The BBC will air a huge schedule of past Reading & Leeds performances this bank holiday weekend. The 2020 editions of the ever-popular annual festivals were cancelled back in May in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but keen would-be attendees can catch a stunning selection of previous festival performances on iPlayer. And the line-up looks stellar.
On Friday, August 28, you can tune in to catch Royal Blood, Billie Eilish, The 1975, Radiohead and more take to the stage, as well as a tantalising as-yet-unnamed ‘special guest’. The Saturday will have Muse, The Prodigy, Charli XCX perform, and on the Sunday Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age, Biffy Clyro, and Wolf Alice will grace our screens. A pretty incredible selection.
Celebrate #RandL20 WEEKEND with three days of incredible archive sets from the festivals Check out the dedicated #RandL channel on @BBCiPlayer that kicks off at 12pm on Friday the 28th of August
Reading https://t.co/42KRmk9Apx
Leeds https://t.co/qlxoNpJ8Gc pic.twitter.com/RG1YKuPiWN— Reading & Leeds Fest (@OfficialRandL) August 27, 2020
Speaking about the virtual-fest in a press release, organisers said: “We’re buzzing to announce that we’re teaming up with BBC Music to bring you live performances from Reading & Leeds over the years. We’ll be marking the August bank holiday with a selection of exclusive performances and unforgettable memories.”
Before it was cancelled, Reading & Leeds 2020 was set to be headlined by Stormzy, Liam Gallagher, and Rage Against The Machine, and also feature Run The Jewels, IDLES, and Sam Fender.
Speaking about the cancellation back in May, organisers said: “We’ve been closely monitoring this unprecedented situation and we were hopeful we could deliver the ultimate festival to you in August, something to look forward to in these strange and confusing times. However, it has become clear that it’s just not possible for this year’s festival to go ahead.”
The BBC’s virtual alternative to the cancelled festival mirrors their response to Glastonbury back in June, which also saw past performances of legendary artists streamed on iPlayer.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
