Charli XCX headlined Reading Festival with an expansive set spanning her newer rock-influenced material, Brat-era dance tracks and earlier fan favourites. The performance marked her first UK festival appearance since releasing Music, Fashion, Film, and demonstrated how she is positioning that album alongside the electronic-pop sound that made Brat a major cultural success in 2024.

Her Friday set opened with Rock Music and included new songs such as Wink Wink, Yeah and Card Declined, before moving through Track 10, House, Club Classics, 365 and the Grammy-winning Von Dutch. Featuring elaborate staging, costume changes, dancers and a live band, she ended with No One Lasts Forever; elsewhere, Skepta performed despite heavy rain, while Geese, Skye Newman and Jamie T also appeared. Reading and Leeds will host six headline acts over the weekend, including Dave, Raye, Chase & Status and Florence + The Machine.