Reading & Leeds 2024: 12 Must-See Rising Acts

With festival season 2024 drawing to a close, Reading & Leeds, the customary summer curtain-closer, is back with a stellar line-up set to take over the twin sites across the Bank Holiday weekend. From the man of the moment, Fred Again.., to pop-punk veterans Blink-182, pop-noir icon Lana Del Rey, and rock royalty Liam Gallagher, the six headliners embody the festival's spirit, celebrating the past and present of rock, pop, indie, and dance.

Expect plenty of surprises, particularly with the introduction of the game-changing new Chevron Stage, and the festival's smaller stages continuing to showcase the future headliners of tomorrow. Last year, NME witnessed then-future Cover stars Fat Dog electrifying the Festival Republic Stage, and also saw The Last Dinner Party, who return to the main stage this year, on their meteoric rise to mainstream stardom.

Who will stake their claim to the future at R+L this year? We've compiled a list of 12 key names to add to your Reading & Leeds itinerary. From rock noiseniks to lush, summery pop stars in waiting, here are the new and rising acts you can't afford to miss.

Alessi Rose

Who: The Derbyshire Olivia Rodrigo

Why they're perfect for R+L: Alessi Rose's hyper-relatable brand of pop, simultaneously candid and witty, is red-hot in 2024, echoing the likes of Nieve Ella and Caity Baser. Expect her army of fans, the 'delulu girls', to swarm the BBC Introducing Stage – and don't be surprised if it doubles in size by the end of her set.

Key track: 'Crush!'

Where to catch them: BBC Introducing Stage. Reading: Sunday, 3.40pm, Leeds: Friday, 3.40pm

Dead Pony

Who: Fiery Scottish rockers inspired by *Mad Max*

Why they're perfect for R+L: Dead Pony are the kind of band who incite mosh pits for mosh pits' sake. Drawing inspiration from film and TV, their debut album 'Ignore This' is an instruction – a dare – and an impossible one, considering the sheer size of their riffs. Having toured extensively with Twin Atlantic and Kid Kapichi, their live show is quickly gaining a reputation for its sharp edge.

Key track: 'MK Nothing'

Where to catch them: Festival Republic Stage. Reading: Saturday, 1:15pm, Leeds: Sunday, 12:50pm

Deijuvhs

Who: Nu-metal revivalist personally approved by Limp Bizkit

Why they're perfect for R+L: Deijuvhs (pronounced day-you-VHS), fusing nu-metal with trap and hip-hop, brings a fresh twist to the heavy music that's ingrained in the fields of Reading & Leeds. Wearing his Deftones influence proudly, the east Londoner is primed to break out of the underground scene – armed with a boisterous, fearless live show.

Key track: 'Seraphim'

Where to catch them: Festival Republic Stage. Reading: Saturday, 5:25pm, Leeds: Sunday, 5pm

Ellur

Who: Neat indie-pop hailing from West Yorkshire

Why they're perfect for R+L: It's no surprise that Reading & Leeds is Ellur's "favourite favourite festival" when you can hear two of last year's headliners (The Killers, Sam Fender) echoing in her sound. Following indie's tried-and-true recipe – guitar, snare, synth, bangers – her sound is majestically evolving with each new release, with her debut EP 'God Help Me Out' due out in early 2025.

Key track: 'Moments'

Where to catch them: BBC Introducing Stage. Reading: Friday, 3:40pm, Leeds: Saturday, 3:40pm

Goddard.

Who: Producer behind the viral 2022 hit 'Messy In Heaven' with Venbee

Why they're perfect for R+L: One of the key new names spearheading the drum 'n' bass meets pop movement, the Northamptonshire DJ/producer has been refining his live set across the globe. Dance music at R&L has its long-term home secured in the form of the Chevron Stage, and Goddard. already has enough hits to match the occasion: look no further than 'Messy In Heaven' and 'Green Light.'

Key track: 'Messy In Heaven'

Where to catch them: Chevron Stage. Reading: Saturday, 4:25pm, Leeds: Sunday, 4pm

Lambrini Girls

Who: Buzzy Brighton punk duo leading the fight for change

Why they're perfect for R+L: In-your-face and bombastic by design, you can expect Lambrini Girls' Phoebe Lunny to spend most of the gig in the crowd. Their loose, jagged brand of punk continues to call out the abuse, transphobia and misogyny that's plagued their local scene and beyond for far too long. Their fight for safer, inclusive spaces is one worth rallying behind.

Key track: 'God's Country'

Where to catch them: Festival Republic Stage. Reading: Friday, 2:50pm, Leeds: Saturday, 2:40pm

NOISY

Who: 'Dance music you can mosh to' – in their words

Why they're perfect for R+L: Get ready to meet your favourite new band, that sounds nothing like a band. Born from the ashes of their former indie band High Tyde, NOISY comfortably coexist in both the rave and the mosh pit, effortlessly mashing up drum 'n' bass, jungle and rock 'n' roll beats. After curating their own regular club night and performing at Download Festival, they'll feel back on home turf in the Reading & Leeds fields. It's gonna get wild.

Key track: 'All Of U'

Where to catch them: BBC Introducing Stage. Reading: Saturday, 6:25pm, Leeds: Sunday, 6:25pm

Paris Paloma

Who: Spellbinding songwriter behind viral hit 'Labour'

Why they're perfect for R+L: Since 'Labour' took over the internet last year, Paris Paloma has backed up her viral hit (150 million Spotify streams – and counting) with a flurry of poignant, fervent songs – blending folk, pop and art-rock sound palates. Set to release her full-length debut the week after R&L, prepare to be transfixed by her angelic, otherworldly voice – one that will soon find her in the same league as Florence Welch or Romy.

Key track: 'Labour'

Where to catch them: Festival Republic Stage. Reading: Sunday, 1:40pm, Leeds: Friday, 1:40pm

Soft Launch

Who: Mysterious Irish indie starlets with a fan in Declan McKenna

Why they're perfect for R+L: "This is not a band, it's just a soft launch" – a statement becoming less and less true, each day it remains in their Instagram bio. Before any of their three arty, fluorescent singles were released, sold-out London shows led to whispers of the next truly great indie band. The Last Dinner Party, Fat Dog – could Soft Launch be next in line for greatness? Don't wait around to find out.

Key track: 'Cartwheels'

Where to catch them: BBC Introducing Stage. Reading: Friday, 7:20pm, Leeds: Saturday, 7:20pm

Spiritual Cramp

Who: This generation's successor to The Hives

Why they're perfect for R+L: A key part of the recent melodic wave of West Coast hardcore, San Franciscan six-piece Spiritual Cramp weave between wistful indie and bright, rapid-fire punk. Having already toured the UK with their Californian buddies Militarie Gun, their first UK festival shows will be just the start of many memorable trips in their invasion from across the pond. Jump kicks at the ready.

Key track: 'Better Off This Way'

Where to catch them: Festival Republic Stage. Reading: Friday, 1:50pm, Leeds: Saturday, 1:45pm

Surya Sen

Who: NME 100 graduate flying the flag for South Asian electronic culture

Why they're perfect for R+L: Raised in north London with Bengali heritage, Surya Sen pours both sides of his identity into his music, whether it's profound, bilingual hip-hop ('Buccho Ni Ba Bhai (Grindin’)’) or UK garage ('Do That'). Rapper, producer and collaborator extraordinaire, this pioneer is ready to seize the momentum behind electronic music in 2024.

Key track: 'Earn It'

Where to catch them: BBC Introducing Stage. Reading: Sunday, 2:45pm, Leeds: Friday, 2:45pm

Swim School

Who: Dreamy indieheads building a strong cult following

Why they're perfect for R+L: Swim School might just be the ideal mid-afternoon guitar band every festival needs – armed with a mighty crowd-pleaser from the EA Sports FC 24 soundtrack ('Bored') for good measure. But the Edinburgh trio won't be hanging around there for long, with their steadily growing cult fanbase and catalogue of bangers undoubtedly set to see the band follow their indie heroes and steadily make their way to the top of the line-up in years to come.

Key track: 'Bored'

Where to catch them: BBC Radio 1 Stage. Reading: Saturday, 1:15pm, Leeds: Sunday, 1:05pm

Reading & Leeds will return for the August Bank Holiday weekend. Tickets are on sale now: [link for Reading] and [link for Leeds].