Reading and Leeds Festival dominated the music landscape this weekend, with a series of headline sets that underscored the festival's evolving identity. RAYE made her debut as a headliner, delivering a career-spanning set that confirmed her ascent from guest vocalist to main stage draw. Charli XCX brought her hyperpop energy to the same stage, while Fontaines D.C. delivered an emotional performance that felt like a coronation for the Irish post-punk scene. Dave pulled out all the stops, bringing James Blake, Central Cee, and Kano as guests, and Florence + The Machine closed out Leeds with their signature theatricality. The festival also saw memorable moments like Sombr teaming up with The Cranberries for a cover of "Zombie" at Electric Picnic, and Cruz Beckham performing with his famous parents watching from the wings.
Away from the stages, the music industry's legal battle with AI took a major turn. Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against Anthropic, the company behind Claude, accusing it of "one of the largest and most blatant ongoing thefts of intellectual property in history." This is a significant escalation in the publishing world's fight to protect songwriters' work from being scraped by AI models. In more heartening news, Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to a GoFundMe for a mother struck by a car while helping others, and Olivia Rodrigo's inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival raised $10 million for women's charities.
Elsewhere, the summer tour circuit continued to produce headlines. Bon Jovi brought back "These Days" for the first time in years during their Edinburgh stadium show, and Sebastian Bach played his first show with Twisted Sister (under their Bent Brother alias), mixing Skid Row classics into the set. Bad Wolves lost a guitarist who quit over the band's upcoming Dolly Parton cover of "Jolene," while The Who appear to be re-hiring Zak Starkey after a messy split. And if you needed proof that Rush's new drummer has settled in, Anika Nilles is now pranking Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson onstage.
Reading & Leeds delivered
Headline sets from RAYE, Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., Dave, and Florence + Machine showed the festival's diverse strength.
Music publishers sue AI company
Sony and Warner Chappell's lawsuit against Anthropic could set a precedent for how AI handles copyrighted lyrics.
Stars give back generously
Taylor Swift donated $50k to a mother hit by a car, and Olivia Rodrigo's festival raised $10 million for women's charities.
Band shakeups continue
Sebastian Bach joined Twisted Sister, Bad Wolves lost a guitarist over Dolly Parton, and The Who may re-hire Zak Starkey.
RAYE headlined Reading Festival for the first time in her career tonight – see the full setlist and footage below. READ MORE: RAYE – ‘This Music May Contain Hope’ review: musical maximalism at its grandest The South...
Dave welcomed guests James Blake, Central Cee and Kano during his headline set at Reading 2026 – see the full setlist. READ MORE: Dave – ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp’ review: a prophet’s pain painted in piano The South...
Skip to main content Singer also dedicated "Rainbow" to the late country icon, revealing that Parton was the inspiration behind the song Dolly Parton and Kacey Musgraves at the 2019 Grammys Getty Images for The...
The Who appear to be bringing Zak Starkey back into the fold, just over a year after their acrimonious split. READ MORE: Zak Starkey on being sacked from The Who, dreams of playing with Oasis, and advice for Barry...
Royal Blood spoke to NME backstage at Reading 2026 about their upcoming album ‘Dead Company’, and reflected on their debut appearance at the festival back in 2014. The Worthing-formed band, comprised of singer and...
Slayyyter walked Sombr from an ambulance stretcher to the stage to kick off his performance at Reading Festival today – watch footage below. READ MORE: Sombr at the BRITs 2026: “I love America, but I think music from...
Turnstile brought out Faye Webster for ‘I Care’ during their set at All Points East in London – watch footage below. READ MORE: Turnstile embarked on an odyssey of their own to make new album ‘Never Enough’ The...
Maisie Peters covered Dolly Parton ’s ‘Here You Come Again’ during her set at Reading Festival – watch footage below. READ MORE: Maisie Peters – ‘Florescence’ review: a singer-songwriter in full bloom The British...
David and Victoria Beckham watched their son Cruz Beckham perform at Reading Festival today – see footage below. READ MORE: Reading & Leeds boss talks biggest-ever arena overhaul and “strength of UK and Irish music” on...
Bad Wolves guitarist AJ Rebollo, who first joined the group as a touring guitarist in 2023, has just quit the band, citing the upcoming release of a cover of Dolly Parton 's "Jolene" as the breaking point. Yesterday...
Shame have announced that they will take a hiatus after playing their remaining shows in support of ‘Cutthroat’. READ MORE: Shame: “You don’t have to look far for seedy characters – in life or on this record” The South...
Sebastian Bach played his first show with Twisted Sister on Friday night, with the band playing under their alter ego, Bent Brother. Their setlist ran the gamut of Twisted Sister classics to a handful of Skid Row songs...
Cardinals caught up with NME backstage at Reading 2026, where the Cork indie upstarts told us about progress on the “darker” follow-up to their acclaimed album ‘ Masquerade ‘. Watch our full interview interview or read...
Sebastian Bach played his first show with Twisted Sister on Friday night, with the band playing under their alter ego, Bent Brother. Their set list ran the gamut of Twisted Sister classics to a handful of Skid Row songs...
If there was any question of how well Anika Nilles is settling in with Rush, the onstage pranks she’s started playing on bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson answers it. She endured a difficult year of rehearsals as the...
No one should ever accuse Bob Dylan, who first started making albums in the early '60s, of refusing to bend to the arc of technological advancement. He's always been well aware of its power. "Let's not forget," he said...
A couple of undeniable truths become self evident as this list of Top 20 Eagles Deep Cuts unfolds: First off, their landmark 1976 album Hotel California was pretty good. The 28-times-platinum smash is home, of course,...
Bon Jovi delivered a 22-track set during their first stadium show since 2019. The performance at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Friday. night included two classic tracks they haven’t played in some time. "These...
Taylor Swift has donated to a mother who was hit by a car while trying to help someone else. The pop star donated $50,000 (£37,000) to a GoFundMe created to assist Ashley Taunton, her husband, and their three children...
Sombr teamed up with The Cranberries to cover ‘Zombie’ at Electric Picnic in Ireland last night – check out footage below. READ MORE: Sombr at the BRITs 2026: “I love America, but I think music from the UK beats them”...
Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music have joined forces to sue Anthropic, home of Claude, over what the publishers call “one of the largest and most blatant ongoing thefts of intellectual property in...
Geese played Reading Festival 2026 last night (August 28) – check out footage below. READ MORE: Geese live in London: indie buzz band take flight as generational icons in waiting Cameron Winter and co. made their debut...
Florence + The Machine played Leeds 2026 last night – check out highlights from the performance below. READ MORE: Florence + The Machine – ‘Everybody Scream’ review: a communal exorcism of familiar pain Florence Welch...
Skepta played new songs from his upcoming album ‘Fork & Knife’ at Reading Festival 2026 – check them out below. READ MORE: Skepta – ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ review The rapper played last night (August 28) ahead of his set...
Charli XCX headlined Reading Festival 2026 last night – find all the highlights from her set below. READ MORE: Reading & Leeds boss talks biggest-ever arena overhaul and “strength of UK and Irish music” on line-up:...
Fontaines D. C. headlined Reading Festival 2026 last night – check out all the highlights below. READ MORE: Fontaines D. C.‘s ‘Marianne’ sets a bold new cinematic scene in their search for escape The band made their...
During a press conference ahead of today’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, Olivia Rodrigo revealed it would be donating $10 million to its non-profit partners. Inspired by the Lilith Fair music festivals of the...
Skip to main content The duo last performed "Chinatown" live in 2020 Bruce Springsteen and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff in Asbury Park, NJ, on Aug. 28, 2026. Rob Warhurst Bruce Springsteen surprised the coastal...
The superstar donated to a GoFundMe launched to help Ashley Taunton, who was hit by a vehicle while helping others on the side of a road Taylor Swift is helping a mother recover after she was hit by a car while helping...
Defense lawyer Brian Steel asserted that Kasey “OTF Jam” Hester invented claims against the “All My Life” rapper in the hopes of helping himself Defense lawyer Brian Steel wasted little time Friday resuming his...
After the rapper appeared to be heavily pregnant in the video for "Out My Face," fans took the imagery literally Once again, the internet is having a hard time separating fact from fiction. This time, it’s over rumors...
A rep for Lefty confirmed to Rolling Stone that “Summer You Were Mine“ interpolates the Grammy-winning song after fans noticed similarities between the two tracks Stella Lefty ’s new song “Summer You Were Mine”...
News He's apparently rehearsed with legendary band ahead of possible European shows The Who's Roger Daltrey and Zak Starkey in June 2023 (photo: Carsten Koall / dpa / picture alliance via Getty Images). The Who’s...
Proceeds from the festival will benefit organizations including National Domestic Workers Alliance, Planned Parenthood, National Institute for Reproductive Health, and more Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields...
Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields is about to open its gates, and it’s already delivered a pretty remarkable encore. The inaugural festival has generated $10 million for its 10 nonprofit partners, with 100% of its net...
In what is believed to be among the first of its kind, a Goodwill-branded record store is nearly ready to open its doors to customers. Think of it as a place where the resale business is more focused on music rather...