Charli XCX live at Reading Festival: The explosive start of an epic new era

Six years on from her last performance at the same festival, Charli XCX returned to Reading on Friday night to unveil the epic show at the heart of her new era.

Worlds apart from the aforementioned 2019 slot where she delivered a hot afternoon set featuring noughties pop hits ‘1999 and ‘Boom Clap’, watching her new artistic vision come to life was pure cinema. 

While some of the packed post-GCSE crowd went in expecting similar throwbacks – two teens even held up a “Please Play ‘I Love It’” message on their iPhone screens – this was all about Charli the rockstar. 

Topping a bill packed with guitar groups, the towering speaker-style production felt suitably scaled up compared to the recent ‘BRAT’ tour; although hedonistic hits ‘Von dutch’ and a bass-pounding ‘365’ brought club energy, while TikTok favourite ‘Apple’ received a huge reaction, the main focus was her newest chart-topping album, ‘Music, Fashion, Film’. 

The direction-changing lead single from it, ‘Rock Music’, proved a new fan favourite, as thousands headbanged with Charli while rain fell and flames raged behind her. 

Amid stylish monochrome visuals, the energy turned intense for claustrophobic nightmare ‘House’, a highlight from Charli’s recent ‘Wuthering Heights’ soundtrack, especially as sparks exploded from the rig above her. 

Further adding to the sense of occasion, an army of dancers delivered impeccable choreo and strutted the runway with Charli during ‘Card Declined’. 

While she started out in a glittery jacket, and later changed into a blue dress, the oversized ripped white t-shirt she wore for recent b-sides ‘If You Take Away the Music Then What Has She Got?’ and ‘Playboy Bunny’ conveyed the punk energy of this latest incarnation of Charli xcx.

Ending with the poignant ‘No One Lasts Forever’, and David Cronenberg’s words “oblivion is freedom” flashing on screen as she stood motionless in front of her dancers – somewhat resembling a Renaissance painting – it was abundantly clear that Charli is no longer playing by anyone else’s rules.