Lola Young surprises Reading Festival with final day set
Singer Lola Young made a surprise appearance at the Reading Festival, marking a significant step in her return to live performance. This follows a period of hiatus due to health struggles and addiction, which led to the cancellation of her previous tour dates.
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The story highlights the intersection of mental health, addiction recovery, and the pressures of the modern music industry.
Image source, Getty Images By Adam Goldsmith Published 30 August 2026 Fans at the final day of Reading Festival were treated to a surprise set from singer Lola Young.
"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 teased on Instagram, before treating fans to hits including number one single Messy and One Thing.
Her performance marks the latest step in a return to the spotlight after she had to cancel a string of shows last year following an on-stage collapse in September.
Young also pulled out of the 2025 Reading festival due to a scheduling clash.
The weekend festival concludes on Sunday with a line-up including performances by drum and bass duo Chase & Status, and Florence + The Machine.
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