BLONDIES' ROUND-UP: READING & LEEDS FESTIVAL (21/08/2024-25/08/2024)

Ready for festival season? Here is your one-stop hub for the most exciting lineups on offer this Summer. From experience, we can tell you that Reading & Leeds Festival will be one of the greatest weekends of your life. There truly is something for everyone on this genre-bending lineup, here are just a few of our highlights. If you get the opportunity to attend R&L, be sure to check out these artists - you might just find your new favourite.

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Lana Del Rey has shaped today’s music industry, donned ‘a legacy artist, a legend in her prime right now’ by Taylor Swift at this year’s Grammy Awards. With nine albums under her belt (and a country album pending), Lana’s cross-genre talent and influence is indescribable and like no other. We had the pleasure of seeing her at BST Hyde Park last year and it was arguably the most beautiful sets we’ve ever seen. Our manifestations paid off with this headliner. Her set last summer included powerful, emotive tracks like 'Young and Beautiful' and 'The Grants', while switching up the energy with older hits like 'Diet Mountain Dew'. Witnessing the visual montage of her different eras throughout her career just showed her versatility as an artist, and it's no wonder she has faced a second-wave of fame over a decade after her first album's release.

Eliz: Lana's music shaped my teenage years. Her music served as a mirror to help me understand my own emotions and I have carried her with me through my twenties. I have fond memories of playing her CD's in the car with my brother as he drove me around town. I may have been exposed to her too young, but I would not be who I am without her. Never miss the opportunity to see her live, it was a defining moment for me and I wish for everyone to experience this.

We have recently seen The Japanese House once again support The 1975 on their ‘Still… At Their Very Best’ tour and left an exciting mark for what’s to come for her festival appearances. The Japanese House made a welcome return last year with a new album entitled ‘In The End It Always Does’ and was a Blonde Vibrations yearly favourite with production support from Matty Healy himself. We cannot wait to hear ‘Sunshine Baby’ on the (hopefully) sunny festival grounds.

Fresh off her instore tour, NME cover girl and upcoming debut album entitled ‘What a devastating turn of events’ in May 2024, Rachel Chinouriri is this generation’s musician IT GIRL. Every song that Rachel releases is sprinkled with fairy dust, it’s no wonder how she’s a Blonde Vibrations favourite. From uplifting powerhouse songs like ‘The Hills’ to heartwarming tunes like ‘So My Darling’, Rachel’s set is bound to have something for everyone.

Lilyemma: Rachel Chinouriri is an absolute force to be reckoned with. Chinouriri has changed the indie-pop genre completely for the best, with her recent singles in anticipation for her debut album in May 2024. She can truly do anything, with flawless vocals, stunning song writing and mind-blowing live performances. I promise you that if you see Rachel's set this summer, it is going to be a highlight. This is exactly the kind of artist you want to watch in the summer with a drink in your hand. We'll see you in the crowd cheering and singing along!

Catfish and the Bottlemen... What a comeback, this announcement brought one particular Blonde Vibration to tears. Their first release in 5 years, ‘Showtime’ has the world buzzing with the same Catfish and the Bottlemen charm that we love in our teens, and never expected to return. This is bound to be a set full of nostalgia and anticipate some exciting new releases and surprises. Their new song says: ‘When I headline Leeds, I’ll be back, my friend’ and that is music to our ears!

Broadway star turned pop girl sensation, this addition to the Reading and Leeds lineup is CRAZY. Reneé Rapp truly is a triple threat with vocals and performance like no other. If you haven’t had the privilege of listening to her album ‘Snow Angel’ (2023) yet, make this a priority. You may seen Reneé on your big screens in this year’s musical ‘Mean Girls’ including her song on the soundtrack with previous R&L headliner Megan Thee Stallion. We already know this is going to be a weekend highlight.

Courting’s discography quite literally sounds like the best weekend at Reading and Leeds Festival. Treating their first album as an almost prologue, their freshly new album ‘New Last Name’ flips any pre-existing expectations on their a head in a really exciting way. We’re looking forward to watching them open up the main stage.

Next up, Kenny Beats! With a strong catalogue of incredible collaborations, like BENEE, Dominic Fike & Kucks, Kenny Beats is crazily influential on the music industry and will be a one-in-a-lifetime set to watch.

It was Reading Festival that truly converted us to Fontaines D.C fans, so we were very excited to see them back on this lineup. Whilst their album is known for hits like ‘Jackie Down the Line’ and ‘’, we suggest digging deep in their entire show-stopping discography. Give it up for NME’s ‘Best Band in the World’ of 2022!

Jorja Smith - This Midlands-born artist has taken over the world. There’s no way you have not heard Jorja Smith’s music. Between dance tracks like ‘Little Things’ and heartfelt ballads, such as ‘Don’t Watch Me Cry’, her set is going to have a momentum so interesting and varied. She’s a Blonde Vibrations’ shared favourite, so this performance is going to be very special to us.

Just the first few notes of ‘Undercover Martyn’ sound like you’re in a festival crowd. Two Door Cinema Club released a track called ‘Happy Customers’ last week, and have shown they’re yet to lose their magic from their previous albums. We’re hoping this set will be packed with nostalgic and fresh tunes.

This year at Reading & Leeds is set to be one to remember and we hope to see you there! With more artists and stages yet to be announced, we’re sure there will be even more exciting updates to come.

Written by Lilyemma & Eliz (Blonde Vibrations)