U.K. rapper Dave made history on Thursday (December 9) when he was announced as one of the headliners for the Reading & Leeds Festival, making him the youngest to ever headline the event at just 23 years old.
Dave will join a handful of other performers on August 26-28, including Megan Thee Stallion, Little Simz, Polo G and PinkPantherss.
“It’s a massive honor, especially to be in the company of other legends that are headlining,” Dave told Complex. “To headline a festival of that magnitude and size, I think, is an interesting challenge to do over two dates in two different parts of the UK.”
The “Location” rapper said he views his headline slot as a “completely different challenge and experience.” HipHopDX’s 2021 Rapper of the Year nominee added he wants to surprise fans and craft an experience that’s “completely shaped and focused around the amount of time I’m on stage.”
The British rap star scored his second No. 1 album in July with We’re All Alone In This Together, and was recently awarded Album of the Year at the 2021 Mobo Awards on Sunday (December 5). Little Simz also won Best Female Act.
Dave told GQ over the summer the title We’re All Alone In This Together derived from a conversation he had with legendary film composer Hans Zimmer when the pair collaborated on David Attenborough’s Planet Earth series in 2020.
“He was like, ‘Dave, remember, we’re all alone in this together,’” Dave said Zimmer told him. Later in the interview, he admits they haven’t touched base since. “I haven’t spoken to him since. He’s gonna pop up and see my album’s called We’re All Alone In This Together and be like, ‘What the hell?’ It’s a long album title, but it’s about the time we’ve all just had.”
Check out the full lineup for Reading & Leeds below.
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