Blink-182‘s latest tour announcement has led to speculation that the trio will headline next year’s Reading & Leeds festivals.
Yesterday (October 18) the pop-punk trio confirmed the new dates for their postponed live shows in Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin, which formed part of their 2023 UK and Ireland tour.
- READ MORE: Blink-182 live in London: the boys are back in town
They are scheduled to perform at Belfast’s SSE Arena on August 26, followed by Dublin’s Royal Hospital Kilmainham on August 27 and the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on two nights, August 29 and 30.
The brief run of concerts falls on the week after Reading & Leeds 2024 is due to take place, between Wednesday August 21 and Sunday August 25. Blink-182 currently don’t have any other gigs planned for that month, suggesting a return to R&L could be on the cards.
Fans on social media have picked up on the potential significance of Blink’s Ireland dates, with one writing: “That’s them nailed on for Reading next year then.” Another X/Twitter user wrote: “So we’re all in agreement that Blink are playing Reading and Leeds[?]”
Someone else commented: “Blink-182 are almost definitely playing Reading and Leeds and I will absolutely be there.”
Elsewhere, a fan said the group “must be” one of the twin-site festival’s headliners next summer. Check out the posts below.
So we’re all in agreement that blink are playing reading and leeds
— kd (@kerenzuh) October 19, 2023
blink-182 are almost definitely playing reading and leeds and i will absolutely be there
— tobyn (@MrTobyn_Seebohm) October 18, 2023
Nah blink must be down for Reading and Leeds surely
— 𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔟𝔥𝔞𝔫🦇 (@0nlinesongss) October 18, 2023
blink 182 are very likely headlining reading/leeds next year and i cant go because i dont conveniently have £600 on me and i dont feel like shitting in buckets and pissing up trees for a couple days xx
— ezra 🚦 (@policeinsanity) October 18, 2023
Well that’s blink confirmed for Reading & Leeds fest then 👀👀👀 https://t.co/mDtqwvKKKK
— nikkeh⚡💀 (@tweedlenikkeh) October 18, 2023
Blink rescheduling the shows that got cancelled to the week after Reading and Leeds weekend, so basically that confirms my theory that they’ll be headlining next year
— Sophie 🌻 (@_SophiePaul_) October 18, 2023
Reckon Reading and Leeds have got Blink 182 going on the new dates.
— Stuart Dominick (@DomDom1984) October 18, 2023
Blink friends doing reading, leeds (if they’re announced and confirmed) and scotland and Ireland, let’s do some planning (pls don’t message me if I don’t know you😭)
— charlie (@ioughtago) October 18, 2023
Blink-182 last headlined Reading & Leeds back in 2014 alongside Arctic Monkeys, Paramore and Queens Of The Stone Age. They also topped the bill in 2010, and appeared on the line-up in 1997, 2000 and 2003.
The trio’s highly-anticipated new album ‘One More Time…’ will arrive tomorrow (October 20) via Colombia.
It’ll mark the first time the classic Blink line-up – comprising Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker – have released a new full-length project together since 2011’s ‘Neighborhoods’.
The band have already released the singles ‘Edging’, ‘Fell In Love’, ‘You Don’t Know What You’ve Got’, ‘Dance With Me’, ‘More Than You Know’ and the record’s title track.
Reading & Leeds, meanwhile, is yet to announce any acts for 2024. Speaking to NME over the summer, Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn explained: “We have one of the headliners confirmed, and have had them confirmed for a little while actually.
He added: “They’ve headlined in the past so we know their strength with it and we’re pleased with that.”
Benn went on to tease some potential “stage changes” at both sites, adding: “We don’t stand still at Reading & Leeds and like to reflect what’s going on, so there will be a couple of changes. There are always changes in the artists, but there will be to the stages as well.”