{"id":1171400,"date":"2026-08-27T01:06:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T01:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1171400\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T01:06:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T01:06:30","slug":"watch-charli-xcx-review-her-past-reading-leeds-performances-its-cringing-me-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1171400\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch Charli XCX review her past Reading & Leeds performances: “It’s cringing me out\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charli XCX<\/a> has watched back some of her previous performances at Reading & Leeds<\/a>, and teased what fans can expect from her 2026 headline set.<\/p>\n

The singer is set to make her headline debut appearance at Reading & Leeds later this week<\/a>, performing at the dual festival for the first time since 2022. The performances come on the heels of her latest album \u2018Music, Fashion, Film<\/a>\u2019, and ahead of a North American arena tour with Underscores<\/a> in September.<\/p>\n

In a new video interview with BBC Radio 1, the \u2018360\u2019 singer watched back clips from her previous performances at Reading & Leeds, and shared her verdict on her previous sets.<\/p>\n

The first clip she watched back was from her performance in 2017 where she performed the single \u2018Boys\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s cringing me out, if I\u2019m honest,\u201d she quipped, adding that she forgot that she used to play with a live band, and actually remembers it feeling like a \u201ca cool show\u201d.<\/p>\n

She then looked back at her performance of \u2018I Love It\u2019 at the 2019 edition of the festival. \u201cI remember this because it was so hot. It was really, really hot that day. It was when I had short hair and I had a fringe. I hate that hairstyle\u2026 When I would get really hot, my fringe would do its own thing in a way that was really unfortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Asked what it was like to see such a big response from the crowd as someone who used to go to the festival as a punter, Charli replied: \u201cI think that\u2019s the thing about whenever I do get to perform at Reading \u2014 I really think of it as the festival that I grew up at. It is a bit surreal. [The crowd] really goes for it there. They party really hard, so that\u2019s cool and a bit scary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, looking at her time playing \u2018Beg For You\u2019 in 2022, she poked fun at her previous haircuts, joking that she had \u201ca collection of some of the worst hairstyles and hair dyes ever throughout Reading & Leeds, it seems\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt happened. I had fun. It was a different time and a different era,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

As for what fans can expect from her first ever headline performance at R&L 2026, she revealed that fans can expect \u201ca very different show than anything I\u2019ve done before\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be my first performance in the UK where I\u2019m playing new songs and doing a whole new stage set up, so hopefully people enjoy it,\u201d she added. \u201cIf they don\u2019t, that is totally fine. I will see you there. It\u2019s going to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/blockquote>\n

Charli will headline the main stage<\/a> \u2013 now known as The Grid<\/a> \u2013 at 7:45pm on Friday in Reading and 7:10pm on Saturday in Leeds.<\/p>\n

Also headlining the 2026 festival are Florence + The Machine<\/a>, Fontaines D.C.<\/a>, Dave<\/a>, RAYE<\/a> and Chase & Status<\/a>, and other names on the line-up include Skepta<\/a>, Sombr<\/a>, Role Model<\/a>, JADE<\/a>, Kneecap<\/a>, Geese<\/a>, Skye Newman<\/a>, Holly Humberstone<\/a>, Gurriers<\/a>, Westside Cowboy<\/a>, Declan McKenna<\/a>, Maisie Peters<\/a>, Paris Paloma<\/a>, Overpass<\/a> and Duke Dumont<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Visit here<\/a> for tickets.<\/p>\n

Earlier this summer, Charli made a surprise appearance during The Strokes\u2018 set<\/a> at Outside Lands, and also made a virtual cameo during Djo\u2019s set at the festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before then, she recorded an intimate live performance from Maida Vale<\/a>, performed her first full headline show of the \u2018Music, Fashion, Film\u2019 era at Lollapalooza<\/a>, and also joined Lorde on stage at the Chicago festival for \u2018Girl, So Confusing\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since her latest album dropped, the singer has \u201cbegrudgingly\u201d released the \u2018B-sides Edition\u2019 <\/a>and shared an accompanying film for the original album<\/a>.<\/p>\n