The 1975 to replace Lewis Capaldi at Reading and Leeds Festival

Singer Matty Healy said band would replace their ‘good friend’ Capaldi

Lewis Capaldi’s replacement at Reading and Leeds Festival has been announced after the singer announced that he was taking a break from touring.

The “Someone You Loved” singer had been scheduled to headline the festival in August, playing Reading on Saturday 26 August and Leeds on Sunday 27 August.

However, days after he performed at Glastonbury Festival, Capaldi, 26, announced that he was pausing his live performances for the “foreseeable future” to focus on improving his mental and physical health.

Following the announcement, Reading and Leeds wished Capaldi well, writing on social media: “We’re gutted that Lewis Capaldi won’t be performing at R&L this year, but health comes first and we wish him a speedy recovery. We’re working hard to book a replacement, stay tuned.”

On Sunday (9 July), The 1975 singer Matty Healy announced on stage at TRNSMT festival that his band would be filling in for Capaldi at the festival, which takes place across both cities.

In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of their self-titled debut album, the band will perform the 2013 record in its entirety.

“So, on Saturday at Reading and Sunday at Leeds in celebration of 10 years of our debut album, The 1975 will be playing that album in full in support of our good friend Lewis Capaldi,” Healy told the crowds.

“If you’ve got tickets, good for you. If you haven’t, go and get them. We’ll see you there.”

Capaldi’s last live performance took place on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury on Saturday 24 June. In the run up to the event, the Scottish singer had cancelled engagements to prepare for the performance.

During his set, Capaldi told the crowd that he was starting to lose his voice and was seen experiencing a series of tics as a result of Tourette’s syndrome.

While he struggled to sing his No 1 hit “Someone You Loved”, he was supported by the crowd who sang most of the song along with him.

He announced his break afterwards, writing: “I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I’d hoped three weeks away would sort me out.

“But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.”

Capaldi was diagnosed with Tourette’s, a neurological condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements, in 2022.

His Netflix documentary Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now was released in April and saw Capaldi explore his diagnosis and the changes in his life since finding out he had the condition.