Reading Festival was the cornerstone of my 2025 summer experience. With a collection of star-spangled headliners and quite the reputation, I approached the festival with a strange combination of excitement and trepidation. Equipped with a small tent, two friends and a full weekend ticket I was ready to see what was on offer.
As per my own taste in music, Friday was the day for me. With Chappell Roan and Hozier headlining, my expectations were high. Fast forward to the end of the night and it can only be said that my pink makeup had streaked down my face, a result of an explosion of emotions. Chappell’s dark fairytale set, glamour and setlist were astonishing. Her incredible vocals cast a spell on her sea of pink cowboy hats as she serenaded us through to sunset.
Hozier took on a vastly different approach, utilising his place on the mainstage to advocate for those whose voices have been nullified again and again. Between his music, speeches and screen displays, Hozier makes it clear again and again which side of history he wants to be remembered on.
Limp Bizkit and Bring Me the Horizon headlined Saturday. The crowd work from Limp Bizkit was phenomenal, not something I personally wanted to get too involved with, but even from a distance the band and the fans alike, were awe-inspiring. Bring Me the Horizon was another act I slightly hung back on, but yet again I simply could not look away, and it is safe to say Saturday ended with a bang, as another flurry of fireworks lit up the sky.
I wouldn’t be able to write about the Reading festival without talking about Travis Scott, Sammy Virji, Becky Hill, and DBE. Without sounding like too much of a coward I hung back on these crowds as well. With a reputation that precedes him, Travis Scott crowds are not something I wanted to be in the middle of, and a topple in the chevron tent watching Becky Hill made me even more cautious. Sammy Virji delivered an amazing set, however the tent was ill-equipped for the crowds pulled in, and it started to feel dangerous.
Overall, the musicians were phenomenal, and the production value was fantastic. I walked away from the weekend as a fan of many new artists and as well as being incredibly eager to attend again.
