‘We’ve Got To Offer More Than A Stadium Can’: Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn Talks Reading & Leeds Overhaul

Reading & Leeds, two of the UK’s longest-standing and most popular festivals, have announced major plans designed to improve the on-site festival experience at both shows this summer, led by a completely revamped stage layout that marks the biggest staging and arena overhaul in the festival’s 37-year history.

The Grid, home to both festivals’ main stage, remains the place for headliners. In 2026, those will include Charli xcx, Fontaines D.C., Dave, Raye, Florence + The Machine and Chase & Status alongside Sombr, Skepta, Role Model, Loyle Carner (Reading only), Blossoms (Leeds only), Declan McKenna, Jade, Maisie Peters, Keo and more, with Kasabian making history in Leeds as the first ever Thursday night headliner of Leeds Festival.

The Gallery is the name for a brand-new stage in 2026, described by promoter Festival Republic as “an undercover immersive stage,” featuring innovative LED screen lights and immersive production. Josh Baker, Geese, Kneecap, Skye Newman, Kettama and Holly Humberstone, among many others, will perform there this coming August.

Also new is the previously announced Warehouse, purpose-built for dance music, with viewing platforms behind the decks, plus huge-screen production for the 2026 sets from the likes of Skepta b2b Prospa, Hybrid Minds, Hedex, Silva Bumpa and Rossi, among others.

With The Ballroom, Reading and Leeds Festival for the first time will have a stage complete with chandeliers and draping that will play host to artists who are so far defining 2026, irrespective of genres and styles – from YT, Florence Road, and Niko B to Paris Paloma, Bassvictim, Overpass, SPEED, and more.

The Canopy is the name for a stage dedicated to emerging talent, which in 2026 features Violet Grohl, Villanelle, December 10, Camille Blackman, Kibo, Finessekid, Cruz Beckham and The Breakers, and more.

Festival Republic Managing Director Melvin Benn told Pollstar this redesign of the festivals began “with wanting to bring fresh eyes and ears to the talent buying team,” as evidenced by the appointments of James Ponnusamy, Max Kafka, Jojo Mathiszig-Lee, and Zach Desmond.

“But,” as Benn explained, “they wanted to do more than just the talent; they very much wanted to create the festival’s vision for the next 25 years both from a talent buying point of view and a presentation point of view.”

Benn has been guiding and shaping both Reading and Leeds for some 30 years now, and decided it was time to let the next generation have their say. “Everyone lives in their own times in that sense. I think I’ve been somebody that’s never stood still, but at the same time I’m not 30 years old either,” he said.

The reason the festival needs to offer a top-notch presentation, and not just on the main stage, but throughout, has a lot to do with increasing competition from the stadium sector, which has become a real part of the circuit.

“Stadium availability is significantly greater than it’s ever been. Their ability to have concerts one weekend and football matches the following weekend is much stronger than it ever was, and therefore the major artists now have that choice: do they play a stadium doing their own show, or do they play a festival,” Benn explained, “for me, to have a festival play means that we’ve got to be offering more than what a stadium offering is. We’ve got to be offering incredible production, an incredible environment, even better quality of presentation.

“I think the main stage at Reading & Leeds is probably the best presentation you can get at a festival. But when we start looking at the second stages, we’re definitely looking at a change in environment, a change in presentation, so that the artist is playing in a whole environment.”

The change is equally aimed at the fans, who nowadays expect the entire festival site to be a photogenic environment.

“Every part of the festival has to be capable of being photographed, and being photographed well, and that’s a good thing,” says Benn, “to be fair, that’s also how Max and Jojo and James want to experience a festival. It’s really important that comes through, because they are in their prime festival-going age really.

“That’s why the change is there: because we wanted a fresh look, a look that can take us into the next 25 years, and they’ve been able to bring it to life.”

Reading first took place in 1971, making it one of the oldest popular music festivals in the UK. In 1999, a new site in Leeds was added, marking the start of the famous twin event.

Across these 37 years, both events built a loyal fanbase. Changes have always been part of their history, but the one thing that’s ensured continuity is “incredible music,” according to Benn, a 2021 Pollstar Impact International Honoree.

“Incredible live music is essentially what Reading & Leeds festivals are about. Having that opportunity for artists to present themselves to new audiences. Yes, everybody that’s coming will know Fontaines D.C., Dave, or Charli xcx, RAYE, etc. But not everyone will know Violet Grohl, for instance, or Liam’s son [Gene Gallagher]. Not everybody who’s coming will know who Geese are, as strong as they currently are. Being able to present yourself to a new audience is the essence of why bands effectively have always wanted to play festivals, and that continuity remains.

“There isn’t a change in that continuity, the change is in the environment in which we’re presenting them. And it’s just a better environment.”

Another thing aside from the musical continuity that hasn’t changed is Benn’s philosophy of always putting artists and fans first in all considerations. “The festival isn’t about me,” he said, “the festival is about the artist and the fan. You always have to put them first. If ever you stop putting them first, you’ve lost the plot.”

The capacities of both events remains the same despite the changes: 105,000 at Reading and 95,000 at Leeds. “Between the two festivals, and including the day tickets,” Benn concluded, “we sell somewhere between 250,000 and 275,000 tickets, essentially making them the largest ticket-selling festival in the world right now, which is extraordinary.”

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