The history of Arctic Monkeys at Reading & Leeds Festival

26 August 2022, 18:55 | Updated: 26 August 2022, 19:57

As Arctic Monkeys prepare to headline Reading & Leeds festival this weekend, we look back at how many times the Sheffield rockers have played the festival and go back to their very first performance.

Arctic Monkeys have been playing blinding sets all over Europe this month, but after four long years, Alex Turner and co are set to return to the UK for a duo of headline shows at Reading & Leeds 2022.

The Sheffield rockers aren't strangers to the festivals, giving several iconic performances at both locations over the years.

Alex Turner and co's long history with Reading and Leeds is just one of the reasons why their sets this weekend will be one to watch, but when is the last time Arctic Monkeys played Reading and Leeds, how many times have they headlined and what did they last play?

Let's take a walk down memory lane here as we answer everything you need to know about Arctic Monkeys and Reading and Leeds.

READ MORE - Reading and Leeds Festival 2022: Line-up, stage times & more

When is Arctic Monkeys playing Reading and Leeds 2022?

Arctic Monkeys will play a headline set at Reading's Richfield Avenue on Saturday 27th August and Leeds' Bramham Park on Sunday 28th August 2022.

When did Arctic Monkeys first play Reading and Leeds?

Alex Turner and co first performed at the festival back in 2005 when they played the new bands stage.

When did Arctic Monkeys first headline Reading and Leeds?

After playing the festival in 2005 and 2006, the band played their first headline set in 2009.

Arctic Monkeys Reading Festival 2009 full

How many times have Arctic Monkeys headlined Reading and Leeds?

Arctic Monkeys have headlined Reading and Leeds twice, topping the bill in 2009 and 2014. By the time they finish their 2022 set, they will have headlined the bill at the festival three times.

When did Arctic Monkeys last play Reading and Leeds Festival?

Arctic Monkeys last played at Reading and Leeds in 2014, touring their hit 2013 album, AM.

How many times have Arctic Monkeys played Reading and Leeds altogether?

The Sheffield band have played reading and Leeds a total of four times, making their 2022 headline set their fifth performance.

See the years they've been booked at Reading and Leeds in total:

• 2005
• 2006
• 2009
• 2014
• 2022

READ MORE: The greatest Reading & Leeds Festival moments

Why is Reading and Leeds Festival so important to Arctic Monkeys?

Back in 2014, the band said the festival has "special place" in their hearts because they feel like they've experienced it every way, first as punters and now as artists.

As reported by Gigwise, speaking to NME ahead of their 2014 set, Alex Turner explained: "This festival has a special place in our hearts, as it's the only one at which we've truly enjoyed the '360 experience'. As teenagers we attended a few times and fond memories were forged."

He added: "We've seen a lot of festival crowds over the last 10 summers but this one is different, especially for us as it's the one we were once a part of. Like when we were youths it's a weekend we are once again very much looking forward to and seems like the perfect place to leave things for a while."

The band hail from Sheffield, West Yorkshire, which of course makes Leeds Festival almost like a hometown show for them.

Turner of course gave a nod to the band's Yorkshire roots during their 2014 set, by choosing to wear a jacket with the Yorkshire Rose on his lapels.

What did Arctic Monkeys play at Reading 2014?

Arctic Monkeys' last Reading and Leeds set saw the band celebrate their 2013 AM album, kicking off both their performances with Do I Wanna Know? and ending them on R U Mine?

See their 2014 Reading setlist on 23rd August here:

1. Do I Wanna Know?
2. Brianstorm
3. Dancing Shoes (With "Money Maker" by The Black Keys snippet)
4. Arabella (Extended bridge with… more )
5. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
6. Teddy Picker
7. Crying Lightning
8. Knee Socks (Extended outro)
9. My Propeller
10. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor (Extended Intro)
11. Library Pictures (Extended Intro)
12. Old Yellow Bricks
13. When the Sun Goes Down
14. No. 1 Party Anthem
15. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? (Extended Intro)
16. Fluorescent Adolescent
17. I Wanna Be Yours (John Cooper Clarke cover) (Extended outro)

Encore:

18. One for the Road (Extended Intro)

19. Snap Out of It (Extended Intro)

20. R U Mine? (Extended outro)

What did Arctic Monkeys play at Leeds 2014?

See their 2014 Leeds setlist on 24th August here:

1. Do I Wanna Know?
2. Brianstorm
3. Dancing Shoes
4. Arabella (Extended)
5. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
6. Teddy Picker
7. Crying Lightning
8. Knee Socks (Extended outro)
9. My Propeller
10. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
11. Library Pictures
12. Old Yellow Bricks (Extended Intro, Alex sings, "… more )
13. Snap Out of It (Extended Intro)
14. No. 1 Party Anthem
15. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? (Extended Intro)
16. Fluorescent Adolescent
17. 505

Encore:

18. One for the Road (Extended Intro)

19. When the Sun Goes Down

20. Mardy Bum (Short acoustic rendition)

21. R U Mine?

What will Arctic Monkeys play at Reading and Leeds 2022?

If you've been studying their gigs this year so far, you'd know that the Monkeys still play a pretty AM-heavy set, often choosing to still kick things off with Do I Wanna Know? and bring things to a close with R U Mine?

However, it's more than likely we'll get to hear new track I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am from their upcoming album, The Car, and perhaps they'll play another tune from the record too?

Speaking in The Big Issue, Turner teased that nothing is set in stone, explaining that the band are "still shuffling the deck" when it comes to their setlists.

“It’s quite mysterious, to me, right now, at this moment in time, the setlist and what the order of that should be," the frontman mused.

"This time has passed over the last few years and certain things don’t feel the way you expected them to anymore. That sounds sad, but it’s not. There are just certain things that represented certain moments in the past that now feel like something else, so they should be somewhere else. I’m still definitely very much working it out.

“It’s exciting to perform again,” he added. “But we are still shuffling the deck on the setlist."

See an example of their typical 2022 setlist so far from their Zurich Openair set on 23rd August:

1. Do I Wanna Know?
2. Brianstorm
3. Snap Out of It
4. Potion Approaching
5. Crying Lightning
6. Teddy Picker
7. The View From the Afternoon
8. One Point Perspective
9. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
10. Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
11. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
12. I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am (New song, live debut)
13. Do Me a Favour
14. That's Where You're Wrong
15. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
16. Knee Socks
17. 505

Encore:

18. Cornerstone

19. Arabella

20. R U Mine?

READ MORE: Arctic Monkeys play latest track, an oldie and a rarity at Rock en Seine 2022