The 2026 edition of Reading & Leeds is just around the corner now – 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 tomorrow (Thursday August 27) and performances running until Sunday (August 30). 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, 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 light winds, with rain starting at 2pm and clearing up by 5pm, but temperatures staying around 26ºC during this time. Highs of 26ºC and lows of 17ºC.
Thursday August 27: Thundery showers and a gentle breeze. Thunder in the early morning, and remaining on and off until midday. Mainly clear conditions throughout the rest of the day and night, with temperatures around 23ºC in the evening. Highs of 24ºC and lows of 13ºC.
Friday August 28: Thundery showers and a moderate breeze, with clear conditions until midday, and some sunny showers from 1pm onwards. Thunder expected from 6pm until 8pm, but temperates remain around 20ºC all day. Highs of 23ºC and lows of 14ºC.
Saturday August 29: Thundery showers and a moderate breeze. Rain starts in the early morning and turns into thunder around 1pm. Rainy conditions remain until around 8pm, then it is clear for the rest of the night. Highs of 21ºC and lows of 14ºC
Sunday August 30: Thundery showers and a moderate breeze, with clear conditions until 11am, and some heavier rain starting in the early afternoon. Storms mainly take place in the evening, running from 4pm until 10pm. Highs of 23ºC and lows of 12ºC.
Wednesday August 26: Light rain showers and a gentle breeze, rain starts around 3pm and clears up around 7pm. Some rain from 9pm onwards, but temperatures consistently in the early 20s. Highs of 24ºC and lows of 14ºC.
Thursday August 27: Thundery showers and a gentle breeze, with rain starting at 10am and developing into thunderstorms at midday until 5pm. Rain continues into the evening. Highs of 22ºC and lows of 14ºC.
Friday August 28: Thundery showers and a gentle breeze, with showers starting at midday and developing into thunderstorms at 4pm. Rain settles around 6pm and clears at 9pm. Highs of 20ºC and lows of 13ºC.
Saturday August 29: Thundery showers and a gentle breeze, with rain from 7am and continuing until midnight. Some storms around 5pm, and temperatures consistently at 19ºC. Highs of 20ºC and lows of 13ºC.
Sunday August 29: Light rain and a gentle breeze, with clear conditions until around 2pm. Some cloud and rain on and off throughout the day, with temperatures dropping below 20ºC from 6pm onwards. Highs of 21ºC and lows of 12ºC.
Both locations have been issued Yellow Met Office Weather Warnings due to the high likelihood of rain and thunderstorms, meaning that there is a small risk of flooding.
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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