For anyone who went to the Leeds Festival a few years ago, the line-up of the 2026 Festival would have been seen as incomprehensible; whilst in the past the festival always tendered to favour rock and indie acts, the emphasis was more on dance, rap and pop artists.

The festival has become a rite of passage for youngsters who are celebrating their GCSE exam results. The widely reported fact that Generation Z is turning its back on alcohol proved to be correct, as the bar areas seemed to sell more soft drinks than beer; with this year's festival being sponsored by a major soft drinks manufacturer, the collaboration appeared to be a natural fit.

When BRIT Award-winning artist Raye asked the audience how many of them were sixteen years old, the majority of them put up their hands. When she asked how many audience members were over twenty, only a few raised their hands; she wisely stopped after enquiring about those over thirty.

For many youngsters this was their first time staying away from home. Many of these youngsters will go on to become doctors, lawyers, vets, and other high-profile professionals, earning high esteem in the future. For now their parents were naturally concerned about their offspring; for those not camping, the pickup point at the end of each night resembled a school run, with anxious parents having survived the long wait through the queuing traffic.

Whilst all of the festivities might sound like a giant youth club gathering, there were many attendees who were on the wrong side of thirty and beyond. 

We are on a two-month tour of Europe, and we were in York when we heard about Raye being at the Leeds festival

Breast Awareness Van

Empty Bars

Many older attendees accompany children, as Alexis and John from Wetherby explained, “In addition to monitoring the situation, there are many good acts this year. "Pop music is a broad church that shouldn’t be just confined to the young."

The festival has a social conscience; in addition to the usual vendors, there was a breast screening awareness pop-up van, warnings about drink spiking, and information on safety and pickpockets, as there had been reports of many youngsters' tents being ransacked and items stolen, making it advisable to leave valuables at home.

Florence + The Machine on Friday evening delivered the day’s big emotional moment, combining soaring vocals with the kind of theatrical grandeur that makes a festival headline set feel genuinely special. Earlier, Kneecap brought their trademark chaos and attitude, while Blossoms offered a more melodic, crowd-pleasing change of pace.

It was the relentless energy of Chase & Status that ultimately turned Friday into a full-blown party. Their bass-heavy set transformed the crowd into one giant bouncing mass, providing a suitably explosive finale to a day that rarely took its foot off the accelerator.

Wet weather may have tested the festival-goers, but the atmosphere remained defiantly upbeat. Friday was loud, varied and gloriously unpredictable – exactly what a festival should be.

On Saturday, the main stages provided the big crowd-pleasers, while the smaller stages offered plenty of opportunities to discover something unexpected. Wherever you wandered, there was music spilling across the site and another crowd gathering around a stage.

By evening, the energy had reached another level. Thousands of voices joined together for the biggest songs, while the fields became a sea of dancing, jumping and good-natured chaos, with Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C. delivering memorable sets.

Opening with the abrasive rush of rock music, Charli immediately establishes that the performance is not simply a greatest-hits festival set. Backed by a full band and an army of dancers, the performance feels carefully choreographed without ever losing its sense of danger. The production is sleek, cinematic and deliberately confrontational.

Fontaines D.C. moved effortlessly between menace and melody. It’s Amazing to Be Young injected a rush of euphoria, and Big Shot arrived with devastating force, while In the Modern World demonstrated just how far the band has travelled from its early post-punk beginnings.

The only disappointment of the day was the closing down of the dance tent, The Warehouse, due to safety issues caused by the large crowds. The demand to see DJs such as Sheffield's Silva Bumpa and others had been underestimated by the organisers, leaving many festival goers highly disappointed as The Warehouse remained closed for the rest of the festival.

Sunday saw Maisie Peters arrive on the main stage; her sunny disposition was complemented by the late afternoon sunshine. Her tribute to Dolly Parton with a cover of Here You Come Again. The emotional performance served as a heartfelt tribute following the country icon's passing a few days prior. While praising the country music legend, Peters shared that she "wouldn't be here without her music and all the work she did for women."

Former Little Mix member JADE appeared to have studied too many Beyoncé videos, as she and her two dancers romped through a sixty-minute set. Apart from Fantasy and Angel of My Dreams, the singer deserves better songs that showcase her powerful vocals; the mix of Little Mix tracks saved the day for the Northeast singer.

SOMBR Photo: Graham Clark

SOMBR goes walkabout through the audience

As entrances go, SOMBR provided the best of the weekend – a video showed him being chased by security as he ran to the stage; he managed to escape, performed a few press-ups and then bounded on stage. The American singer and his band romped through a highly charged set that was arguably the best of the festival.

As he walked through the crowd shaking hands with the fans, the performance was a masterclass in style, substance and reading the audience. A headline slot at next year’s festival seemed a certainty.

Witnessing RAYE and her orchestra in a wet field in Bramham Park after a deluge of rain was probably not the best way to enjoy her warm and affectionate set. 

Naturally, Escapism provided one of the biggest reactions of the set. The opening notes elicited an overwhelming response, as thousands of voices joined in, elevating the festival atmosphere to a new level. Yet it is the quieter moments that demonstrate just how accomplished RAYE has become. Stripped-back passages allow the richness and control of her vocals to shine without the need for elaborate production.

As Where Is My Husband? reached its closing stretch, the performance evolved from a polished festival set into something far more memorable. RAYE possessed that increasingly rare ability to make a huge outdoor stage feel intimate while still delivering the kind of moments designed for a crowd of thousands.

There was no elaborate production needed for Sunday headliner Dave – his presence, sharp delivery and commanding storytelling did all the heavy lifting. Opening with a run of huge tracks, he has tens of thousands of voices joining him, turning the festival site into one enormous chorus.

The crowd reaction is enormous, particularly when the familiar opening notes of Location ring out. Phones shoot into the air, strangers become temporary best friends and every line comes bouncing back from the audience. Starlight brought another eruption, its instantly recognisable hook proving just how deeply Dave’s music has embedded itself in British popular culture.

As part of youth culture, Leeds Festival is still woven into the lives of many youngsters, with the 2026 edition providing yet again plenty of fizz.