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Thousands flocked to Reading + Leeds 2019 to watch the world's best acts soundtrack the summer; from certified headliners to fast-rising stars.

It's been an incredible weekend and here are just some of the standout sets.

• Reading + Leeds 2019 – Watch full sets here

• The story of Reading + Leeds 2019 in stunning snaps

• The Reading + Leeds 2019 moments you might have missed…

Foo Fighters are straight-up Reading + Leeds festival regulars by this point, first playing Reading back in 1995 (their debut UK gig no less!), then again in 1998 and 2000, before headlining for the first time in 2002, and returning to the top billing in 2005 and 2012. Yes, 2019 marks a whopping fourth headline outing for the Foos - and they haven’t lost one ounce of that signature energy. In fact, they might be getting louder.

“Reading, do you love rock n roll music?” frontman Dave Grohl asked the crowd as his band dived straight into opener The Pretender. “Do you want rock n roll? I’m going to give you rock n roll.” And believe us, Dave and the boys delivered on what they do best: play rock n roll anthems loudly and expertly.

But it wasn’t only full-throttle rock - Foo Fighters know how to put on a mighty show too. We saw Taylor and Dave do a switcheroo for a cover of Queen’s Under Pressure, and multiple random calls for an Oasis reunion. Rick Astley also appeared on stage to sing Never Going To Give You Up in what was perhaps the most unlikely duet in the history of modern rock. Meanwhile, there was also a touching tribute to The Prodigy’s Keith Flint.

Basically, it was a Foos lesson on how headlining a festival is done.

At last year’s Reading + Leeds, Post Malone graced the Main Stage and performed like a legitimate headliner; delivering hit-after-hit; smashing a guitar to pieces; causing all-out bedlam. Now tasked 12 months later with topping the bill, these were higher stakes for the 24-year-old, whose cocktail of rock, pop and rap is still in relative infancy (he still has just two albums to his name).

Saturday night’s set felt like an all-out upping of the stakes compared to 2018. Surrounded by flames – to the point where onlookers might have mistaken “Posty” for actually being on fire – and drawing one of the festival’s largest crowds, this could be considered the biggest moment of his career to date. Grimy opener Wow was perfect for a post-sunset slot, and penultimate track Rockstar felt like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Post Malone really is one of the biggest rockstars on the planet.

It might be quicker to list things twenty one pilots can’t do, rather than what they can. During the course of their Reading + Leeds set, they set a Cadillac on fire, they persuaded security guards to join them on stage for a dance, they played drums on a kit that was being held aloft by the crowd, they performed a seriously impressive Oasis cover, and they went through more costume changes than the average matinee performance of Cats.

Musically, they also seemed determined to do everything. Stressed Out is a joyfully wonky, reggae-tinged anthem about regretfully getting older. My Blood is understated pop with funk undertones. “We go where we want to,” frontman Tyler Joseph declared during Lane Boy; a lyric which also seems testament to their musical approach. And if Joseph – who flitted between melodic vocals to quick-lipped raps – was a bag of tricks, the same applied to drummer Josh Dun, who somersaulted off a piano during Ride. In terms of pure entertainment value, this was one of the standout sets of the weekend.

"I'm bricking it. This is the biggest moment thus far of all our lives," The 1975's ever-charismatic frontman Matty Healy confessed early on in his band's Reading headline set.

The Manchester four-piece have proven themselves to be one of the UK's most vital bands over the past few years. They headlined the Radio 1 Stage at Reading + Leeds in 2016, while their second album, the mouthful-of-a-title I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, debuted at No.1 in both the UK and the US. Since then, they've been selling out shows across the world - and now they've fulfilled a childhood dream by taking on the headline slot on the Main Stage at Reading.

The 1975 are the kind of life-affirming band that mean everything to their fans and this was evident during their Reading set. In fact, it was hard to spot a single member of the crowd who didn't know all the lyrics to every single song. The band were at times fun, in other moments angsty, but all the while infinitely cool. Childhood dreams well and truly fulfilled.

The future looks bright, because on Saturday afternoon at Reading, two teenagers took the festival by storm at the exact same time on opposite sides of the site. As Manchester rapper Aitch packed out the Radio 1 Stage, it was over to Billie Eilish on the Main Stage to draw one of the biggest crowds of the weekend.

Enough has already been said about the 17-year-old’s stratospheric rise to fame; this performance instead painted a vivid picture of the future. To put it bluntly, it would be a surprise if she didn’t headline Reading + Leeds within the next two to three years.

Coming on stage in a hand-knitted bandana, she soon had tens of thousands of onlookers in the palm of her hand. They jumped “like kangaroos” to her instruction during Copycat, and they belted out every word to twisted ballad Xanny. She has the faultless confidence and magnetic star appeal that only superstars have, that's a given. But after performing Ocean Eyes, she reminded us she’s human, by taking a seat and an intake of breath from her inhaler. “I can’t breathe y’all, sorry.”

• Watch Billie Eilish's full set on iPlayer

"It's the biggest show I've ever done in my career by the way." David Orobosa Omoregie (but he lets us call him Dave) is only 21, but he's already headlining the Radio 1 Stage at Reading. Just let that sink in a bit...

It's a deserved achievement, though, as Dave has proved himself as one of the UK's most exciting talents in recent years, with his ability to deliver introspective lyrics as well as party tunes earning him an early Drake co-sign, while his debut album Psychodrama went No.1 earlier this year. His Reading performance showed exactly why this is the kind of stage where the Streatham MC belongs - and he commanded it too.

This was a performance full of energy from the very first beat to the final note, with Funky Friday a particularly apt way to close Day 1 on the Radio 1 Stage. There was also another as Dave brought a fan from the crowd for Thiago Silva with the fan, like Dave himself, .

The wistful and incredibly tuneful voice of Dan Smith was the soundtrack the cap off a stunning weekend, with Bastille closing the Radio 1 Stage on Sunday. The quartet performed their most famous hits, Pompei, Good Grief and Marshmello collab Happier among them, plus some new tracks, while also providing a particularly poignant rendition of Two Evils, sung against the backdrop of a bright red moon.

• Watch Bastille's full set on iPlayer

“Thank you so much for watching us by the way,” CHVRCHES’ Lauren Mayberry said halfway through the Glasgow trio’s Radio 1 Stage set on Sunday night. “Because we assumed everybody would be over watching Foo Fighters.” As festival clashes go, this was definitely a toughie, but CHVRCHES offered a perfect antithesis to Dave Grohl and co’s rollicking rock with their soaring, atmospheric synth-pop, with Get Out and The Mother We Share particularly euphoric highlights.

“Actually, you can still see Foo Fighters’ set on the screen from here,” Mayberry added, joking: "I kind of feel like I’m in a band with Taylor Hawkins because I keep seeing his face.” And what a wonderfully weird supergroup that would be!

"I really went all in," Charli XCX recently of her new album. "Maybe too 'in'." If we know one thing about Charli, it’s that she never holds back - and she really went in earlier in the day at Reading on Friday. She’s the perfect person to get a party started and, taking to the Main Stage during mid-afternoon ("I don't normally play during the daytime, but I thought I would for you," she tells the crowd), the experimental pop performer provided the first huge singalongs of the weekend with early hits I Love It and Fancy, more recent bangers like 1999 and Boys, plus an EDM-y cover of Spice Girls' Wannabe. "Reading Festival, make some noise!” she urged fans (perhaps with an added swear word involved) and without a doubt, the crowd delivered.

Stefflon Don was full of compliments for her Reading + Leeds crowd. “You guys are litty lit lit lit LIT!” she shouted, adding: “I spotted some real Dons in the audience over here.” Indeed, Don’s superfans could be spotted everywhere, as the UK rapper – who’s picked up big recognition in the U.S., featuring in 2018’s influential XXL Freshman Class – swiftly ran through her hits. She closed with a show-stopping trio of tunes; the gigantic Boasty (featuring Idris Elba, Wiley and Sean Paul – although none were in attendance here); call-to-arms 16 Shots, and 2017 single Hurtin’ Me. All served as a reminder of just how much this fast-rising star has already achieved.

It’s been a whirlwind year for R’n’B star Mabel. Since first putting out tracks in 2015, she’s been dubbed as a pop prospect, but she’s recently made good on this promise. Debut album High Expectations went straight into the Top 5, and her Saturday night Reading + Leeds set feels like the cherry on top. “Reading, I could live in this moment forever,” she declared before closer Don’t Call Me Up. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. This is what I’ve always dreamt of doing.” Her tightly-constructed, hook-filled pop seems effortless from the outside, but it’s anything but.

"Playing this slot on this day means a fg lot to us!" You can see why too, with the Florida five-piece having the enviable honour of being the penultimate act on the Reading bill, just before Foo Fighters on the Main Stage on Sunday.

Frontman Jeremy McKinnon noted how they were booked to get the masses in the mood and, playing a mix of pop punk and hardcore, the band certainly upped the energy, with countless crowd surfers getting caught up by the frenzied atmosphere. New single Degenerates was a particular highlight - an anthem perfect for Sunday singalongs, while the band showed why they're tailor-made for festivals just like these.

Who cares if it’s the hottest Reading + Leeds ever? There’s never a bad time to lose your mind in a sweaty tent to Pale Waves’ amazing noir pop. The Manchester four-piece pack out the Radio 1 stage on a scorching Friday evening, showcasing songs from 2018 debut album My Mind Makes Noises. "Whose favourite colour is red?" asks singer / guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie before introducing the track Red. "It's not my favourite colour..." Chances are it's black.

While their Dirty Hit label-mates The 1975 sit backstage, preparing to headline Reading for one of the biggest gigs of their lives, this feels like Pale Waves’ pitch to do the same a few years down the line. Their all-encompassing songs, slick dynamic, guitar solos and matching black lipstick screams “future headliners”. You’d be a fool to bet against them.

• Read more: Are these the Reading + Leeds headliners of the future?

By the time Stockport’s Blossoms stepped on to the Main Stage, frontman Tom Ogden’s striking red tee matched the complexion of those who had spent all day in the Saturday sun. To keep energy levels going, the group showcase a few rock ’n’ roll classics – a cover of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance and a teasing snippet of New Order’s Blue Monday. Despite those throwbacks, the crowd’s biggest reaction was reserved for the band’s own breakthrough single Charlemagne. And it’s no surprise; if scientists made a formula for the perfect festival-ready hit, it would probably sound like that track.

“Where are we gonna go? Where are we gonna go?” said Northampton rapper slowthai in-between songs, like he’s making it up on the spot. His mid-afternoon Saturday set was pure chaos, but the Mercury Prize-nominated newcomer somehow seemed to be in control, like he had everyone in the audience on a puppet string.

“I wanna open a portal to hell,” he declared while getting two sides of the crowd to open their own giant circle pit. But this wasn't an act of pure savagery; he made sure anyone getting in a pit didn't get hurt. And this attitude is in keeping with the real meaning behind his harsh, angst-ridden songs; there’s an underlying message to be yourself and stay headstrong in tough times, which is a lot softer than his wild exterior might suggest.

Before getting on stage at Reading, Hayley Kiyoko to thank her for “saving pop music”. But many Kiyoko stans would credit the California star herself for pushing pop boundaries. The genre is in rude health, and it’s in part thanks to the outspoken 28-year-old, who puts her personal politics front and centre.

Kiyoko’s Friday afternoon set on the Radio 1 Stage showcases her skill for honest, boundary-pushing songs that inspire mass singalongs. Hundreds of her most diehard fans are in the front rows, singing every word to tracks from 2018 debut album Expectations. And with the help of a sharp-footed dance troupe, she has the magnetic performance to match her pop-saving tunes.

AJ Tracey’s Reading set featured some big tunes: Butterflies, Thiago Silva and Pasta among them (the latter featuring a very interesting Italian opera interlude), but the highlight was Ladbroke Grove, the West London MC’s recent homage to his hometown, which saw the star perform to a backdrop of tube signs and London bus stops.

Despite originally dropping back in February, the track has been climbing the charts and racking up streaming numbers over the past few months. Featuring a stunning Jorja Smith sample, it’s an irresistible tribute to classic UK garage that is guaranteed to conjure some very nostalgic feels. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a bleary-eyed summer’s day, so what better a banger to pull out of the bag on a sunny Saturday at Reading? One of the songs of the summer? Without a doubt.

The last time that The Distillers played Reading + Leeds was back in 2004 (when they were sandwiched between The Hives and Jurassic 5 on the Main Stage). Since then, they’ve split, pursued various side-projects (frontwoman Brody Dalle and guitarist Tony Bevilacqua went on to form the band Spinnerette, while a Dalle solo album followed in 2014), and now they’re back for a triumphant return. A decade and a half on and their fiery and frantic punk rock sound still feels as urgent as ever.

Don’t expect any fireworks or gimmicks during an Aitch set; the Manchester MC largely like to let his lyrics do all the talking. Good thing, then, that he’s one of the best technical rappers in the game right now, so much so that his viral Straight Rhymez 1 freestyle, which opened his debut Reading set, upon first listen. With an effortless flow, infectious tunes and undeniable charm, it’s quite easy to see why Aitch’s star is rising so rapidly. “I’m liking this, you know Reading,” he told the crowd mid-way through. The feeling was very much mutual.

Sunday afternoon at a festival can be tough for both bands and fans, with the weariness sinking in among the crowd hard for even the most explosive of performers to overcome. This is not a problem for goth-pop renegade YUNGBLUD though. Just like Charli managed on Friday afternoon, the Yorkshire rap-rock-ska genre-blurrer is made for moments like this.

“How’re you doing? This is mental,” he remarked early on in his Reading set. “We’re all ready for a party, or what?”. In between bringing out special guest Machine Gun Kelly, there was mass pogo-ing, bonding with strangers (“There’s two much division in this world, I want you to tell the person next to you, ‘I love you!’”) and even some crowd-surfing with a pink flag. YUNGBLUD’s infectious energy made damn sure there was no-one left standing still.

• Watch YUNGBLUD's full set on iPlayer

Is there a better festival ritual than everyone sitting down on the floor and then jumping up in unison? You Me At Six don’t think so. The Surrey rockers are quite insistent about it, actually. “Everybody get down. Stop moaning! Get down,” says frontman Josh Franceschi (like Charli, with a few more expletives thrown in).

It doesn't take much persuading for You Me At Six to inspire a mass jump-about-a-lot, however. Since forming in 2004, they’ve gone from bracing post-hardcore to penning pop-nodding songs that don’t look out of place in the top 10. They showcase several of these on Friday afternoon, to the point where everyone watching jumps around like crazy, even when they aren't being ordered to.

Indie mainstays The Wombats are Reading + Leeds regulars, so they know when they’re experiencing something special. “It doesn’t get much better than this, does it?” says drummer Dan Haggis, as Friday’s sun begins to set. He’s right; few things top a scorching opening evening of one of the world’s biggest festivals.

Playing their biggest ever set at the festival, the Liverpool-formed group step up to the mantle. Classics like Let's Dance to Joy Division help form sun-drenched moshpits, and more recent single Cheetah Tongue proves the band aren’t anywhere close to losing their edge. In frontman Matthew 'Murph' Murphy's words: “It’s all banger, no clanger.” Those watching on can’t help but get on their mates’ shoulders – it’s what The Wombats’ massive hits were made for.

It’s been little over two years to the day since Clairo uploaded her viral hit Pretty Girl to YouTube, a rough-edged but brilliantly sarky response to old-fashioned gender views that has since notched up over 30 million views. While the 21-year-old herself has admitted some worry about how to follow up on such instant success (“Because everything happened overnight, I have this irrational fear that it will go away just as quickly,” she recently said), her Reading set exudes utter confidence and self-assurance, as her confessional tunes veer from perfectly executed lo-fi pop to laidback and loungey alt-rock. On this basis, she’s destined for even greater things.

After a day of endless sunshine, it’s over to Royal Blood to turn the lights out. The fearsome two-piece have spent time out of the spotlight since touring 2017’s How Did We Get So Dark? album, but their Reading + Leeds return makes for one of the festival’s most colossal sets.

The dynamic that shot the duo to fame in 2014 – Mike Kerr’s distorted bass and Ben Thatcher’s hard-hitting drums – has barely shifted since. But here they seem sharper than ever, worthy of their slot directly below headliners The 1975.

Testament to the band’s confidence is how during the song Loose Change, they let one high-pitched note of guitar feedback hang in the air for 20 seconds, simply staring at the crowd as they wait for something to happen. This could well be a band approaching their incredible peak.