Skepta Takes to Reading Backed by Growing Fork & Knife Hype, Alongside Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C.

With September looming in the near distance, it is easy to forget that the festival season is far from over. Reading Festival 2026 announced a huge line-up on their official instagram last winter, with Charli XCX, Skepta, and Fontaines D.C. leading the charge on Friday 28th August. Since then, there has been scrutiny, a flurry of rumours, and even some new music dropped by each of the three acts.

Released last month, Charli XCX’s album, titled Music, Fashion, Film, prompted huge discussions around a potential switch-up of genre for the British artist who has been at the cutting-edge of pop music for the past decade. Even Madonna and Courtney Love had something to say about her lyric, “I think the dancefloor is dead, so now we’re making rock music”. Was she about to become an all-out rock star? The short answer, no. While a rock sound is more evident in the album, with tracks being more guitar-heavy than her previous work, it is a pivot, but a subtle pivot, made deliberately to keep her work exciting and reduce comparisons to the era-defining BRAT.

Just a few days ago, Dublin-formed Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. teased that their fifth studio album is coming, and previewed a snippet of a new track, ‘Marianne’, on Youtube. With a similar sound to tracks from the band’s fourth album, Romance, including ‘Here’s The Thing’ and ‘In The Modern World’, the new track suggests that the band will not disappoint fans who have grown to love their more spacey, pop-punk sound. For those hoping to get a glimpse of what is in store from Fontaines D.C.’s upcoming album, there is good news. Guitarist Carlos O’Connell has confirmed that they are open to playing new and unfinished tracks at their upcoming festivals – meaning we may well be in for a treat at Reading Festival 2026.

For Tottenham-raised musician Skepta, the churn-out of new solo work has been a slower, more painstaking process. After winning a coveted Brit Award in February of this year, the hype around his upcoming album, Fork & Knife, reached a new high – despite being announced all the way back in 2024. This will be his first full-length album since 2019, so the frenzy is understandable. He has, after all, been a notable member of the UK’s rap and grime scene for over three decades.

During the seven-year gap Skepta has sporadically released music, including tracks with Slowthai, Kid Cudi, and Flo Milli, as well as a collaborative EP with acclaimed British artist Fred Again. Culminating in a very fruitful year in 2025, in which he released a number of singles, and even stepped in to play at Glastonbury, despite not being originally billed. His set was lauded for its high-energy and zestiness, coming in at around half an hour long. Leaving his crowd wanting more seems to be something Skepta is getting incredibly good at.

The release of EP Más Tiempo Vol. 2 in April of this year has not quelled any anticipation, despite taking on a different sound to his usual style. The house-influences evident on the three tracks have been credited to the fact that Skepta took on a summer-long residency at the Club Room in Hï Ibiza, which commenced shortly after its release. He has, however, confirmed that Fork & Knife will be an album of party music, stating that he has been making music for shows and clubs – suggesting that a more dancefloor-ready sound may be on the cards. All we can do now is wait and see how this materialises, and after seven years, what is a few months more?

Sure to be a weekend worth waiting for, festival-goers are counting down the days, and hoping for more than just one surprise on the day, whether that comes from Skepta, Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., or the other acts set to perform. One thing is for certain, something new is on the horizon. Get your day ticket now for Friday 28th August, and join us as we discover what these incredible acts have lined-up.