Florence + The Machine played Leeds 2026 last night – check out highlights from the performance below.
Florence Welch and co. took to the stage yesterday night (August 28), ahead of their set at Reading on Sunday night (August 30). The performance, which saw her draw heavily from the critically acclaimed ‘Everybody Scream’, also included a surprise sing-along from the crowd after they learned it was her birthday.
When the album was shared last Halloween, Welch had said exploring spiritual mysticism and folk horror helped shape the record, and last night, she performed a playful “ritual” with the Leeds crowd.
“I would love it if we could all do something together,” she told them. “Now, we’re gonna perform a small ritual here. It’s hard, and it’s frightening, but do you trust me?” She then asked the crowd to put down their phones, encouraging them to be present in the moment along with her.
“I know it’s hard, because you came to this festival and you wanna film this fucking song, I understand,” she said. “If you want to experience this song with the people that you love, with the people that you came with, with the people that you just met, put your phones down and tell each other that you love each other! Tell each other that you need each other!”
“Are you ready to move?!” – Florence Welch celebrated her birthday at Leeds, ripping through ‘Spectrum’ with a lively crowd #RandL26 #FlorenceandTheMachine #FlorenceWelch pic.twitter.com/happr6q94z
— NME (@NME) August 29, 2026
@leedsplussocial Florence + the Machine tells Leeds to “PUT YOUR PHONES AWAY” 📵 Guess we will have to Shake It Out… am I right Leeds? This is the moment Florence + the Machine bossed the stage at Bramham Park, and got the WHOLE arena to put their phones down to enjoy Dog Days Are Over! We may have kept ours up for a little longer than planned 🙈 It was an incredible set from the indie rockers… plus the sun setting behind The Grid? Proper magical ✨ Safe to say, Leeds Festival 2026 certainly got the love tonight 🤍 @Reading & Leeds Festival #leeds #leedsfestival #readingandleeds #florenceandthemachine #leedsfest
♬ Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine
Florence & The Machine played:
‘Everybody Scream’
‘Shake It Out’
‘Happy Birthday to You’ (sang by crowd to Welch)
‘Which Witch’
‘Spectrum’
‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’
‘You Got the Love’
‘Howl’
‘What Kind of Man’
‘Heaven Is Here’
‘One of the Greats’
‘Buckle’
‘Sympathy Magic’
‘Dog Days Are Over’
‘Free’
Fans later joked about Welch’s mystical influence on them, with one taking to X to say she “stole [their] soul” at Leeds.
Florence Welch stole my soul at Leeds Festival
— Rosa 🏹♥️ (@muwfcrosa) August 28, 2026
Um eclipse lunar ter acontecido no dia do aniversário da Florence é a coisa mais Florence Welch possível pic.twitter.com/N9feBEJSBY
— acervo florence + the machine (@acervofatm) August 28, 2026
Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, photos, interviews and much more from Reading & Leeds 2026.
