6 headliners, 2 main stages - the first names have been announced for Reading & Leeds 2021

The first names for next year's Reading & Leeds Festivals have been announced, with 6 headliners performing across two main stages.

Returning from the 2020 bill, Stormzy and Liam Gallagher are retained for next year's event, and will be joined by Post Malone, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Disclosure and Queens of the Stone Age.

With a Main Stage East and West in place for the festivals' 2021 return, organisers have confirmed there won't be any clashes between bill-toppers.

In promoting the event last week, organiser Melvin Benn claimed this would be 'the most all encompassing and inclusive Reading & Leeds line-up ever'. However, despite growing criticism in recent years 2021's bill continues a run of male-only headline acts that goes back Paramore's 2014 co-headline slot, which saw them close the main stage in Leeds.

In the same interview, Benn also claimed each of the six headliners would be topping the bill for the first time. Queens of the Stone Age (2014), Disclosure (2016) and Post Malone (2019) have co-headlined before.

Elsewhere in the first announce, there's room for the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, Lewis Capaldi, Beabadoobee, 100 Gecs, Ashnikko, AJ Tracey, Doja Cat, Da Baby, Fever 333, Mabel, Sofi Tukker, Lyra, Madison Beer and MK, with more names across music and comedy to be announced.

Reading & Leeds 2021 will take place between 27th and 29th August. Tickets are on sale from 9am on Thursday, 3rd September. You can hear our full run down on the announcement on tonight's (31st August) edition of Down With Boring, debuting on Dork Radio at 8PM BST, then available as a podcast via our DorkCast feed shortly after.

The full list of names announced reads:

100 Gecs
AJ Tracey
Ashnikko
Beabadoobee
Catfish and the Bottlemen
DaBaby
Disclosure
Doja Cat
Fever 333
Lewis Capaldi
Liam Gallagher
LYRA
Mabel
Madison Beer
MK
Post Malone
Queens of the Stone Age
Sofi Tukker
Stormzy
Two Door Cinema Club