Lola Young Surprises Reading Festival

Singer Lola Young performed a surprise set on the final day of Reading Festival on Sunday. Her appearance followed a cancelled 2025 booking and a period away from touring after an on-stage collapse last September.

Young teased the performance on Instagram. "I am backstage, the cat is out of the bag and I am going to be performing so see you... at the Grid stage," she posted. She then played hits including her number one single 'Messy' and 'One Thing'.

Return After Collapse

Young's performance marks her latest step back into the spotlight. Last year, she cancelled a string of shows. This followed an incident where she dropped her microphone and collapsed backwards during a festival set in New York. She needed help to leave the stage.

A few days after that collapse, she cancelled all shows "for the foreseeable future." In a message to fans, she wrote, "I really hope you'll give me a second chance once I've had some time to work on myself and come back stronger." The pop star has since sought treatment for drug dependency. She told the Guardian in 2025 that addiction had been a problem for "a long time."

Cautious Comeback

Young began her return with a small run of UK shows, starting with a London gig in March. "It felt so right being back on stage," she wrote on social media afterwards. She added a note of caution. "As tempting as it is to jump on a big tour I'm going to continue taking things slowly despite feeling so ready to perform more."

Her Reading set came a day after she performed at the Electric Picnic Festival in Ireland. She also released a reflective new single, 'From Down Here', in May. Fans are still awaiting news of a fourth album.

Festival Finale

Young's surprise slot was part of the final day lineup. Charli XCX also performed an electrifying set to usher in her new era following her latest release. The Reading festival concluded on Sunday night with a star-studded cast.

The final performances included indie icon Florence + The Machine, R&B hit-maker Loyle Carner, and Irish rap group Kneecap. Drum and bass duo Chase & Status also performed. Meanwhile, the festival's sister site in Leeds closed after sets from singer-songwriter Raye and multi award-winning rapper Dave.