Fontaines D.C. headline Reading after manager’s death
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Fontaines D.C.’s Reading Festival headline set was newly reviewed at four-and-a-half stars by NME, which praised its mix of newer material and crowd-facing anthems. The emotionally charged performance marked the Irish band’s first main-stage headline appearance at the festival and came soon after the death of their manager, Trevor Dietz.
A roughly 30-minute technical delay reportedly meant ‘Big’, ‘Hurricane Laughter’ and the planned debut of ‘Happy For You’ were removed from the set. The band nevertheless played recent songs ‘Marianne’ and ‘Six Shot Morning’, dedicated a track linked to Dietz’s support to him, and closed with ‘Starburster’; they headline Leeds next before releasing fifth album ‘Dopamine Chamber’ in October.
- NME awarded Fontaines D.C.’s Reading headline set four-and-a-half stars.
- Technical delays led to three planned songs being cut.
- The band played new material amid an emotional period.
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Fontaines D.C. are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin, known for combining guitar-driven songs with lyrics that often draw on city life and Irish culture. They built a large following through albums including Dogrel and Skinty Fia, and have become regular performers at major UK and Irish festivals.
Reading and Leeds are twin music festivals held over the same bank holiday weekend, with the same acts playing each site on different days. A headline slot is one of the most prominent positions on the bill and usually marks an important step for a band’s public profile.
Trevor Dietz was the band’s manager, the person who helped guide their career and organise its business side. His death gives added personal context to the performance, while the band are also preparing to release their next album, Dopamine Chamber.
Full account
Fontaines D.C. made their first headline appearance at Reading Festival on 28 August, closing the opening night on the main stage, known as The Grid. The Irish band followed fellow headliner Charli XCX and are due to headline Leeds Festival the following evening, before continuing their festival run with a planned appearance at Electric Picnic in Ireland.
The performance came during a period of mourning for the group after the death of their manager, Trevor Dietz, whom they had described as a sixth member of the band. Frontman Grian Chatten told the Reading audience that the previous months had been difficult and that returning to the festival felt significant. Reports said the band had recently dedicated a new song to Dietz after recalling his support for its inclusion on their forthcoming album.
Their set drew on material from across their catalogue, beginning with ‘Boys in the Better Land’ and moving through songs including ‘Here’s the Thing’, ‘Nabokov’, ‘Marianne’, ‘Death Kink’, ‘Bug’, ‘Big Shot’, ‘Favourite’, ‘In the Modern World’ and ‘I Love You’. The closing song was ‘Starburster’, from 2024’s ‘Romance’. New tracks ‘Marianne’ and ‘Six Shot Morning’ were also included ahead of the October release of the band’s fifth album, ‘Dopamine Chamber’.
One report said a roughly 30-minute delay, believed to be connected to technical problems, forced Fontaines D.C. to shorten their intended set and abandon the live debut of another new song, ‘Happy For You’. The other account did not mention a delay or omitted material, instead portraying the concert as a polished continuation of the band’s recent festival shows. Both agreed that the band delivered a career-spanning headline set and will play further European dates after the new album’s release.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 foregrounds Trevor Dietz’s death, Chatten’s remarks, the technical delay and the reported removal of several songs, including ‘Happy For You’, from the planned set.
Source 2 concentrates on the momentum and sequencing of the performance, describing it as a well-established festival set, and does not mention any delay, mourning-related comments or the reported cuts.
Source 1 provides more context on the forthcoming album and the dedication of a new track to Dietz; Source 2 places greater emphasis on the band’s upcoming Leeds, Electric Picnic and European dates.
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Originally published by NME as “Check out Fontaines D.C.’s setlist from emotional Reading 2026 headline performance”.