Today, Tuesday 9 July, Reading & Leeds Festivals revealed the BBC Music Introducing Stage line up that will showcase the best in UK emerging talent, as well as Dance To The Radio names and Piccadilly Party, for Leeds Festivalgoers only. Limited weekend and day tickets are available at www.readingandleedsfestival.com.

Since first arriving at Reading & Leeds Festivals in 2008, the BBC Music Introducing stage has offered a unique experience to bands and festivalgoers alike, with an array of untapped talent and a history of secret sets. The number of bands who have worked their way up through the stages after having their first taste of a big stage experience at these festivals has this year risen to around 41% of the total line up including headliners The 1975, plus Royal Blood, Yungblud, Milk Teeth, Pale Waves, Mura Masa, Slowthai, Chvrches, and more. This highlights the importance of BBC Music Introducing nurturing and championing the promising talent throughout the country and finding headliners of the future with festivals like Reading and Leeds.

Headlining the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Reading on Friday 23 August and Leeds on Saturday 24 August are Leeds’s own upbeat indie-pop masters Marsicans whose driving, harmony-laden sound and hard-hitting live shows are earning them a reputation as an emerging force in British music. Joining them are Olivia Nelson, Blackwaters, Do Nothing, Inka Upendo, SPINN, Caswell, Hyphen, Royls, and Swimming Girls.

Ishani, Charlotte, Alfie Templeman, FEET, Le Boom, HMD and Larkins will perform at Reading on Saturday 24 August and Leeds on Sunday 25 August, with the fierce, raspy-voiced rock artist LION headlining the stage.

Raucous grunge rock three-piece The Mysterines will headline the BBC Music Introducing Stage on Friday 23 August in Leeds and Sunday 25 August in Reading, bringing their high-energy, angsty protests and catchy melodies aplenty. Kid Kapichi,Balcony, Kofi Stone, The Extons, Lavz, VC Pines, Prima, and Leeds own Talkboy will also be performing.

Local record label Dance To The Radio will make a welcome return to Leeds Festival to kick start the weekend on Thursday 22 August with their specially curated line up including Easy Life, whenyoung, Indoor Pets, BILK,and DJ Jacky P performing. In a Leeds Festival exclusive to the infamous Piccadilly Party, the lads from TPD TV return to DJ on the Thursday night.

Further appearances at both sites will come from the likes of mesmerising American singer-songwriter Two Feet who will make his Reading & Leeds debut, as well as hypnotic YouTube sensation Poppy with her musical influence from kooky computer-game synth-pop, with the odd bit of metal thrown in as a special guest on The Pit – expect an altogether outlandish performance not to be missed. Added to the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage are the in-demand London DJ Amy Becker, and Communion signed Allan Rayman, plus the ever-growing indie favourites Vistas have been added to the Festival Republic Stage. Radiant Macclesfield calypso-rock band Cassia, and West London’s alt-rock trio Mantra have also been confirmed to join the line up at Reading Festival only.

Boasting a ban of single-use plastic cutlery, containers and straws from its traders, caterers, and bars since 2009, Reading & Leeds Festival aims to be greener than ever. Julie’s Bicycle has awarded Leeds Festival a 4-star Creative Green result for the second year in a row, plus the festivals won the award for Best Festival at the Creative Green Awards 2018. Total waste has decreased by over 40% since 2009, and last year, Leeds used 18,000 litres of biofuel made from waste vegetable oil.

Reading & Leeds will be using recycled plastic water bottles (rPET) this year and aims to be single use plastic free by 2021.  It is also recommended that festiva lgoers bring their own refillable bottle as there are numerous free water points around the festival.  We have advised that festival goers say no to single use plastic and buy a good tent that can be taken home and reused, as an average tent is the equivalent to 8750 plastic straws or 250 plastic pint cups. Free festival merchandise, or 2020 festival tickets are up for grabs by using the Nifty Bin Recycling Points in the campsites and the Greenpeace Deposit Return Points give £1 for every 10 pint cups or rPET water bottles returned. As well as this it is encouraged that festivalgoers travel by coach or train to reduce their carbon footprint, as Big Green Coach have 39 pick-up locations, and shuttles operate to and from the train station to make is easy for everyone.

Fans can be the first to hear further line-up announcements, artist news and much more by signing up to the newsletters at www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com or via the official Reading & Leeds Festival app, available to download now on Android and iOS.