How to watch and listen to Reading and Leeds festival 2022
Enjoy the action of Reading and Leeds festivals from the comfort of your own home
Tandem festivals Reading and Leeds are back for another year of world-class talent and tunes, and if you’re wondering how to watch the action, look no further than our handy guide.
The duo of festivals will be taking place from 26 August to 28 August, with the Reading site located at Richfield Avenue, and the Leeds venue at Bramham Park. There’s an all-star line-up of acts ready to perform, including Dave, Little Simz, Megan Thee Stallion, Glass Animals, Arctic Monkeys and Rage Against The Machine.
While day tickets to Leeds festival are still up for grabs over at the event’s website (weekend tickets have sold out), all tickets to Reading festival have now sold out. However, you’ll be able to tune into all the acts and performances from your own home, with the inimitable comforts that your own bathroom and kitchen can provide. If you missed out on tickets, or if you’re just suffering from festival fatigue, this is your year to trade your warm cider for a strong milky tea in your favourite mug, kick back and enjoy the action.
How to watch and listen to Reading and Leeds festival 2022
How to watch Reading and Leeds festival 2022: BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer has form when it comes to covering Reading and Leeds festival. Last year’s post-lockdown return to the stage was picked up by the BBC, airing on BBC One, and was available to stream on iPlayer. It’s anticipated that highlights from the tandem festivals will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer this year too, particularly given the internationally acclaimed lineup.
BBC Music will also be sharing video content of Reading and Leeds Festivals on its YouTube channel, joining last year’s Reading and Leeds 2021 playlists, including Festival Bars, Mosh Energy and Pop Bops.
Previous years have seen video highlights of the Reading and Leeds festivals shared on the BBC website, and we anticipate there’ll be similar coverage available for the 2022 bonanza. It’s likely there’ll also be a curated roster of iconic photographs from the event, if last year’s round-up is anything to go by. This highlight reel from Reading and Leeds festival 2021 offers a tantalising taste of things to come, taking a trip down memory lane with world-class acts like Stormzy, Sigrid and Slowthai (alliteration unintended).
How to watch Reading and Leeds festival 2022 from anywhere: Use a good VPN
When travelling abroad for business or leisure, you may be unable to access your iPlayer account due to geo blocking. If you find yourself in this predicament, a virtual private network (VPN) is your best bet. The software works to encrypt your data, conceal your location and connect to a remote server, allowing you to watch content from almost anywhere in the world. See below for our pick of two of the best for streaming.
ExpressVPN: Up first is our all-time favourite VPN for streaming, ExpressVPN. Available for use on up to five devices at a time, Express is a great shout for jet-setting and web-surfing households, with easy-to-use accompanying apps to boot. Its handy built-in speedometer lets you test out and select the fastest connection wherever you are, ensuring seamless streaming. Plus, there’s a kill switch and split-tunnelling functionality available. Expert Reviews readers can get three months for free via the link below.
NordVPN: A stellar alternative comes in the form of NordVPN, which boasts both excellent speeds and a strong security setup (its privacy policy has been independently audited by PwC, which attests to Nord’s privacy claims). This service works with almost all streaming platforms, including BBC iPlayer via a UK-based server. And it works well too: if you’re looking to stream 4K and HDR content, a 25Mbits/sec (and above) connection is the sweet spot, which Nord easily attains.
How to listen to Reading and Leeds festival 2022: BBC Radio 1
Titans of radio BBC Radio 1 will be presenting live coverage of the Reading and Leeds festivals as they take place. As It Happens with Dean and Vicky will start airing on Friday 26 August at 11.02am on BBC Radio 1, with the hosts taking us on a music- and interview-led journey through both festivals.
There will be seven episodes of Reading & Leeds: As It Happens to listen to over all three days of the festivals, taking from Friday 26 August to Sunday 28 August, so be sure to tune in to catch up on life on the front line (read: in the mosh pit).
Plus, DJ Target will host a 1Xtra Takeover over at BBC Radio 1Xtra – happening at 7pm on Saturday 26 August.