Featured image: Henry Redcliffe

Not to be outshined by the artists performing today, the rain makes its inevitable return to the skies of Yorkshire over Leeds Festival. With the downpours hardly taking a break, Saturday is the day for the indie-heads and brats, as two of the most anticipated acts of the weekend take the helm.

There’s an immeasurable air of confidence surrounding Keo as they walk on stage to an adoring audience. Kicking straight into ‘Hands’, they clearly mean business. Back-to-back performances of ‘That’s Me’ and ‘Pistol’ light a match in the crowd and an explosion of voices sing back in unison as Finn Keogh tells the audience, “You all know the fucking words!” Throwing it right back to the band’s launchpad to indie stardom, The Grid absolutely roar ‘Thorn’ and ‘Amber, I Lied’ back at the London-based rockers as they stamp their mark on the main stage.

Back at The Grid stage, Declan McKenna looks right at home, running around like an unchained animal. McKenna is one of those artists who belongs at Leeds Festival, producing indie bangers since his GCSE days, and he seems to be having the time of his life. ‘Listen to Your Friends’ and ‘The Key to Life on Earth’ are certified singalong, guaranteed to get the crowd warmed up in the miserable weather.

McKenna has been comfortable since the second he stepped out on stage, even making a sly dig at Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’, saying, “The good music starts after this one, it’s called ‘Fix You,’” before gently strumming us into ‘Make Me Your Queen’. Rounding out the set is ‘Brazil’ and ‘British Bombs’, songs that are synonymous with the UK festival season by now, especially after the former found new fame on TikTok.

As we return to The Gallery, Geese are making themselves heard. After making waves around the world online, they finally make their landing at Leeds Festival, where a grand welcome awaits them. The seemingly never ending ‘2122’ has the audience caught in between elation and awe as the New Yorkers grip the crowd firmly in the palm of their hands. Cameron Winters’ vocals echo around the tent as he recites ‘Cowboy Nudes’ a rousing performance that culminates in a flashy, crashing drum solo from Max Bassin, lambasting the senses.

‘Au Pays du Cocaine’ is a glorious melodic journey and the crowd knows all the words. A song of gentle reflection and hopefulness, building and building until the song climaxes in a cacophony of sound, enamouring the whole crowd. Geese have struck gold at Leeds Festival with their art-rock sound and die-hard fanbase.

Soon after comes Charli XCX’s turn to transform The Grid, exploding onto stage with the fiery confidence that a worldwide pop sensation has rightfully earned. Launching straight into ‘Rock Music’, the lead single off her new project Music, Fashion, Film, the entire field erupts in screams of elation and belts every word back to her like it’s already a classic.

If you’re looking for a way to measure Charlotte Aitchison’s level of success and fame, maybe listen to the screams that accompany the beginning and end of every single song, or simply look at the fact that this is the most packed out crowd of the weekend. Now that is star power.

TikTok sensation ‘Apple’ has almost the entire crowd up on their feet reciting the viral ‘Apple Dance’ of 2025 – proof that, yeah, we’re still not over Brat Summer. While ‘Von Dutch’ is more than just a cult classic, somehow whipping the crowd into even more of a frenzy, Aitchison parades around the barrier like she owns the place. Her dancers walk the runway as if it’s New York Fashion Week, while the strobes emulate camera flashes as she clutches the crowd in the palm of her hand. Cinematic camerawork on the stage-side screens adds to the feeling that this is a luxury performance we won’t be forgetting any time soon.

Also staking their claim as debut Leeds Festival headliners tonight are the darlings of Irish post-punk, Fontaines D.C.. Slowly straying away from the typical confines of post-punk, Fontaines are still experimental as ever. The release of new single ‘Marianne’ proves just that, showcasing a whole new version of their sound.

‘Boys in the Better Land’ certainly gets the crowd in the right mind, body and spirit for what’s to follow, one of the band’s biggest hits, and it’s no wonder why as the whole crowd chants every last word back to Grian Chatten, the most nonchalant frontman in the world. 

One particular highlight comes as the opening notes of ‘It’s Amazing to Be Young’ echo out and the first flurry of punters hop on their friend’s shoulders and sing along in unison. The song’s title rings true for so many of these people. The visuals and camerawork shown on the screens are some of the best of the weekend: frantic cutting, cinematic panning and the barrage of colours really bring this performance to life like no other.

An especially heartwarming moment occurs during ‘Favourite’ as waves of extra attendees rush in to be part of this moment. Almost everyone in attendance grabs the ones they love to either dance, kiss or just hold each other. The set finally culminates in an explosion of colour as the live visuals go ballistic throughout ‘Starburster’. Chatten hardly needs to sing over the sound of the crowd. 

As the Saturday night of Leeds Festival comes to a close, Grian Chatten – a man of few words outside of the performance – leaves the crowd with a final message: “Free Palestine.” The lights come up and the instruments come down, while a shot of a solitary guitar bearing the the words “Trevor Forever” fills the screens – a tribute to their manager and “sixth member”, Trevor Dietz, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Fontaines D.C. have etched their names and his in the history books of Reading and Leeds forever.