The time has come to say goodbye to Leeds Festival for another year.
As the last festival of summer draws to a close, we see the pilgrimage of very hungover, very tired and very windswept troops returning home with not only memories made, but history made, too.
2024 saw the introduction of one of Leeds’ biggest stages, a massive 40,000-capacity Chevron Stage with the likes of Skrillex, Barry Can’t Swim, The Prodigy and more bringing an unforgettable party. Reading Festival saw people’s dreams come true with Liam Gallagher’s Oasis reunion announcement, and the BBC Introducing stage presented a sea of outstanding up and coming talent…AND I finally got some free McDonald’s fries from the truck that’s at the Festival. Winner winner McDonalds chips for dinner.
If you’re looking for proof of how important the festival scene is for British artists, then look no further than singer-songwriter, RAYE. After winning a massive eight Brit awards earlier in the year, RAYE showed the Main Stage why her name rightfully deserved to be in lights on the Sunday.
I would say this Festival slot was the most exciting of the weekend. RAYE was everything you would want in a festival performance. She looked incredible, had an eye-catching set on stage, and the Flames Collective Choir accompanying her. A notable mention of how diverse RAYE’s collection of artists was that joined her on stage, it’s so inspiring to see such a range of musicians coming together, and all looking like they were having just the best time.
Leeds was treated to a medley of the artist’s feature tracks, such as Bed (with Joel Corry and David Guetta) and Secrets (with Regard). As well as hit tracks, she also treated us to a Yorkshire accent that her own father (being from Yorkshire himself) would be proud of. RAYE’s love of the Festival was very much reciprocated as there were stacks of people on shoulders, absolutely screaming the lyrics to Prada (which had a brilliant rock remix and guitar solo) completely reinforcing the message that independent artists can keep pushing to new heights given the right stage/platforms.
It would not surprise me if RAYE’s name was on a headline slot very soon, and whenever that UK tour happens I will no doubt be trying my hardest for tickets to experience seeing her live again. In fact, I’ve already watched her performance back on BBC iplayer, it was that good.
Another great UK act was Sun King, originally from York. You could call this a hometown show after their gig run this year. Before I’d even reached the BBC Introducing Stage it was apparent how many people were waiting to see Sun King’s set. It’s great to see a guitar-led band utilising so many instruments on stage, with the synth player even having a tambourine in one hand – very impressive.
Sunday’s lineup felt big and if I had to pick one day for acts alone it would be Sunday. A band on everyone’s lips at the moment that did not disappoint when it came to seeing them live was Fontaines D.C. I have a lot of appreciation for all the Irish acts that have been a part of this year’s line up, and even through the ever-persistent winds, the band’s poetry-like lyrics floated through the fields. If you have an evening where you want to delve into some great music, Fontaines are the ones for you. Reading the lyrics to I Love You feels biblical and hearing them live was surreal.
Now we move onto THE headliner. All the way from the USA, Lana Del Rey. For me, this has been over 15 years in the making, to see Lana on UK soil – and wow was it a performance! To Melvin Benn and the team at Festival Republic, thank you for making this happen. She was a headliner worth seeing. Opening the show with Without You from Born to Die, this set felt like a tribute to her career up to this point. The sound and visuals were just sensational. Her dancers were brilliant, the outfits sparkled so brightly and no matter where you stood at the Main Stage, it was pandemonium for the singer.
The setlist was made up of wall to wall hits. Crowds got to experience A&W, Ride (including the opening monologue and music video accompanying) and even taking it right back to the start with Video Games. It felt like no album was missed out.
As an OG Lana fan right back to her days on Myspace, I can definitely see the younger generation’s love, and it’s brilliant to see her get her flowers. She’s a controversial figure at times for her stage presence (or sometimes lack of) but there is no denying her originality, glamour and how effortlessly iconic she is.
Overall, Leeds Festival has been one to remember for multiple reasons this year. The team behind Reading and Leeds have had to really think on their feet and had everything thrown at them, yet still delivered an incredible weekend of live music. The partnerships throughout the grounds were exciting and relevant, and their dedication to post festival with the ‘Look Out For The Planet’ initiative is how organisations like Festival Republic should be behaving.
When Festival Republic presented their ideas for this year’s Reading and Leeds they had inclusivity as a talking point and how to make the Festival a safe space. I believe this was evident when walking around. The app gave us reminders on how to seek help if you needed it, where to go if you wanted some time out and more importantly to always look out for your mates. My little sister joined me on the Sunday of Leeds Festival and I saw the excitement of experiencing it for the first time all over again through her, and introducing the new generation of festival-goers what it’s all about.
All photography by Mark Wheelwright.