Fontaines D.C. headlined Reading Festival 2026 last night, August 28, marking their debut as headliners on the festival's main stage, now known as The Grid. The band's set was delayed by approximately half an hour due to reported technical issues.
These issues reportedly led the band to remove 'Big', 'Hurricane Laughter', and a new track, 'Happy For You', from their original setlist. Despite the late start, they played songs including 'Boys in the Better Land', 'Here's the Thing', 'Nabokov', and the recently debuted new track 'Marianne'.
Frontman Grian Chatten addressed the crowd, stating, "It’s been a very hard time for us the last couple of months, and it’s nice to be back here." This headline slot follows the death of their manager, Trevor Dietz, described by the band as "the sixth member of the band." Bassist Conor Deegan explained that a track, initially discarded from their new album, was dedicated to Dietz after he insisted on its inclusion. This song, along with another new track, 'Six Shot Morning', was first performed in Spain and featured in their Reading set.
The band closed their performance with 'Starburster' from their fourth album, 'Romance'. They are scheduled to release their fifth album, 'Dopamine Chamber', in October.