Planning to catch KETTAMA at Reading Festival? He plays Richfield Avenue in Reading on Sunday, 30 August, bringing a mix of house, techno, trance and rave energy. Ticket sales are underway, so plan your purchase and build the rest of your festival schedule around the set
KETTAMA at Reading Festival: club energy in a new festival space
KETTAMA arrives at Reading Festival at a time when his sound has grown beyond the boundaries of the underground club scene and become part of major festival programmes. The Irish DJ and producer from Galway has built a distinctive style around powerful house rhythms, harder techno edges, trance euphoria, breakbeat and huge emotional chords. It is music that naturally works in a crowd while still retaining the logic of a DJ set rather than that of a traditional pop concert.
For visitors arriving from Friday, the festival on Richfield Avenue runs through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. KETTAMA is scheduled for the final day, Sunday, 30 August, at The Gallery presented by Budweiser. According to the schedule published ahead of the festival, his set begins at 19:50, after Chris Stussy, while Kneecap closes the programme on that stage later in the evening.
This is an important practical distinction for anyone with a multi-day ticket valid from Friday: KETTAMA is not an artist performing on the first day of that three-day period, but one of the key electronic acts of Sunday's finale. It is worth securing tickets in good time, because some multi-day and camping categories had already sold out at the time of checking.
Why KETTAMA is particularly interesting live right now
KETTAMA, whose real name is Evan Campbell, emerged from the Galway scene, and his current status is best demonstrated by the range of stages on which he performs. During 2025, he had a very intense festival season and a long residency at Amnesia Ibiza, while in 2026 he continued with his own Steel City Dance Discs concept on the same island and a series of major international festival dates.
His musical identity is not confined to a single subgenre. In an interview with Mixmag, he identified big chords and vocals as one of his strengths, while his catalogue shows how often he combines hard rhythms with euphoric melodies. As a result, his sets can move between house, hard house, techno, trance and breakbeat without feeling as though they are crossing from one completely separate world into another.
- KETTAMA comes from Galway and built his career through the house and rave scene.
- His debut album "Archangel" was released on 3 October 2025 on Steel City Dance Discs.
- The album contains 15 tracks and collaborations with Interplanetary Criminal, DJ HEARTSTRING, Prospa, Fred again.., Clouds and other guests.
- During 2026, he released "Comes and Goes", "Pumpin" with Partiboi69 and "Feels Like Heaven" with Camden Cox and Loods.
- At Reading Festival, he performs on Sunday at The Gallery presented by Budweiser.
"Archangel" changed the context of his festival set
The most important change in the current phase of KETTAMA's career is the fact that he now has a full debut album behind him. "Archangel" connects hard kicks and rave dynamics with a more pronounced melodic and emotional layer, and across 15 tracks it combines hard house, trance, techno and hip-hop elements.
Among the tracks that explain this phase well are "Yosemite" with Interplanetary Criminal, "If U Want My Heart" with DJ HEARTSTRING and KLP, "I Believe" with Prospa and "Air Maxes" with Fred again.. and Shady Nasty. "It Gets Better (Forever Mix)" demonstrates particularly clearly his preference for a huge sense of uplift and melody that can work equally well in a club and in front of a festival audience.
It is important to distinguish the catalogue from a confirmed set list. The exact repertoire for Reading has not been published, so there is no basis for claiming that any particular track will definitely be played. These titles should be viewed as a guide for listeners who want to understand his current sound before the festival.
He did not slow down after "Archangel". "Comes and Goes" arrived in May 2026, "Pumpin" with Partiboi69 in June, and "Feels Like Heaven" with Camden Cox and Loods at the end of July. There is also a Dom Dolla remix of "Comes and Goes". Reading therefore comes in the middle of an active phase in which he is regularly adding new music to his DJ arsenal.
What to expect from the performance without inventing a set list
KETTAMA is first and foremost a DJ and producer, so his festival performance should be viewed through the logic of a DJ set. Transitions, the building of tension, tempo changes and the way his own tracks enter a broader sequence of club tracks are important. A fixed concert set list is therefore not a useful assumption.
An audience looking for a precise reproduction of the album from the first track to the last would miss the point of his format. Those who enjoy house with a harder punch, rave nostalgia, techno pressure and melodies aimed at collective euphoria are much closer to his natural audience.
KETTAMA is also not isolated within Sunday's programme. Chris Stussy performs on the same stage before him, followed by Kneecap. On other stages that same day, Florence + The Machine, Chase & Status Live, Loyle Carner, Role Model, Hybrid Minds, Bou and Hedex are appearing. Visitors should therefore compare the schedule in advance if there are several artists they do not want to miss.
The Gallery is a completely new part of the Reading Festival experience
For KETTAMA's performance, the stage itself is also important. The Gallery is new for the 2026 edition and is conceived as a covered immersive space with LED lighting and production extending through the space from the entrance towards the stage. It is a different setting from an open-air main stage and is particularly interesting for electronic music, where light and visual rhythm can significantly change the experience.
There is no reason to invent acoustic details that have not yet been confirmed by audience experience, because this is a new setup for 2026. What has been confirmed is that The Gallery is conceived as a covered immersive space with dynamic LED lighting and production encompassing the entire space.
The 19:50 time slot suits him additionally because the performance moves into the evening part of the day, when the lighting in the covered space can have a greater visual impact than during an early-afternoon slot. If KETTAMA is one of your main reasons for attending, it makes sense to arrive at The Gallery early enough before the start of the set.
How to get to Richfield Avenue
Reading is located west of London and has strong rail connections, so public transport makes sense for this festival. The organisers particularly encourage travel by train and other forms of public transport because of limited parking and increased traffic around the festival weekend.
A festival shuttle bus is organised from Reading railway station. The departure point is at the North Interchange by Trooper Pots Way, and the bus runs towards Thameside Promenade Car Park by the Red Gate. For visitors who do not want to depend on road congestion around Richfield Avenue, this is one of the simplest options.
If you are arriving by car, the rules differ according to the type of ticket. Visitors with a day ticket use Green Car Park, while weekend visitors have Green and White options depending on the type of ticket and the direction of arrival. Green Car Park is located by Kings Meadow, outside the festival site itself, and a free shuttle boat operates from there towards the Green Gate.
The organisers ask drivers to follow festival road signs and parking instructions rather than relying only on navigation. Improvised drop-offs and pick-ups directly beside Richfield Avenue are also not permitted; separate zones are provided for different forms of transport.
Practical information for Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- The arena opens at 11:00 on Friday, 28 August, and operates until 03:00.
- On Saturday, 29 August, and Sunday, 30 August, the arena is also open from 11:00 to 03:00.
- The Green day car park for visitors with day tickets opens from 08:00.
- According to the published schedule, KETTAMA is at The Gallery on Sunday at 19:50.
- With a day ticket, there is no re-entry on the same day after leaving the arena.
- The festival is cashless, so payments are made by card or mobile payment methods.
The difference between the opening of the car park and the opening of the arena is particularly important on Friday: arriving from 08:00 does not mean that the main festival area is already open at that time. If you are planning to spend all three days on site, it is more useful to make a schedule by stages and time slots than simply to arrive as early as possible.
Entry and rules that can change your plan for the day
Reading Festival welcomes visitors of all ages, but people under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult with the appropriate ticket. The organisers state that identification documents are checked at the entrances and that the Challenge 25 rule applies to alcohol service.
For day visitors, the most important rule is that there is no re-entry after leaving the arena. This affects planning for food, rest, transport and meeting friends outside the festival area. Multi-day and camping tickets have different movement rights, so before travelling you should check the exact category that you have purchased.
The festival is cashless, and the organisers also recommend reusable bottles because water refill points are available. For visitors requiring accessibility support, there are separate applications and arrangements for parking, shuttle transport and other services that need to be organised in advance.
Who will enjoy KETTAMA at Reading the most
The clearest audience is fans of contemporary house and techno who do not need club music to be minimalist. KETTAMA emphasises big melodies, vocals, emotional transitions and the physical power of rhythm. Because of this, he can communicate easily with an audience that is not deeply immersed in DJ culture but enjoys fast and euphoric electronic music.
For long-time fans, Reading offers an opportunity to hear his current phase after "Archangel" and the new singles. For newer listeners, the performance can be a good introduction to his catalogue, while for visitors for whom Reading's electronic programme is as important as its guitar or pop programme, KETTAMA is one of the names that clearly demonstrates how much the festival's identity has expanded.
His current momentum adds further interest. He has a debut album behind him, followed by a series of new releases, while 2026 brings a busy schedule of clubs and festivals. Reading is therefore not a comeback performance after a long break, but one stop in a very active international season.
How to organise Sunday around his set
The most practical approach is to treat 19:50 as a fixed point in the day and organise the rest of the schedule around it. Because festival schedules can change, make a final check of the time shortly before departure and again on the day of the event.
If you are arriving by train, allow enough time for the shuttle and the walk from the entrance area. If you are arriving by car, do not count on quick parking directly beside the festival site or an immediate departure after the final performances. An agreed route to the station, shuttle or car park in advance saves a great deal of improvisation.
For those staying all three days, KETTAMA comes as a late highlight of the final day. Save time for a meal, water and a short rest before the evening section, especially if you plan to continue to Kneecap or one of the later performances on other stages after his set.
Ticket sales for some available categories are still ongoing, while some multi-day options have already sold out. The most important thing before travelling is to check current availability, the rules for your ticket category and the latest schedule.
Sources:
- Reading Festival - confirmed lineup for 2026, KETTAMA on Sunday at The Gallery, arena opening hours, entry rules, travel, shuttle transport and parking.
- NME - context of the new stage layout for Reading & Leeds 2026 and description of The Gallery as a new covered immersive space.
- Mixmag - interview with KETTAMA about his sound, big chords and vocals, festival season and club residencies.
- Steel City Dance Discs - information about the album "Archangel", release date, track list and collaborators.
- Resident Advisor - confirmation of the debut album "Archangel", collaborators and touring context.
- Spotify and Beatport - current discography and 2026 releases, including "Comes and Goes", "Pumpin" and "Feels Like Heaven".
- Facility Fun - performance schedule reproduced from the current NME guide, including KETTAMA's slot at The Gallery on Sunday at 19:50.