, an impressive stage show and a group of dancers, there’s a clear vision to the show that’s all about freedom. It makes the feel-good party vibes of comeback track ‘Been A Minute’ and the carnival-inspired ‘Burning Up’ even more visceral. A trio of Little Mix covers (‘Touch’, ‘Sweet Melody’ and ‘Power’) are obviously incredible but there’s just as much excitement around Leigh-Anne’s own pop smash ‘My Love’. The whole thing is beautifully, urgently joyful. More of this, please. (AS)

While her glitterball-adorned stage setup and ‘Memoir of a Sparklemuffin’ album title suggest something fluffier, Suki Waterhouse wants to prove her influences lean heavier than that. Donning a Hole t-shirt as she steps out onto Reading’s Main Stage, ‘Supersad’ packs an early punch, while ‘Johanna’ sees her pull a fan from the crowd to sing along with her.

She’s surprisingly dynamic, but things really kick into gear with her ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ cover, followed by ‘Moves’.

Suki Waterhouse’s third job, after model and actress, has proven to be her most successful. Her pop star career, essentially flying under the radar until ‘Moves’ took off on TikTok, has taken her as far as Wembley Stadium’s massive Eras Tour stage. By the time that happened, she’d already spent years cultivating her sound and image, and arrives at Reading fully formed. (AF)

Bounding onto the stage in a chainmail crop top and red cowboy shorts, Amyl and the Sniffers‘ Amy Taylor is full to bursting with a level of energy not often seen on Sunday afternoon. “Anybody wanna bring me a shot from backstage?” she grins halfway through ‘Security’. By ‘Guided by Angels’ she’s gesturing like a woman possessed, while guitarist Declan Mehrtens smashes out guitar solos which would make a hair metal band envious.

Bassist Gus gives Amy a brief respite from amping up the crowd, leading chants of “oi oi” (easy to remember, at the very least) as Amy looks on with a grin. This brief interlude aside, though, Amy is the band’s mouthpiece between songs as well as during them.

This goes double when she warns she’s about to “get political”, saying, “I wanna just give my big heart to all of the trans people in this country, I wanna say fuck J.K. Rowling, because why not? And I wanna say my heart is with the people of Palestine.”

For anyone who has seen them on their impressive run this summer, these sentiments won’t come as a surprise, but it’s still a powerful statement to shout from a festival stage, especially the same weekend that The Mary Wallopers had their set at Victorious Festival cut short for voicing their support for Palestine. (JH)

In a sweaty tent, hidden away from the apocalyptic dustbowl the rest of the Reading site has become by the arse end of the weekend, is a party being hosted by The Dare.

While ragers wait for Travis Scott to rile up the Main Stage and teenagers rush the Chevron for Sammy Virji, the vibe at the Festival Republic stage is very different. The stage setup, a wall of amps and lights, with Harrison Patrick Smith doing his one-man show in front of it, makes for an impressive day-closer. 

Full throttle from the start, the speaker-shattering bass of ‘Good Time’ and ‘I Destroyed Disco’ make for the best last festival blow out, while the dance punk of ‘Open Up’ and ‘Perfume’ fuel 2000s nostalgia without feeling dated. ‘Bloodwork’ sees him work in the necessary line from Charli xcx’s ‘Guess’ (you know the one), but its the chant-heavy ‘Girls’ that makes staying until the very end of the weekend worth it.

Before he plays it, he notes that Reading marks the end of his European gigs for a while, and that the songs will be very different next time, suggesting the next Dare era is around the corner. What better way to wrap up the ‘What’s Wrong With New York?’ album cycle than by sending it off at a festival where, sonically, The Dare would’ve slotted perfectly into the bill 20 years ago.

If you spend enough time on the internet around festival season, you’ll see the dinosaurs of festival past moaning about what Reading used to be. Those people should try The Dare. (AF)