Reading & Leeds Replace New Artist Showcase With “Nepo Baby Stage”

When the UK sister festivals Reading and Leeds took place over the weekend, there was one hilariously bleak change in the programming. Since 2007, when the BBC launched its BBC Music Introducing platform spotlighting fresh talent, the BBC has curated the Introducing Stage, a venue for new artists that has helped to launch the careers of Charli XCX, Sam Fender, Raye, the 1975, Ed Sheeran, and many other stars. The lineup was traditionally built from a pool of suggestions by regional DJs, with a broader BBC team exercising final say. As the Guardian reports, the BBC was well into planning its 2026 Introducing Stage lineup last month when it got word that Reading and Leeds were axing the venue this year in favor of a different new artist showcase known as the Canopy Stage."Previously, only artists who had been selected by the BBC were qualified to play the Introducing Stage – now, we are able to open up this important platform to a much wider pool of emerging talent and book any new music artist for the stage," festival reps said in a statement announcing the change. They're seizing control from the stodgy elites! It's time for a new artist showcase that represents the will of the peo...