Lola Young surprises Reading Festival with final day set

Lola Young gave Reading Festival fans an unexpected appearance on its final day, taking the Grid stage for a surprise set that included "Messy" and "One Thing."

“

I am backstage, the cat is out of the bag and I am going to be performing so see you... at the Grid stage.

Young revealed the performance on Instagram shortly beforehand, writing, "I am backstage, the cat is out of the bag and I am going to be performing so see you... at the Grid stage."

“

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 set marked another stage in the singer's return to live music. She cancelled a series of shows last year after collapsing on stage in New York and later said she hoped fans would give her "a second chance once I've had some time to work on myself and come back stronger." She has sought treatment for drug dependency and told the Guardian in 2025 that addiction had affected her for "a long time."

“

It felt so right being back on stage.

Young has since played a small number of UK shows, beginning with a London concert in March, and performed at Ireland's Electric Picnic festival on Saturday. She released "From Down Here" in May, but has not yet announced her fourth album. Reading Festival ended with performances from acts including Chase & Status, Florence + The Machine, Loyle Carner and Kneecap, while the Leeds site closed with Raye and Dave.

“

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.