Reading and Leeds line up 2019: 10 must-see acts at the two festivals, from Slowthai to King Princess

The August bank holiday just wouldn’t be the same without Reading and Leeds.

The two festivals, which run concurrently and share the same line-up, is traditionally seen as the final blowout of the summer season.

This year, the two events will be headlined by The 1975, Post Malone and Foo Fighters, with a huge bill of artists playing alongside them.

Here, we’ve picked out 10 must-see acts from further down the line-up, showing just how versatile the festivals have become — we’ve got everything from dancefloor-filling house to Aussie punk rock.

Clairo

The American artist, who racked up almost 40 million YouTube views on the video for her self-recorded song Pretty Girl back in 2017, proved she’s more than just a viral sensation with the release of her excellent debut album, Immunity. She doesn’t veer too far away from her lo-fi roots, but embellishes her sound with sprinklings of R&B and pop, with some killer melodies.

Friday, BBC Radio 1 Stage (Reading) / Saturday, BBC Radio 1 Stage (Leeds)

Pup

Rarely does disaffection sound quite so affecting. Pup have built a career out of raging apathy, writing furious pop-punk songs about failed relationships and drinking themselves under tables. But a show with these Canadian rockers is never gloomy — far from it. They’re one of the liveliest on-stage presences you’re likely to see at Reading, and they’re often matched pound-for-pound by the crowd.

Friday, The Pit/The Lock Up (Reading) / Saturday, The Pit/The Lock Up

Slowthai

The Mercury-nominated rapper is a man unleashed at his live shows, ordering crowds to open up circle pits with the same vigour he channels while spitting his bars. It’s all backed up by some excellent songs, with his distinctly raw vocal delivery and fire-cracker beats.

Friday, BBC Radio 1 Stage (Reading) / Sunday, BBC Radio 1 Stage (Leeds)

The Chats

These Australian punks went viral back in 2017 with the video for their song Smoko — and ode to the joys and frustrations of smoking breaks. Elsewhere in their back catalogue they’ve got songs about their love of pub food and getting their identity stolen while buying drugs online. Their sound is rough, rudimentary and riotous, with infuriatingly catchy choruses delivered in a strong Aussie twang.

Friday, Festival Republic Stage (Reading) / Saturday, Festival Republic Stage (Leeds)

Sons of Raphael

One of the more intriguing prospects on this year’s line-up, London brothers Loral and Ronnel Raphael turned heads in 2018 with the release of their debut EP, A Nation of Bloodsuckers. The title track sounds like a cut from a classic film score, but the follow-up Rio is space-travelling punk rock. They’ve got a debut album in the works, and we’d bet that some of those upcoming tracks will get an airing at Reading.

Saturday, Festival Republic Stage (Reading) / Sunday, Festival Republic Stage (Leeds)

King Princess

One of the most exciting new pop voices to appear at this year’s Reading Festival, King Princess is a must-see. Her style takes cues from the soul and R&B of yesterday but makes it sound entirely modern — check out the breakthrough track 1950 for the best example of what to expect.

Saturday, BBC Radio 1 Stage (Reading) / Sunday, BBC Radio 1 Stage (Leeds)

HMD

HMD quickly cultivated a fanbase back in 2017 with the release of his bold, much-hyped W16nter record. He returned this year with DEEN, a track in which he raps menacingly before singing sweetly. Get a taste of where this versatile artist is set to go next with his set at Reading.

Saturday, BBC Music Introducing Stage (Reading) / Sunday, BBC Music Introducing Stage (Leeds)

The Japanese House

Dreamy indie pop comes courtesy of The Japanese House, the solo act of British artist Amber Bain. Her music sounds something like a mix of Beach House and Christine and the Queens, which is always going to be a winning combination. Expect to hear plenty of cuts from her debut album Good at Falling, which was released in March.

Saturday, Festival Republic Stage (Reading) / Sunday, Festival Republic Stage (Leeds)

Honey Dijon

Long gone are the days when Reading was all about shouty blokes with guitars, and the inclusion of artists like Honey Dijon proves why that makes it all the better. The DJ leads a strong dance contingent, and will deliver a groove-heavy mix of party-starting tunes, based in house but shooting off in all different directions.

Sunday, BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage (Reading) / Friday, BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage (Leeds)

Bakar

Camden’s Bakar doesn’t bother with the confines of genre. On his most popular track to date, Big Dreams, he channels the vocal hyperactivity of Jamie T, while Small Town Girl has all the lethargic charm of a King Krule song. Elsewhere, there are flashes of US hip-hop, UK garage, new age jazz, mid-00s indie and plenty more. A lot of influences, but it still sounds fresh.

Sunday, Festival Republic Stage (Reading) / Friday, Festival Republic Stage (Leeds)