By Gracie Hall and Daisy Webb

Leeds Festival 2024 kicks off with a rather unconventional start, as 60mph winds have crew and campers awake early, battling to secure their tents to the ground to avoid a Wizard of Oz-style tornado situation. Despite the tireless efforts of festival staff, the BBC Radio 1 and AUX stage are damaged beyond safe repair, taking them out of commission for the weekend and leaving big names such as Beabadoobee, The Neighbourhood’s Jesse Rutherford, and James Marriott unable to perform.

After a windswept start to the day, Storm Lilian eases off and the Main Arena opens for crowds by 3pm, showcasing the unwavering resilience of everyone in attendance. A shock cancellation from American singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp sees rapper Bru-C officially open the festival on the main stage, delighting his legions of fans who had feared he may not be able to perform. With the Chevron stage also closed for safety reasons, audiences surge to the smaller stages and are introduced to the newest wave of talent that Leeds Festival is known for showcasing.

Friday draws a mixed crowd of attendees, with many fans purchasing day tickets for Liam Gallagher’s full performance of Definitely Maybe and to watch Catfish and The Bottlemen perform for one of the first times since September 2021.

ALESSI ROSE – 3:40 – BBC introducing 

As indie pop songstress Alessi Rose steps out onto the BBC Introducing stage mid-Friday afternoon, the influence of today’s biggest pop stars on the starlet is instantly apparent. Sporting a tank reading “American Dream,” akin to those worn by Olivia Rodrigo on her current Guts Tour, and her wrists stacked with beaded friendship bracelets, a trend that has recently surged in popularity thanks to Taylor Swift.

Rose’s dedicated fanbase can also be likened to Taylor’s ‘Swifties,’ with the crowd at the BBC Introducing tent singing every word back to her. Fans join in enthusiastically for the bigger hits ‘Eat Me Alive’ and ‘CRUSH!’ – waving and swaying along or standing transfixed by the anecdotes throughout the set.

After a few bars of instrumental play through the speakers, the audience erupts when they release Rose is about to cover Chappel Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club.’ This moment soundtracks a break in the clouds and gives everyone an excuse to blow off some steam after a morning of uncertainty about what the weekend will hold. There is no doubt that even after catching just a few moments of Alessi Rose’s set, you feel lighter than you did when you arrived. 

ONLY THE POETS – 5:50pm – Festival Republic Stage

Hailing from Reading, Only The Poets make their mark on Leeds too. With infectious energy from the first note, OTP’s catchy pop-rock bangers get everyone warmed up for the weekend ahead. Lead vocalist Tommy Longhurst’s recognisable vocals blast through new singles ‘Mindset’ and ‘Miserable’ along with fan favourites such as the powerful and punchy ‘Crash’ and the coming-of-age anthem ‘Over and Over.’

Longhurst created Only The Poets after being inspired by bands he saw at Reading & Leeds Festival and one can assume that the band will have the same impact on another aspirational musician. Ending their set with ‘Jump!’ and asking the audience to get down and jump with them, OTP kick off the weekend for many with a blast.

MICHAEL ALDAG – 7:20pm – BBC Introducing Stage

The anthemic introduction to Michael Aldag’s ‘Apathy’, performed by long term band members Harry Howell and Ellie East, sends waves of energy and anticipation across the enthusiastic and ever-growing crowd gathering at the BBC Introducing tent, before a small sea of phones rise to capture the moment Aldag excitedly leaps onto the stage.

Wearing Ed Hardy parachute pants and a matching oversized tee, Aldag comfortably takes the audience into the palm of his hand as he covers the stage, jumps onto raised platforms, speakers and the barrier to connect with as many fans as possible.

Aldag delivers an eclectic set including tracks from his latest anthology ‘sorry for everything’ and several earlier singles including ‘smoothie’ and ‘BLEAK’, the latter evoking tears and watery eyes from various crowd members, and Aldag himself, due to the track’s impactful and honest lyricism discussing struggles with mental health issues.

With frequent thanks to BBC Introducing, and specifically BBC Introducing Merseyside who have championed Aldag since the very beginning of his career, and clear disbelief at the fact he has gone from attending to performing at Leeds Festival in a handful of years, Aldag leaves his all on the BBC Introducing stage.

RACHEL CHINOURIRI – 7:35pm – Festival Republic Stage

Closing the Festival Republic stage is not an easy task for any artist, yet Rachel Chinouriri leaves the crowd in awe of her infectious energy and joyous stage presence. Adorned in Y2K-inspired accessories and a matching top and shorts set designed by Rhi Dancey, the crowd elevates, vibrating at a higher frequency while dancing to Chinouriri’s alternative pop tunes. ‘All I Ever Asked’ and ‘Never Need Me’ bring the stage and the day to a perfect, anthemic close.

CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN – 7:25pm – Main Stage

After headlining Leeds Festival back in 2021, Catfish and The Bottlemen break their three year hiatus, landing back in Leeds to headline once again. Opening with longtime favourites ‘Longshot’ and ‘Kathleen’, the Leeds crowd are reminded why Catfish are a force to be reckoned with – and very much still in their prime.

Lead-singer Van McCann is back performing in a seemingly better mindset than how he left. McCann is seen teary-eyed towards the end of the set as he realises how much Catfish’s music has reached people and how their absence was sorely felt.

With a jam-packed setlist only consisting of pre-hiatus tunes, cheers erupt from the crowd at the end of every song played. They finish their set with bittersweet forbidden love anthem, ‘Cocoon’ as thousands of festival goers ascend to their friends’ shoulders and the watercolour pink and blue hues of the sunset paint a perfect background to the conclusion of the set.

An extended outro of the chorus forces more tears from McCann’s eyes as the crowd carries the lyrics away from him at insane volumes. It’s safe to say Catfish and The Bottlemen are here to stay.