Reading & Leeds Festival ushers in a new era as BBC Introducing Stage gets axed

The long-running platform for emerging artists will be replaced as part of the festival's wider site evolution this year, writes Music News Blitz's Joshua Johnston.

Reading & Leeds Festival is set to say goodbye to one of its most iconic stages, with organiser Festival Republic confirming that the BBC Introducing Stage will not return this year after an 18-year run that began in 2008.

The change is part of a broader transformation of the festival, alongside other stages being rebranded and the introduction of a brand-new dance music stage, The Warehouse.