On the 25th August music mastermind ‘Fredagain…’ was the first electronic artist to headline the infamous Reading Festival.

The glaring stage lights faded to black. This was it. The moment I had been waiting for the entire weekend. As the crowd shouted and cheered in anticipation, I heard the ambience of a synth, whirring nervously through the multi-storey high speaker towers, indicating a song about to start.

Just then, a blinding white spotlight illuminated a space behind me. I turn around, seeing through a plume of smoke what I could barely make out as a figure on a small platform.

As the smoke dissipated, I was shocked to see ‘Fredagain…’ appear only a few metres behind where I was standing, playing the intro to one of his most famous songs: ‘Turn On The Lights again…’.

The crowd erupted in disbelief and excitement at this surprise entrance, and I was stunned in that surreal moment.

The rest of Fred’s performance was a feel-good feast to the senses, with his upbeat melodies and catchy hooks keeping the audience captivated for his whole set.

‘Fredagain…’ is known for his unique style of music, spanning across multiple genres including techno, house and pop. In much of his music, he samples from everyday conversations, which helps him to create emotionally resonant tracks.

Since the mid 2010’s, EDM (Electronic Dance Music) has been growing rapidly, becoming ever-more mainstream. This has been thanks to the increasingly common blend and collaboration of EDM and pop music and artists, such as David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Skrillex, causing them to become household names.

Reading festival was originally a punk and rock festival in the 1970s, which then developed into alternative rock and Britpop, including bands like Nirvana and Oasis. From the 2000s onwards it expanded into hip hop and electronic genres, resulting in an eclectic mix of music to attract a wide range of music-lovers.

The rise of EDM through this period caused it to be propelled from the smaller stages and tents to the main stage, embodied perfectly in Fredagain…’s unforgettable set.

Fredagain...'s iconic Reading Festival performance in 2024 marked a milestone for EDM and is a statement that EDM is no longer a small, niche genre but a dominant force in mainstream music culture.