The lowdown on the 2016 Leeds Festival

Biffy Clyro front man Simon Neil, set to headline the first day of the Leeds Festival.Biffy Clyro front man Simon Neil, set to headline the first day of the Leeds Festival.
Biffy Clyro front man Simon Neil, set to headline the first day of the Leeds Festival.
With only hours to go until it all gets under way the excitement is mounting ahead of the 2016 Leeds Festival.

Once again Bramham Park is hosting a huge weekend of music and entertainment and it all starts with State Champs on the main stage, Black Foxxes over on the NME/ BBC Radio 1 Stage and sharp Irish comic Andrew Maxwell in the comedy tent around noon tomorrow.

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The festival is into its 18th year and shows no sign of slowing down with more than 300 acts set to entertain across nine stages over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Big names from the rock, indie and dance worlds mix with the hot up and comers and some of the country’s finest comedy talents in the north of England’s biggest festival.

This year varies from past events with five headline acts on the main stage instead of the usual three - Biffy Clyro and Fall Out Boy share top of the bill honours on Friday and Foals and Disclosure are joint headliners the following day.

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It all wraps up with festival favourites Red Hot Chili Peppers as the main attraction on Sunday night.

A strong opening day line-up sees the joint headliners joined by indie favourites The Vaccines on a main stage line-up that also includes A$AP Rocky and rockers Five Finger Death Punch and Sleeping With Sirens.

Further first day highlights are likely to come from one of the bands of the moment, The 1975, who are headlining the NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage where The Wombats, Savages and Rat Boy are also likely to attract big crowds.

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The Lock Up Stage has some great bands on with Good Charlotte top of the bill in their first return to the festival for ages, re-formed band The King Blues set to get the crowd moving and thinking and plenty of pop punk highlights through the day.

The excitement is sure to go on into the second day with Frank Turner opening up proceedings with a special first on slot on the main stage with his band The Sleeping Souls.

The festival veteran never fails to entertain in whatever guise he is appearing and this year he is setting the record for most appearances at the event.

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Later in the day it is a bit of an eclectic line-up with Lower than Atlantis, Die Antwoord and Chvrches offering varied fare before the joint headliners.

Elsewhere, Oliver Heldens is a big name on the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage while Asking Alexandria head up The Pit line-up and Maximo Park make a welcome return as Festival Republic Stage headliners. This stage will also see performances from Leeds’ Pulled Apart By Horses and South Yorkshire band The Sherlocks.

One of the biggest crowds of the day is sure to be over on the Alternative Stage where Russell Howard - used to packing them into arenas on his tours - is appearing to do a stand-up set.

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Sunday’s strong main stage line-up includes Imagine Dragons, Courteeners and Eagles Of Death Metal as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers so decent weather will be helpful.

Two Door Cinema Club headline the NME/ BBC Radio 1 Stage where Nas and Sigma will be offering something different and current album chart toppers Blossoms are surprisingly seventh down the list..

Another big name headlines the Alternative Stage with Bill Bailey set to appear while the band reputed to be the loudest in the world, Mastodon, end proceedings in The Pit.

Here’s the full line-up:

FRIDAY

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Main Stage: Biffy Clyro, Fall Out Boy, The Vaccines, A$AP Rocky, Five Finger Death Punch, Sleeping With Sirens, Coheed And Cambria, The Virginmarys, State Champs.

NME/ BBC Radio 1 Stage: The 1975, The Wombats, Cage The Elephant, Savages, Rat Boy, Half Moon Run, Tonight Alive, Deaf Havana, Spring King, Basement, Black Foxxes.

BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage: DJ EZ, David Rodigan, Mistajam, Friction, Jauz, Fred V & Grafix, Redlight, Low Steppa, Delta Heavy, James Organ.

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Festival Republic Stage: The Temper Trap, Third Eye Blind, Borns, DMA’s, Eagulls, Clean Cut Kid, Gnash, Ezra Furman, The Magic Gang, The Vryll Society, Will Joseph Cook, Isaac Gracie, Tibet.

Lock Up Stage: Good Charlotte, The King Blues, MGK, Arcane Roots, Modern Baseball, Roam, Beach Slang, Waterparks, Greywind, Strange Bones, Fighting Caravans.

BBC Radio 1 Xtra Stage: Kano, Yung Lean, Hoodie Allen, Big Narstie, Fekky, Raleigh Ritchie, Yungen, Franko Fraize, Kiko Bun, Sneakbo, Astroid Boys.

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BBC Introducing Stage: Superglu, KOG & The Zongo Brigade, Lawrence Taylor, Tusk, Sonny Green, Mowbeck, Mouses, Arctic Lake, Castles, Hardwicke Circus, Night Owls. Adore//Repel.

Relentless Stage: Feed Me, Jax Jones, Icarus, Luke Hassan.

Alternative Stage: Russell Kane, Holly Walsh, Mark Watson, Andrew Maxwell, Jamali Maddix, Mark Grist, Anthony Anaxagorou, David Morgan (MC), Kurupt FM, Propaganda ft Thomas Turgoose, DJ Dan and special guests, Mistry.

SATURDAY

Main Stage: Foals, Disclosure, Chvrches, Boy Better Know, Die Antwoord, Lower Than Atlantis, Nothing But Thieves, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls.

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NME/ BBC Radio 1 Stage: Jack U, Twenty One Pilots, Crystal Castles, Fetty Wap ft Monty, The Neighbourhood, The Internet, Giggs, Mura Masa, Hinds, Haelos, Fickle Friends.

BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage: Oliver Heldens, Hannah Wants, Alunageorge, Philip George, Danny L Harle, Tkay Maidza, Lion Babe, 99 Souls, Hermitude, Draper.

The Pit: Asking Alexandria, Thrice, Crossfaith, Hacktivist, Nothing More, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Citizen, Superheaven, Creeper, Trash Boat, SWMRS.

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Festival Republic Stage: Maximo Park, Pulled Apart By Horses, Rationale, Luh, Blaenavon, The Sherlocks, Lewis Del Mar, Otherkin, Anteros, Transviolet, Banners, White Miles, Area 52.

BBC Radio 1 Xtra Stage: Wiley, Protoje, Little Simz, Maverick Sabre, Charlie Sloth, Lady Leshurr, Baauer, Troyboi, Mick Jenkins, Geko, K Flay.

BBC Introducing Stage: Coquin Migale, Beau, Muncie Girls, Paris Youth Foundation, Airways, Happy Accidents, Eat Fast, The Wholls, Strong Asian Mothers, Jordan Allen, Faux Pas, Dusk.

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Relentless Stage: Hannah Wants, Monki, Camelphat, Luke Hassan.

Alternative Stage: Russell Howard, Owen Jones ICW Andy Parsons, Sara Pascoe, Joel Dommett, Shappi Khorsandi, Mark Steel, Angela Barnes, Iain Stirling (MC), Transgressive Sound System, Metronomy (Summer 08 DJ set), Honne, Bless DJs, Super Hans.

SUNDAY

Main Stage: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Imagine Dragons, Courteeners, Eagles Of Death Metal, Slaves, Parkway Drive, Skindred, Clutch, Sundara Karma.

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NME/ BBC Radio 1 Stage: Two Door Cinema Club, Nas, Jack Garratt, Sigma, Krept & Konan, Netsky, Blossoms, Whitney, Highly Suspect, Sunset Sons, Fatherson.

BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage: Duke Damont, Disciples, My Nu Leng B2B Oneman + Dread MC, Riton, Sophie, Birdy Nam Nam, Lemaitre, Zac Samuel, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, The Japanese House.

The Pit: Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Kvelertak, Giraffe Tonge Orchestra, Milk Teeth, Heck, Ghost Town, Dead!, Big Spring.

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Festival Republic Stage: Brian Fallon and The Crowes, Palace, Lapsley, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, White Room, Vant, The Hunna, Lany, Seratones, Inheaven, Tuff Love, The Beach, Beach Baby.

BBC Radio 1 Xtra Stage: Travi$ Scott, Section Boyz, Logic, DJ Semtex, Bugzy Malone, Anderson Paak & The free Nationals, The Range, Metro Boomin, Rejjie Snow, Rude Kid.

BBC Introducing Stage: Fronteers, Ten Tonnes, The Shimmer Band, High Tyde, Cameron A G, The Tin Pigeons, Avalanche Party, Tiny Giant, Haus, We Were Giants, The Indigo Project, Vexxes.

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Relentless Stage: Andy C with MC Tonn Piper, TQD (Royal T/ DJ Q/ Flava D), Sir Spyro, Luke Hassan.

Alternative Stage: Bill Bailey, Marcus Brigstocke, Lee Nelson, Carl Donnelly, John Robins, Al Porter, Dane Baptiste, Daniel Simonsen, Lauren Pattison, Dan Nightingale (MC), Transgressive Sound System, Fat White Family, Bless DJs, Loyle Corner.

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