We may be preparing for winter, but all eyes are now on next summer’s music festivals.
Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival become the latest to announce its lineup earlier this month, with Kasabian, Lewis Capaldi and Richard Ashcroft closing the stage over the three days.
It means that most of the big festivals in the UK have shown their hands - including the likes of Download, the Isle of Wight Festival and Latitude.
But, with Glastonbury on a fallow year in 2026, there has still been no word on what music fans can expect at what is arguably the biggest event of the year - the Reading and Leeds Festivals, which will take place from August 27-30.
Dating back to 1961, when it was known as the National Jazz Festival, the event was first only held in Reading but since 1999 encompasses twin festivals taking place over the same weekend with a near-identical lineup.
The Reading part is held at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, while the Leeds portion is held in Bramham Park, near Wetherby.
Many of the biggest names in music have headlined over the years, including Nirvana, Oasis, Blur, Fall Out Boy, Metallica, The Cure, Guns N’ Roses, Beastie Boys and Pink Floyd.
Organisers have previously revealed that they had already booked two of the three headliners for 2026 back in the summer, although remain tight-lipped about who they are.
It’d expected that the full bill will be announced over the next few weeks.
Here are the 17 acts we reckon have a good chance of topping the twin festivals’ main stages.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.
1. Twenty One Pilots
Ohio duo Twenty One Pilots are the clear favourites to headline the twin festivals for the first time since 2019. Their recent resurgence following the new album Breach and a global tour makes them a strong fit for Reading and Leeds’ high-energy, alternative audience. The band’s mix of rock, rap, and indie remains a crowd favourite, and organisers are known to bring back proven performers for anniversary years or high-demand editions. They have already been announced as headliners at two German music festivals for 2026 - Southside and Hurricane - so will be on the circuit in Europe over the summer. | Getty Images
2. Rosalia
Spanish superstar Rosalia has released many people's album of 2025 with 'Lux' and is reportedly preparing to announce a 2026 tour to play her new songs. It would be a real coup for Reading and Leeds to bag an appearance from her - particularly if it was a UK exclusive. | Getty Images for Coachella
3. Foo Fighters
The chances of Foo Fighters headlining Reading and Leeds have just got a whole lot better. They've been confirmed as topping the bill at Dutch music festival Pinkpop so will be in Europe and surely will be looking to book more festival slots. | Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima
.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
4. The Cure
The Cure have already been announced as headliners for multiple festivals across Europe, as well as a headlining show in Edinburgh. Robert Smith clearly had fun guesting with Olivia Rodrigo at this year's Glastonbury and his band would be a popular choice for Reading and Leeds. | Getty Images