Reading Festival 2024 Review

DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.

Reviewed by Josh Hornsey

We were incredibly fortunate to be ticket holders for the Reading half of the Reading and Leeds Festival 2024 but had the Leeds crowds in our thoughts as we heard about the high winds battering their tents. Luckily, for us, the prayers of every Reading Festival-goer were answered with more sunshine than showers at this blinder of an event.

Setting off on Thursday afternoon, the festival was super easy to get to and we were soon camped up and looking forward to the weekend ahead. Aside from a full schedule of world class artists, the festival has many more things to offer. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of stalls selling vintage clothes, hats and jewellery. There were also many food and drink options on offer, with something for everyone.

There were a lot of different venues with the Main Stage and the new Chevron Stage, featuring a ‘floating video canopy’ – a huge 5,500 square metre sheet of pulsating colour and lights which could be used to many different innovative effects by artists as well as many smaller stages and sets.

The Main Stage on Friday was graced by Northern Irish indie pop band Two Door Cinema in great form. Sounding amazing and with impeccable vocals, belting out hits including Undercover Martyn and I Can Talk.

Headlining act Gerry Cinnamon got the party going with his jaunty Sixties variety show staging and hits which pack a punch. He knows how to work a crowd, never taking himself too seriously, full of energy and great humour, with brilliant crowd pleasers, such as Canter, Belter, and Where We’re Going.

With dual headliners Blink-182 on the Main stage and The Prodigy on the Chevron at the other end of the field, we were spoilt for choice about where to go. The Prodigy were on fire, storming the stage with a blasting intensity and easily winning the battle for the loudest band. The crowd were their warriors as the Chevron Stage became an immersive inferno of fearsomely crafted electronic sound.

Day time performances on Saturday were in complete contrast, with six-time Brit award winner pop artist RAYE giving a chilled performance, her rich vocals ably backed by amazing gospel singers as well as string and horn players. Drawing on her experiences, she connected with the crowd, saying ‘music is medicine’ and playing the symbolic song Ice Cream Man, just brilliant.

Headlining for the first time at Reading, Lana Del Rey took to the stage a little late, she was also quickly facing sound issues, competing with the bass from The Chevron Stage. The ethereal visuals were absolutely stunning and the vocals from Lana and her amazing backing singers were brilliant. Unfortunately, her performance was cut short and the firework display started soon after.

Following on from Lana, dance music producer Fred again topped the bill, connecting brilliantly with the crowd, telling them how he had been to Reading as a 16 year old, saying ‘I still remember exactly how it feels to be out there’. Starting his show on a floating platform among the crowd for ‘Turn on the Lights Again’, he had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand from start to finish.

On Sunday, Catfish and the Bottlemen made their return to the festival scene. Battling through some technical difficulties, they made sure nothing was going to get in the way of them giving an epic performance. I’ve always loved this band and they never fail to impress.

This only left Brit-pop icon Liam Gallagher, performing at the top of his game, to bring things to a close. With rumours circulating about a possible Oasis reunion and marking the 30th anniversary of their debut album Definitely Maybe, by performing the track list, could he be just toying with us – definitely, maybe? With much excitement and anticipation in the air, it seemed not, at the end of the show screens flashed the date 28.08.24 and the time 8am in an Oasis logo box.

Where we found the real gold at the Reading Festival was in the staff and their obvious commitment to welfare and safety. It is really apparent the festival has developed and made improvements year on year. There were many welfare and help points, medical centres, water points, even campsite managers on hand to help push tent pegs in – hats off to all the hard-working staff, they did a brilliant job!

That feeling of festival closeness is hard to beat. It would be impossible to put a price on the great moments, intense highs and epic performances – truly the perfect way to party through the last days of summer 2024.

Rating: 4.5/5

For more information please visit: https://www.readingfestival.com/