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Tuesday night (May 15), English singer/songwriter Ella Mai brought her impressive, vintage style to New York City's SOBs venue. Along with the 23-year-old's electrifying vocals and time-honored presence, the Instagram sensation-turned-rising R&B crooner delivered an important message to black women about embracing their flaws. But before the Interscope signee unloaded her refreshing ideas of feminism—or womanism—onto the eager NYC crowd, the London-bred artist ran through her lyrical gamut of love and break-up songs.
As the lights dimmed and her live band made their presence known by prepping their respective instruments, Mai's chilled, yet mellifluous voice magically filled the room. "New York City, what up," she mouthed into the microphone, which was followed by thunderous cheers from concert-goers.
The musical spectacle commenced with the upbeat, body-shaking record "Who Knew," as Mai sashayed on stage rocking an oversized green army jacket; she looked like she was from the fashion pages of New York City in the '90s. In fact, Mai later revealed that she went to high school in the City of Dreams, which explains her Empire State swag.
As shots of liquor settled into the systems of the venue's patrons, Mai ran through her cuddly (and somewhat seductive) record, "Breakfast in Bed." Women mouthed every word, while the fellas kept their poker faces intact, and semi-shoulder leaned to the bedroom medley. The mood shifted with jams "She Don't," "Anymore," and the Malcolm Gladwell-inspired "10,000 Hours." Here, with a slew of librettos meshed into themes of break-ups between former lovers, concert-goers were moved to think back on their exes, only to quickly dismiss them.
"Honestly, before I do this song, I cannot do it without saying, 'Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, DJ Mustard," Mai said to resounding cheers. The god-like energy that filled the shoulder-room only venue as the Troubled singer ran through the DJ Mustard-produced "Boo'd Up," was so spiritual that the musical gods had to spin it back.
However, the best moment of the night came when the rising R&B star reached into her own bag of thought to unearth words of encouragement unifying women of every color, shape and political ideals. "This is all because of you guys, and I can't thank you enough," Mai said. "It's a message that doesn't get put out enough, especially as a young black woman in this industry. We need more messages like this for the younger generation who is very influenced by social media. It's okay to wake up and look however you look. You are beautiful regardless." These supporting words were followed by the groovy record, "Naked," which the charming crooner performed with finesse.
This night was special because Ella Mai shed light on one of the most important, and often overlooked, lessons of feminism, or womanism: sisterhood and women embracing life's contradictions and flaws to discover their superwoman abilities.
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The closing hours of Reading 2026 have finally arrived. Florence + The Machine brought the rain during ‘Dog Days Are Over’ at The Grid, opening the heavens and leaving the festival site completely soaked. The weary fans who have stayed behind are wet, exhausted and clearly feeling the effects of the weekend. What they need now is one final enormous celebration to make the wait worthwhile.
The Gallery tent comes alive as the speakers blast ‘Favourite’ by Friday’s headliners and fellow countrymen Fontaines D.C., receiving the kind of reaction usually reserved for ‘Mr Brightside’ at a drunken wedding reception. Moments later, Kneecap display their familiar statement accusing Israel of carrying out genocide against the people of Palestine and Lebanon, with support from the UK government. It captures the Belfast rap trio perfectly, combining serious political messages with an unapologetic party atmosphere.
“We use our platform to talk about what we believe is right,” Mo Chara explains during the performance, before recognising those who “aren’t so fucking lucky” and whose voices have been suppressed. He soon encourages the audience to roar “fuck Netanyahu” and “free free Palestine”. Later, he starts a powerful chant of “Aaaaaa-ndy Buuurn-ham’s a waaaaaaan-ker” to the melody of ‘Seven Nation Army’, targeting our new Prime Minister over his claim that “a united Ireland is off the table”. Laughing, he asks: “The BBC won’t broadcast that, or will they?” As it turned out, they did not.
Away from the headlines and the controversy, there is no denying the connection Kneecap have built with their audience. Politics may shape the conversation, but the crowd also came to enjoy themselves, ready for a rave after the rally. The performance begins carefully with the heavy rumble of ‘Smugglers & Scholars’, before exploding during the Grian Chatten collaboration ‘Better Way To Live’ and the threatening energy of ‘Sick In The Head’. “Are ya ready for a mad one?” Mo Chara shouts. The response is already obvious.
The atmosphere becomes increasingly chaotic as the hip hop rhythm of ‘Cold At The Top’ and the hypnotic trance sounds of ‘An Ra’ send the entire tent into motion. The trio jokingly thank the UK for everything it has given Ireland, listing UKIP, fish and chips, a mental health crisis, Jimmy Saville, HP Sauce and Bloody Sunday. However, the show reaches another level once the second half begins. The explosive ‘Sayonara’ brings the ‘beef’ to ‘IBEEFA’, while ‘Get Your Brits Out’ and ‘Guilty Conscience’ give the crowd every reason to obey Móglaí Bap’s demand to “oooopen up the piiiiiit”.
Anyone watching closely may have questioned why the cameras continued to focus on Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara. The pair eventually reveal that they have spent recent weeks performing alongside a “provisional” DJ Próvai. Wearing the familiar tricolour balaclava, the temporary replacement handles his role as the crowd agitator with confidence while their bandmate enjoys some paternity leave. “Some things are more important than music, and that’s family,” they explain. How sweet. Móglaí Bap quickly destroys the tender moment by adding: “As you might know, the Brits took all our potatoes from Ireland; they took all our cocaine,” before declaring, “but we still have all our caaandy.” The group then charge directly into one of the biggest tracks ever written about extremely powerful ketamine.
‘Liar’s Tale’ sparks another huge reaction with its response to Keir Starmer, “genocide armer”, while the group warn that “you’re not getting away with doing nothing”. It is a politically charged message hidden inside an irresistible anthem from musicians who have experienced the “belly of the beast” through the legal system. Their latest album, ‘Fenian’, has helped Kneecap fully embrace the celebration that has always been part of their identity. Their live production now feels capable of filling arenas, blending the intimacy of a late night lock in with the rhythmic force and visual scale of The Chemical Brothers, the reckless electronic punk spirit of The Prodigy, and the fearless political honesty of Public Enemy. The spectacular visuals complete the experience.
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Closing with the powerful combination of ‘Fenian’, ‘H.O.O.D.’ and the enormous ‘The Recap’, Kneecap bring our final celebration at Reading to a thrilling conclusion while also finishing their last festival appearance of the summer. “It’s been a pleasure to spend it with you mad c**ts,” Mo Chara says before leaving the stage. The feeling is mutual.
Return to NME here for the newest reports, reviews, photographs, conversations and further coverage from Reading & Leeds 2026.
