The 2026 edition of Reading & Leeds is set to kick off later this week – but what does the weather have in store for both festival sites? Check out the weather forecasts for both locations below.
As usual, the dual festival is set to take place across the August Bank Holiday Weekend, with gates opening to punters later this week. The line-up this year will see headline performances from Florence + The Machine, Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., Dave, RAYE and Chase & Status.
The Leeds event has now got permission to perform music on the Thursday, and will do so for the first time this year with Kasabian headlining their main stage.
Other artists on the bill include Skepta, Sombr, Role Model, JADE, Kneecap, Geese, Skye Newman, ADELA, Violet Grohl, Holly Humberstone, Gurriers, Westside Cowboy, Declan McKenna, Maisie Peters, Paris Paloma, Cruz Beckham, Overpass, and Duke Dumont.
Check out the full stage times here.
In June, 13 more acts were added to the bill including Gene Gallagher-led band and NME 100 stars Villanelle, as well as December 10 and Beth McCartney.
Loyle Carner, Viagra Boys, Men I Trust and Gunna will perform in Reading only, while The K’s and The Lathums will only be performing in Leeds. Visit here for remaining tickets.
Now, following a series of heatwaves over the past few months, and temperatures only just starting to drop in recent days, check out the latest weather forecast for both Reading and Leeds sites.
Wednesday August 26: Light rain and a gentle breeze, with temperatures reaching 20ºC at 10am, 25ºC at 3pm, and remaining similar until 7pm. Highs of 26ºC and lows of 15ºC.
Thursday August 27: Light rain and a gentle breeze. Clear conditions start at 1pm with a temperature of 23ºC. Cooler temperatures and light rain from 9pm. Highs of 24ºC and lows of 13ºC.
Friday August 28: Light rain and a moderate breeze, with light rain expected throughout the day. Temperatures remain around 20ºC all day. Highs of 22ºC and lows of 12ºC.
Saturday August 29: Drizzle and a moderate breeze. Rain starts around 11am and clears up around 5pm. Highs of 22ºC and lows of 12ºC
Sunday August 30: Light rain and a moderate breeze, with temperatures reaching 21ºC at 1pm and skies clearing at 3pm. Highs of 22ºC and lows of 12ºC.
Wednesday August 26: Light rain and a gentle breeze, with clear conditions from 11am, but some showers between 2pm and 3pm. Highs of 22ºC and lows of 14ºC.
Thursday August 27: Thundery showers and a gentle breeze, with rain starting from 6am and some storms from 10am until 10pm. Highs of 21ºC and lows of 13ºC.
Friday August 28: Light rain and a moderate breeze, with showers starting at 10am and remaining throughout the day. Temperatures start to drop below 20ºC at 7pm. Highs of 21ºC and lows of 13ºC.
Saturday August 29: Light rain and a moderate breeze, with a brief dry spell at midday. Conditions clear up at 5pm, and temperatures stay around 19ºC all day. Highs of 20ºC and lows of 11ºC.
Sunday August 29: Light rain and a gentle breeze, with temperatures staying around 19ºC all day, and similar conditions in the evening. Highs of 20ºC and lows of 12ºC.
This summer has seen some exceptionally high temperatures across the UK and Europe and unusually dry conditions, leading to numerous festivals facing disruptions and cancellations.
Near Brussels, for example, Katy Perry’s 55,000 capacity Werchter Boutique headline performance was canceled due to severe thunderstorms. Elsewhere, Fred Schneider, vocalist with dance-rock legends The B-52’s, described the band’s experience at The C Trop Music Festival in Tilloloy, France as “a total disaster”, with their set cancelled minutes before performance time.
These heatwaves seem to be clearing up now in time for Reading & Leeds kicking off next week, with cooler temperatures and spots of rain expected in the next few days across the country and continuing into next week.
For the 2026 edition of the dual festival, there will be a massive staging and arena overhaul, described by the organisers as the biggest in the events’ history.
Both Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds will see improvements to the Main Stage – now known as The Grid – along with new stages The Gallery and The Warehouse.
Speaking to NME about the changes, festival boss Melvin Benn explained that the move had made him “as excited about Reading & Leeds as I’ve ever been”.
Ahead of the 2026 festival kicking off, Reading & Leeds have also teamed up with Spotify to help fans discover new artists they’ll love at the festival through personalised playlists based on their listening habits.
Organisers have also made a bid to extend its music license for Thursday night in time for the 2027 edition, although this has already been met with objections from local residents over noise concerns.
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