Sam Fender, Billie Eilish, and The Killers are all set to perform headline sets at Reading and Leeds Festival 2023.
The first wave of acts has just been announced, and it looks like it’s going to be an awesome weekend.
There’s been lots of rumours circulating about who will be playing, but Greg James put these rumours to bed on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show this morning, The Hoot reports.
Taking to the main stage next year as his first time headlining a major festival will be Tyneside indie favourite Sam Fender, US pop megastar Billie Eilish – who this year became the youngest Glastonbury headliner ever – and indie rock legends The Killers.
Other headliners include Oxford rockers Foals, Scottish singer songwriter Lewis Capaldi, and American pop band Imagine Dragons.
And it doesn’t just stop there either.
Sam Fender, and Billie Eilish have been announced as Reading and Leeds 2023 headliners / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Also performing at the festival is British MC Loyle Carner, Isle Of Wight indie-rock duo Wet Leg, and dance heavyweight Becky Hill.
Also confirmed for the 2023 festival is Bicep, Central Cee, Chase Atlantic, Declan McKenna, Don Broco, Eliza Rose, Georgia, Inhaler, LF System, Lil TJay, Lovejoy, Meekz, Nessa Barret, Nothing But Thieves, Shy FX, Slowthai, Songer, Steve Lacy, The Snuts, Tion Wayne, Trippie Redd, Yung Lean, and You Me At Six.
More than a 100 artists are expected to grace the stages at Bramham Park and Little John’s Park next year.
Further exciting announcements are expected to come over the following months.
Reading and Leeds Festival 2023 takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend / Credit: Reading and Leeds
As always, Reading and Leeds Festival 2023 will once again be happening over the August Bank Holiday weekend between Friday 25 – Sunday 27 August, with tickets set to go sale next Monday 12 December 2022 at 9am.
With a lineup like that, and even more to come, we expect they’re going to fly off the shelves, so make sure to get your alarms set ready.
Grab your tickets here on the Reading and Leeds Festival 2023 website here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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A new music showcase is taking place at a beautiful and historic Stockport venue
Danny Jones
A new live showcase is coming to Stockport town centre as part of a wider music, art and cultural celebration next month.
And by new, we mean the artists; if you went to the last edition, you’ll know it delivers some serious talent.
Teaming up with the likes of Manchester-based music magazine and promoters, The Rodeo, as well as ticketing platform Skiddle, Stockport is set to welcome the return of Mercury Climbing Festival.
This week-long celebration of music, art and culture around parts of the Greater Manchester borough’s historic old town, and there are some exciting names on board already.
As for Mercury Climbing 2025 itself, the multi-day festival spread across several locations boasts the best in native and Northern music, visual arts, and comedy.
Popping up across a total of eight different spaces, including the likes of the brand-new Stockroom, pubs, and headline music venue St Mary’s Church – quietly one of the coolest places we’ve ever seen a gig – you have plenty of reason to be excited about this one.
Speaking of St Mary’s, while artists such as local legends Badly Drawn Boy, Manc indie outfit The Covasettes and Riding The Low – fronted by actor Paddy Considine – are set to play the stunning ceremonial space, The Rodeo is also hosting its own dedicated stage at the church.
Highlighting emerging new talent on Saturday, 20 September, Manchester-based solo indie project Better Joy is set to headline, with Denver County Council (who featured on our Manc artists of the month round-up), Henry Webb-Jenkins, Katie & the Bad Sign, plus more to be announced in support.
The last time we saw a ‘Live at St Mary’s’ event, we can’t stress this enough: it was nothing short of an unforgettable experience.
You don’t get to enjoy a ‘religious’ gig experiences like this often…
Taking place from Friday, 19-26 September, the festival as a whole will transform Stockport’s historic Old Town into a vibrant cultural hub.
And it isn’t just music: there are local food and drink traders getting involved, artwork from the one and only Stanley Chow, as well as plenty of other entertainment.
Above all else, the event is not only steeped in SK and Greater Manchester’s rich heritage, but it’s a great way of supporting new art coming out of the region.
The Rodeo’s St Mary’s stage gets underway from 4pm and is scheduled to finish at 10:30pm, but the wider Mercury Climbing programme is an all-day festival that won’t end until late. You can grab your tickets right HERE.
Royel Otis add second Manchester date due to massive demand
Danny Jones
Australian indie pop group Royel Otis have announced a second Manchester date ahead of their upcoming UK tour due to a huge demand for tickets.
The Aussie duo, who have blown up in the past couple of years with tracks like ‘Oysters In My Pocket’ and two viral covers of Sophie Ellis-Bextor and The Cranberries, are due to play a massive Manchester gig later this year.
Set to make their O2 Victoria Warehouse debut this winter, the ‘Sofa King’ singers saw their ticket allocation sell out quicker than you can say ‘Going Kokomo’.
As a result, there was only one thing for it:
Due to demand, @RoyelOtis have just added an extra date at Manchester @O2VicWarehouse in November! 🔥
For anyone still unaware of the rising alt-pop outfit led by frontman Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell (hence the name), they began breaking onto the scene around 2022 after having released a couple of tracks the year prior.
Although they quickly gained support back in their home country, their presence over here and indeed around the world was helped no end after their tripleJ take on ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ and stripped-back version of ‘Linger’ for SiriusXM hit the internet.
They even managed to land a feature on EA FC 24 – formerly known as FIFA – and we all know how getting on that soundtrack can transform careers.
Since then, their following has grown exponentially, and the rising double act has booked major festival slots such over the past 12 months or so, playing the likes of Kendal Calling, Glastonbury, as well as Reading and Leeds, just to name a few.
Regardless, fervent fans haven’t seen their clamour disappear, and now the band have announced an extra date at Victoria Warehouse.
Now set to play the venue on Friday AND Saturday, 28-29 November 2025, they will be supported by an opening act with a cool UK connection: Still Blank.
The transatlantic outfit is made up of Jordy is from Hawaii, and Ben, from right here in Manchester; the two come together to make what Stereogum has described as “sullen folk-grunge” – yet more reason for locals to be interested in the gig.
Once again, while the first gig has sold out, you can grab your tickets for Royel Otis’ second Manchester show HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
9th December 2022 
