2025 R&L Festival

[foolee]

Revised prediction. After some thought I reckon Chappell will do Glastonbury with her mate Olivia and I don’t think Hozier will be one of the 6. 
 

Foo Fighters / Central Cee

 

Bring Me The Horizon / Charli XCX

 

Eminem / Kasabian

[northernangel]

37 minutes ago, foolee said:

Revised prediction. After some thought I reckon Chappell will do Glastonbury with her mate Olivia and I don’t think Hozier will be one of the 6. 
 

Foo Fighters / Central Cee

 

Bring Me The Horizon / Charli XCX

 

Eminem / Kasabian

 

Primavera 2023 was definitely the best one for me I'd say.

 

Before you adapt your prediction though, LDR played both this year and TLDP as a different act did. I'd say she's very firmly in the exclusive bracket of coming over for it and wouldn't rule out top line.

 

Could well be BMTH, Chappell Roan, Eminem top.

[andyrhodes24]

I love BMTH but could they do the outright headline slot? They’ve obviously grown since their 2022 MSW headline and they put on a right show, but do they appeal to the core R&L demographic enough to top the bill?

[Andre91]

40 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

I love BMTH but could they do the outright headline slot? They’ve obviously grown since their 2022 MSW headline and they put on a right show, but do they appeal to the core R&L demographic enough to top the bill?

I think they could do it no problem. 

[NorthernSoul52]

BMTH definitely a bigger draw than they were the last time, though they also botched the hell out of this album rollout, I'd argue.

 

But the whip-fast sales for their arena tour earlier this year marks them as a strong live pull at the very least.

[Benj]

3 hours ago, RandomEnglishPerson said:

apart from the foo fighters that looks pretty dire

And for those of us who’ve seen Foo fighter 100x already, Chappel Roan would be the only slight breath of fresh air

 

properly shite, properly shite

[Benj]

59 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

BMTH definitely a bigger draw than they were the last time, though they also botched the hell out of this album rollout, I'd argue.

 

But the whip-fast sales for their arena tour earlier this year marks them as a strong live pull at the very least.

How are they bigger?

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

I love BMTH but could they do the outright headline slot? They’ve obviously grown since their 2022 MSW headline and they put on a right show, but do they appeal to the core R&L demographic enough to top the bill?

I think they would just be a poor booking really. They don't seem to have been away at all the last few years. 

 

Huge arena tour this year, Download 2023, Reading second stage headliners 22, small dates plus an arena tour in 21. Festivals and other dates in 19. Arena dates in 2018. They've had 2 years break in the last 7 years and one of those was covid. Before they they literally had a years gap after doing significant dates 4 years straight.

 

It's like go have a year or two off the UK, that's for any band not just them. I think they would have to play the top spot but not sure they suit it anymore. There were likewise bands this year but with not great crowds so I've read and the difference between getting that half way through a headliner.

 

 

[andyrhodes24]

Personally I think FR would consider it a risk booking BMTH to headline outright, either FR put on a rock day and risk not selling tickets to the core pop/generalist audience, or they put someone like Chappell Roan as the 2nd headliner and risk the crowd clearing out afterwards.

 

Headliner crowd sizes seemed down all weekend this year to me, don’t know if they actually were.

 

Maybe I’m being a touch pessimistic though, BMTH are one of the best British live acts going at the moment.

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

How are they bigger?

Sold out arena tour, have headlined Download. They’re bigger. 

[northernangel]

7 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Personally I think FR would consider it a risk booking BMTH to headline outright, either FR put on a rock day and risk not selling tickets to the core pop/generalist audience, or they put someone like Chappell Roan as the 2nd headliner and risk the crowd clearing out afterwards.

 

Headliner crowd sizes seemed down all weekend this year to me, don’t know if they actually were.

 

Maybe I’m being a touch pessimistic though, BMTH are one of the best British live acts going at the moment.

 

In general with the headliners they had the crowds should have been bigger from what i read. I'd hazard a guess though LDR got one of the biggest. This years Reading headliners you could say we're a perfect combination for 10/12 years ago. This years lineup had about 14 acts I'd have bothered to see but obviously you've got clashes. The Prodigy did better than Blink by the sounds of it. The Fred and Lana day undercard was by far my best day but I'm not really bothered by Fred and the others didn't justify a day ticket right there. I was never going to decide between Blink and The Prodigy or go up there just for Gerry and Kenya Grace....if it was jumping on the train to London maybe rescued as I can make a day of it. Liam and Catfish was all the other day....awful undercard for those headlining bands and Pendulum in the day light is boring now....was fine before they got to their higehr point. Remember as well Reading didn't sell out with Sam Fender, Billie and The Killers and The 1975 plus Imagine Dragons and Foals because it's not enough of what the Reading goer now wants. There is a thing of a band big enough for the wrong crowd.

[andyrhodes24]

31 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

In general with the headliners they had the crowds should have been bigger from what i read. I'd hazard a guess though LDR got one of the biggest. This years Reading headliners you could say we're a perfect combination for 10/12 years ago. This years lineup had about 14 acts I'd have bothered to see but obviously you've got clashes. The Prodigy did better than Blink by the sounds of it. The Fred and Lana day undercard was by far my best day but I'm not really bothered by Fred and the others didn't justify a day ticket right there. I was never going to decide between Blink and The Prodigy or go up there just for Gerry and Kenya Grace....if it was jumping on the train to London maybe rescued as I can make a day of it. Liam and Catfish was all the other day....awful undercard for those headlining bands and Pendulum in the day light is boring now....was fine before they got to their higehr point. Remember as well Reading didn't sell out with Sam Fender, Billie and The Killers and The 1975 plus Imagine Dragons and Foals because it's not enough of what the Reading goer now wants. There is a thing of a band big enough for the wrong crowd.

In the old days the arena would be packed from like 7pm onwards but I haven’t seen that in a long time. At times this year it felt like a festival for kids to do what they want with some bands happening to play in the background. Almost like a hotel abroad with entertainment on in the evening, it’s there but you’re not arsed about watching it. Maybe the audience don’t care so it doesn’t matter who headlines.

[wghennessy]

They need a Chappell sized act to sell some tickets. BMTH just wont do it unfortunately.