Charli XCX delivered the first full UK set of her new era at Reading Festival, anchoring her performance with tracks from her new album, Music, Fashion, Film, while introducing a larger production featuring a full live band and dancers.
A New Era Debuts on the Main Stage
Stepping onto the main stage at Richfield Avenue, the artist opened her performance with Rock Music
, the fuzzed-out lead single from her new record. The set drew heavily on material from Music, Fashion, Film alongside songs from her February soundtrack project, Wuthering Heights. Keeping stage banter to an absolute minimum, she addressed the audience directly with a concise Thank you, Reading.
The production marked a distinct shift from her previous touring cycle. Where the Brat tour largely saw Charli performing solo, this staging featured a full live band alongside a large ensemble of dancers dressed in black. The aesthetic mirrored the dark cover art of her new album, which features Velvet Underground’s John Cale, director Martin Scorsese, and designer Marc Jacobs.
Blending Brat Classics With Unreleased Material
Despite the sonic pivot toward a more instrument-driven sound, the setlist maintained space for several defining tracks from her prior era. Fan favorites including 360, Von Dutch and Guess made appearances, frequently woven together with musical snippets from the new record. Before launching into Apple
, she offered a brief tease to the crowd that a classic track was approaching.
The performance also integrated deep cuts and rare live outings. The artist aired two B-sides from the new project — Playboy Bunny
and If You Take Away The Music Then What Has She Got?
— before closing out the night with No One Lasts Forever, the album’s concluding track.
Visual Shifts and High-Production Highlights
Throughout the performance, the visual presentation shifted through distinct stages. The artist changed outfits three times, starting in a structured blazer and signature black shorts before transitioning into a long blue dress and later a torn white shirt.
Key staging moments included a cigarette exchanged with a dancer during 2007
and the opening chords of Pink Diamond
striking precisely as the sun set. The production escalated further during House
, which incorporates a spoken-word contribution from Cale, accompanied by bursts of fireworks and flames.
Weather Disruptions and Surrounding Lineup
Friday’s festival schedule unfolded against a backdrop of severe downpours at Richfield Avenue, leaving festivalgoers navigating the grounds in ponchos and wellies. The inclement weather drove crowds into the newly introduced Gallery tent, where US rock band Geese pulled in a huge crowd who jumped and head-banged along to guitar-heavy tracks like Half Real
and 100 Horses
.
Earlier on the main stage, grime artist Skepta embraced the conditions by wearing a lime green waterproof jacket while powering through the rain. Belting out it rains, it pours
from his collaborative track Praise the Lord (Da Shine)
alongside A$AP Rocky, he connected directly with the drenched audience before closing his set with Victory Lap, his collaboration with Fred Again.. and PlaqueBoyMax.
The festival appearance follows a secret preview show held at London’s Scala in July, alongside a recent performance at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Having established the live blueprint for her new era, the artist is scheduled to bring the identical production setup to Leeds Festival, giving a second UK audience their first look at the new era.
