Festpod catches up with RXPTRS at Reading Rising 2026, where the band revealed plans for another secret Christmas gig in Bristol.
RXPTRS are planning another Christmas gig in Bristol. There's just one problem if you want to go. They're not telling you where it is.
The band revealed their plans during our interview at Reading Rising Festival on Saturday the 7th of November, shortly after coming off stage.
"We're going to do a secret show in Bristol, which people are going to have to find," they told Festpod, ahead of an official announcement.
RXPTRS have been putting on Christmas gigs under the name XMAS for years, but last year they decided to make things more interesting. Instead of announcing the venue, they released clues and challenged fans to work out where the show was happening.
Some fans got it right. Others ended up guessing completely different venues, leaving the band desperately trying to convince people they really weren't playing where everyone thought they were.
They admit they might have made the clues a little too difficult last time, so they're thinking of making this year's hunt easier.
The band didn’t reveal the date or venue in our interview, but say fans should keep an eye on their social media for the clues.
How a secret gig got RXPTRS to Download
RXPTRS perform on the Doghouse stage at Download Festival 2026, having secured their slot with footage from a secret Christmas gig in Bristol.
Last year's Christmas show also played an unexpected part in getting RXPTRS onto the lineup at Download Festival 2026.
The band filmed their performance at the small Bristol bar and submitted the footage to the Takeover at Download. They say it was that video which secured their place on the Doghouse stage.
We caught up with RXPTRS immediately after their Download performance in June, when they were still trying to take in what had happened.
Five months later, they told us it wasn't until they got home and watched the footage that they really appreciated the size of the crowd they'd played to.
They'd also spent six weeks preparing the visual production for their set, without being able to see much of it from the stage. Watching the recordings afterwards was their first proper opportunity to see how all that work had turned out.
Why RXPTRS are releasing two EPs instead of an album
RXPTRS have also been busy recording new music, with their six-track EP Tales of Ill Repute arriving on Friday the 20th of November.
It's the first half of a larger project. The band have recorded enough material for two connected EPs, with a story running through both releases. They're expecting the second instalment to follow roughly six or seven months later.
So why split the record instead of releasing everything as one album?
"Milking it!" was their immediate answer.
Joking aside, there's a deliberate reason behind the decision.
The band explained that they're proud of every song they've recorded and don't want most of them to get overlooked during a conventional album campaign.
With a full album, they might select three or four songs as singles and concentrate their promotional efforts on those. By releasing the music in two parts, they can give more individual tracks their own releases, music videos and time for listeners to get familiar with them.
It also gives them more room to develop the story connecting the songs, rather than releasing the entire project at once.
Music videos are an especially important part of their approach. They've already made six for the project, with more planned for the second EP.
The band acknowledge that people's listening and viewing habits have changed, but they don't believe the traditional music video has had its day. They're still enthusiastic about making them, and much of that work is done by the band themselves.
It's an interesting discussion about how a band can release music without following the usual album cycle, and why RXPTRS believe the extra work is worthwhile.
A return to Reading Rising and a very small release party
RXPTRS were also pleased to be back at Reading Rising, having previously played the festival in 2019.
They praised the organisers for how much the event has grown, particularly its consistent lineups and ability to sell out. They also enjoyed meeting people who remembered seeing them years earlier, including fans still wearing some of their older merchandise.
Their next confirmed show is much smaller than Download.
On Saturday the 21st of November, RXPTRS will play Blondies in London to celebrate the release of Tales of Ill Repute. They're planning to perform the entire EP live, something they haven't done before.
They also asked about bringing pyrotechnics to the tiny venue. Unsurprisingly, the answer was no.
As for the Bristol Christmas show, you'll have to wait for the clues. Judging by what happened last year, it might be worth checking you're heading to the right venue before setting off.
Watch our full interview with RXPTRS from Reading Rising 2026 below, including their plans for the secret Christmas show, the thinking behind their two EPs and what they remember about Download.
Tales of Ill Repute is released on the 20th of November 2026. Tickets for the London EP launch at Blondies on the 21st of November are available here.
Related coverage:
Reading Rising 2026 – More interviews and festival coverage