With amazing memories of this summer still fresh, Reading & Leeds Festivals are excited to reveal that the first Main Stage headliner for the 2014 events will be the legendary Blink-182 in their only UK show! Joining them will be Jake Bugg,Disclosure, Metronomy, Of Mice & Men, Wilkinson and I Am Legion, the first amazing names set to appear across the Festivals for an unforgettable August Bank Holiday Weekend. The award-winning Reading & Leeds are the natural home for music lovers seeking the best acts, with the best atmosphere, surrounded by like-minded fans.
Festival boss Melvin Benn comments:
“2013 was a year of exciting additions for Reading & Leeds Festivals, making them bigger and better than ever. With extra stages and genres at both sites, there was a new diversity for all our fans to enjoy. However the core essence of the festival hasn’t changed and I think the line-up for next year will most certainly reflect that. I know our fans will be delighted to welcome back our first headliners, Blink-182, with what promises to be an amazing show, as well as the brilliant Jake Bugg stepping up to the Main Stage. I can’t wait to reveal the rest of our incredible line-up, so watch this space!”
Firm fan favourites, Blink-182 first played Reading & Leeds in 1999 and blew the Main Stage sky-high when they headlined in 2010. Mark, Tom and Travis return in 2014 to headline the Main Stage with their incendiary punk-pop anthems and you can be sure they’ll perform a set laden with hits such as ‘All The Small Things’, ‘Dammit’ and much more. The band will also be giving fans a debut airing of the much-anticipated forthcoming seventh studio album which will be released next summer, the first new material since their self-released EP in 2012, which featured ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ and ‘Disaster.’ A band that never fails to deliver, this is a booking that will bring a smile to every ardent Reading & Leeds fan and will be the band’s only UK shows of 2014.
Mark Hoppus adds:
"I’m stoked to play Reading & Leeds 2014. It’s our fourth time playing the festivals, and we’re very honoured. The new year will see us in the studio preparing new music, getting ready to rock the fine people of the UK. Prepare for the fury."
Jake Bugg is one of the biggest success stories of Reading & Leeds Festivals in recent years. Even before he released his first album he’d already made his debut on the Festival Republic Stage in 2012. Returning to the Festivals in 2013, having travelled the world and received numerous accolades, Jake moved further up the bill, and with a Number One debut album under his belt, drew huge crowds to enjoy a hit laden set. Now following the release of his brilliant second album 'Shangri La', produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, we can announce that Jake will make another significant step up this year, taking his deserved place on the Main Stage.
Commenting on his appearance Jake said:
"Reading & Leeds have become a bit of a regular feature of my summers lately, so it's amazing to be asked back again. I was just kind of starting out the first time I played and it was a really important gig for me. Playing this year was fun and seemed like lots more people knew the songs; it was great hearing everyone singing the words back at me. I'm sure playing on the Main Stage will be a different experience again, so it's exciting. I've got my new album out so there's plenty of time for people to learn the words. It should be pretty special."
Often an artist like Jake Bugg comes along, who is so relevant and whose music has created such a buzz that fans demand their return to the Festivals; it is only right that Reading & Leeds provide the platform to see these artists excel. Another great example of this is Disclosure, the most successful British dance act in a generation, who turned the genre on its head in 2013 and opened the door for a host of underground dance acts to flood the mainstream. Throughout the year Disclosure soared to the top of the charts with their debut album ‘Settle’ and sold out venues across the world. Their set at last year’s Reading & Leeds was one of the stand out moments of the Festivals and the brothers return in 2014 with an arsenal of hit singles and a fearsome live reputation, this will be a headline performance in a packed arena.
Quintessentially English, modern pop act, Metronomy are one of the country’s most compelling live acts and make a welcome return to Reading & Leeds. New track 'I'm Aquarius' was launched by Zane Lowe as his Hottest Record In The World, had 120,000 SoundCloud plays in a matter of hours and went straight to Number One on Hype Machine. There is a new album ‘Love Letters’, recorded at the legendary Toe Rag studios, due in March 2014 and it promises to translate brilliantly to the live show.
Reading & Leeds introduced the exclusively rock element as an extension of the Lock Up Stage for the first time in 2013, providing a dedicated destination for the Festivals’ legions of rock and metal fans. Featuring memorable sets from Shikari Sound System, Funeral For A Friend and more, this was an extremely popular addition. Now for 2014 Reading & Leeds welcome Southern Californian metalcore quintet, Of Mice & Men. The band release their eagerly anticipated third album ‘Restoring Force’ in January 2014 via Rise Records, the follow up to breakthrough album 'The Flood'. Having received nothing but adulation across the rock media, and instantly selling out London’s Koko, these achievements are testament to where this band are going, and where they’re going is Reading & Leeds! Their exclusive festival performances in England & Wales will be ones not to miss.
2013 saw a three day stage for all things electronic headlined by Magnetic Man, Sub Focus and Knife Party, proving there is a huge thirst for dance amongst the Reading & Leeds faithful. Just confirmed for 2014 is Mark ‘Wilkinson’, now a household name thanks to the massive hit, and dance chart Number One ‘Afterglow’, taken from his debut longplayer ‘Lazers Not Included’. He’s managed to retain all his credibility thanks to his masterful production talents and skills as a DJ. He won ‘Best Breakthrough Producer’ at the National D&B Awards, an accolade that is sure to be followed by many more.
All-new in 2013, an additional urban and hip-hop stage saw Wiley, Devlin and Wretch 32 heading up a cast of many of the Urban elite. This bass heavy stage was a great hit with fans and is guaranteed to be better than ever in 2014. Combining grime, hip-hop, dubstep, drum and bass, and some stuff that’s yet to be defined, it’s safe to say that I Am Legion are in a league of their own. Their explosive self-titled collaborative album is the side project of Dutch record producers Noisia and Foreign Beggars rappers Metropolis and Orifice Vulgatron. This fresh and distinctive collective will bring a turbo-charged atmosphere with them to Reading & Leeds.