RAYE headlined Reading Festival for the first time in her career on Saturday 29 August 2026, taking to the festival's main stage (now called The Grid) at Little John's Farm following Dave's co-headline set. The milestone comes two years after her Reading debut earned a five-star review from NME, and marks another high point in a rapid rise that has included record-breaking BRIT Awards success and a Mercury-nominated second album.

Backed by her horn and string sections and full band, RAYE opened with 2022 breakout single 'Escapism' and drew on both her albums, 'My 21st Century Blues' and 'This Music May Contain Hope', blending pop, soul, jazz and dance. Highlights included an emotional 'I Know You're Hurting', a nod to her house roots with 'Secrets' and 'You Don't Know Me', a guest appearance from her sisters Amma and Absolutely on 'Joy', and a closing rendition of 'Where Is My Husband?'. The performance follows her 2024 BRIT Awards triumph, where she became the first artist to win six prizes in one year, and precedes her forthcoming acting debut in the crime thriller Lineage alongside Jason Bateman and Jude Law.