Reading And Leeds Festival 2016 Is THIS Weekend! Here's Who You Should Check Out

Reading & Leeds is one of the world’s most famous music festivals. From the iconic image of Kurt Cobain’s wheelchair-bound entrance in 1992 (a response to media coverage of his drug habits), to Rage Against The Machine hitting the festival in 2008 with their heads covered in black bags and dressed in orange Guantanamo Bay suits and much, much more, Reading & Leeds has played host to an array of incredible moments in music history. Will more be made in the 2016 edition?

Of course they will. This year, the dual festival has put out one of the most eclectic line-ups in the festival’s history, with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Boy Better Know, Biffy Clyro, Die Antwoord, RAT BOY and more all sharing the same poster. It’s going to be special.

MTV will be heading down to check out all the action, so get ready for interviews and reports from one of the UK’s hottest festivals to hit soon.

However, in the meantime, and with only a few days to go before all the action kicks off, we thought we’d preview the artists we’re most excited about seeing right here. Who are you most excited to see at this year’s Reading & Leeds? Let us know over on Twitter @MTVUK.

Foals

This is set to be one of the highlights of the festival season. Foals released their fourth album What Went Down last year, a borderline hard rock record crammed full of riffs the size of castles and screeching lyrics “When I see a man I see a lion!” ready to tear you eardrums apart. The album pitched the band forward as a group that really deserved a major headline slot, and a major headline slot they were granted. It’s been 10 years, but Foals are finally where they belong. Bring it on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuQQIawCqBA

Kano

It’s Sunday. You’re probably hungover, or worse. The cure? Kano, the only man who can blow the f**k off your sluggishness. Headlining the BBC Radio 1XTRA stage on Sunday, Kano is set to deliver a set that’s going to burn the tent down. Nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize for his fifth album Made in the Manor, expect the set to feature a lot of tracks cut from there. It’s going to be fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdto_hFIXAs

Anderson .Paak

The king of 2016 himself, Anderson .Paak not only released one of the year’s best albums in his expansive and very personal third effort Malibu, he’s also featured on some of the year’s very best tracks to boot. His buttery smooth vocals have assisted KAYTRANADA on ‘GLOWED UP’, ‘Dang!’ with Mac Miller and a whole lot more. He’s a busy boy, that Anderson. Make sure you check him out on the 1XTRA stage on Saturday afternoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvPeJLcK2Lk

The Internet

Featuring two former Odd Future members (Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians), six-piece band The Internet released their third album Ego Death last year. Full of sultry bass lines, warm, hushed vocals and guest appearances from Tyler, the Creator and KAYTRANADA, it was an exceptionally confident album that fully deserved its grammy nomination. When I spoke to the Reading & Leeds’ line-up booker, Jon Mac, he told me that this would be The Internet’s only UK festival show, so don’t miss them when you have the chance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNJkas_LiCM

twenty one pilots

twenty one pilots sound very cool. But, peel that back on re-listens and you’ll discover a band that isn’t afraid to cover some pretty heavy subjects, such as depression and suicide. On their latest album, the hugely successful Blurryface, the duo largely tackle insecurities and the pressures of adulthood, particularly that of lead vocalist Tyler Joseph’s. They’re intelligent and a lot of fun live too. Check them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRviuL6vMY

The 1975

The 1975 are absolutely massive, but don’t seem to have quite cracked the mainstream as you might expect. Speaking to MTV News, the band’s frontman Matty Healy half-joked “We’re the biggest band in the world that nobody’s ever heard of.” Both of their albums have topped the UK albums charts, and their second, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, topped the US Billboard 200 too. It’s easy to see why. With 17 tracks and a run time that pushes far beyond the one-hour mark, it’s an ambitious, inventive and thrilling pop record. They’re a great live band too, as it turns out. Go see them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSnAllHtG70

Blossoms

MTV’s PUSH act last month, we said of the group: “All born in the same hospital in their hometown of Stockport, UK, with members Tom Ogden (singer) and Joe Donovan (drummer) meeting at the age of just 12, Blossoms are truly an alliance of best friends. Taking their name from a local pub, Blossoms have very quickly gone from local gigs, to selling out venues in the UK and playing shows around the world. Whilst their reputation and fanbase has developed rapidly, the band have remained grounded and even still rehearse in the warehouse of Charlie Salt’s (bassist) grandfather’s scaffolding business.”

That debut has now gone to Number One, and you should catch them in more intimate spaces (they place the NME/BBC Radio 1 stage Saturday afternoon) whilst you can.

You can follow Lucas Fothergill on Twitter here.