Reading 2026: Lola Young confirmed for surprise secret set
Lola Young has been announced for a surprise secret set at Reading 2026, performing on the closing Sunday afternoon of the festival. The reveal follows similar last-minute "secret" appearances from Jamie T and Royal Blood on the festival's opening Friday, though unlike those acts, Young's slot was confirmed only on the day itself, ahead of her performance on the main stage (now called The Grid) at 3.15pm.
The set marks Young's Reading & Leeds debut and one of her first major UK festival appearances since she cancelled her 2025 tour to recover from exhaustion, having previously collapsed on stage in New York. She has since spoken openly about seeking treatment for addiction and attending AA meetings during her time away, telling NME she now feels "excited and ready to perform" again. Sunday's Reading bill also features Florence & The Machine, Chase & Status, Kneecap, Westside Cowboy and Violet Grohl, while none of the surprise-set acts are appearing at the sister festival in Leeds.
- Lola Young to play surprise secret set at Reading 2026 today
- It's her Reading & Leeds debut, on the main stage at 3.15pm
- Follows her 2025 hiatus for exhaustion and addiction recovery
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Lola Young is a British singer-songwriter best known for her 2024 breakthrough hit "Messy" and BRIT Award success. Reading and Leeds is one of the UK's biggest music festival weekends, held every August bank holiday, and organisers often add unannounced "secret sets" to the published line-up as a surprise for fans on top of the headline acts.
Young stepped back from touring in 2025 to recover after collapsing on stage in New York, and has since spoken publicly about seeking treatment for addiction. Her appearance at Reading is being watched as a marker of her return to live performance, and also happens to be her first ever set at the festival.
The wider Reading 2026 bill includes major acts such as Florence & The Machine, alongside Chase & Status and Kneecap, with the festival running across the late August bank holiday weekend at its usual site in Reading, separate from the simultaneous Leeds event.