Lola Young Surprises Reading Festival with Comeback Set

Singer Lola Young made a surprise appearance at the final day of Reading Festival on Sunday, marking a significant step in her return to the spotlight after a year-long hiatus. Young announced her performance via Instagram, teasing fans with a message from backstage before taking the Grid stage to perform hits including her number one single "Messy" and "One Thing." Her set was welcomed by festival-goers, following a performance by Charli XCX, who had electrified the crowd with her new era. Young's return comes after she was forced to cancel a string of shows last year due to an on-stage collapse in New York, which led her to cancel all performances "for the foreseeable future." She later sought treatment for drug dependency and has been open about her struggles. After a small run of UK shows starting in London in March, Young performed at Electric Picnic Festival in Ireland on Saturday before heading to Reading. She released the reflective single "From Down Here" in May, but fans are still awaiting her fourth album. Reading Festival concluded on Sunday night with performances from Florence + The Machine, Loyle Carner, and Kneecap, while the Leeds site closed with sets from Raye and Dave.