December 10 played the Canopy stage at Reading Festival 2026, marking their first festival since forming on Simon Cowell's latest reality music series The Next Act. According to a reviewer from The Mirror, the band's performance proved that boy bands are making a comeback.
Throughout Reading's weekend of performances, the Canopy stage saw up-and-coming artists play to their dedicated fans. Cruz Beckham drew a hefty crowd, as did Gene Gallagher's band Villanelle and Amma. But no one was more desperate to be near the front than December 10's teen audience.
Teen Fans Chant Before the Show
Girls aged 16 and 17 started chanting for the band a full 15 minutes before they were due on stage. They screamed louder than the guitars coming through the speakers when the boys – Cruz Lee-Ojo, Hendrik Christoffersen, John Fadare, Josh Olliver, Nicolas Alves, Sean Hayden and Danny Bretherton – finally walked on stage.
Once they started playing, it was easy to see why. The reviewer recognised the chord progressions and songwriter styles from when they were used to push One Direction and JLS into the charts. When the boys sang their song Run My Way, the reviewer could almost hear primary school friends arguing over whether Zayn Malik or Harry Styles was cuter.
A 1990s Vibe
The parents who had accompanied their daughters to Reading were also transfixed. One parent asked, "Is it just me? Or are they dancing like NSYNC?"
There certainly was a 1990s vibe to December 10. While one or two of the boys sang lead vocals and the others provided harmony, as many hip hop moves as the small stage could allow were trotted out. Their look was very NSYNC or Backstreet Boys too, with each member having a style that mostly consisted of baggy jeans with either a baggy top or a vest.
The music was catchy and incredibly well performed, especially for a band who have barely been together a year. There were no flat notes, though it was difficult to tell over the crowd singing along as they climbed on each other's shoulders.
Fans Pick Up Dance Routines
It was easy to picture their songs becoming the soundtrack to sleepovers, especially since their simple dance routines were already being picked up by their fans, many of whom were filming TikToks of the moves later.
There was something distinctly adorable about the boys. Each member had a way of standing out and getting his moment to win over the crowd, meaning fans could project their own stories and fantasies onto them. Every one got their own Harry or Niall or Zayn to moon over.
Girls nudged their friend when her favourite member played, and the reviewer saw in real time when a solo belting moment from one of the boys made a girl weak at the knees. Boy band fever is back, and with December 10, it's stronger than ever.
