DESPITE a great deal of scepticism before the big weekend, it is fair to say Reading Festival 2018 delivered a thrilling weekend.

Music fans were entertained for 72 hours by some top-quality acts and were able to enjoy classic moments, despite the odd rain shower at Richfield Avenue.

Although many critics were billing this to be one of the most disappointing installments of the festival, there were some truly brilliant moments that made 2018 a year to remember.

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Here are our top five moments so far of Reading Festival 2018:

1. Stage invasion during The Wombats' performance

Reading Chronicle: The Wombats in Newcastle.

As well as playing a secret set on the BBC Introducing Stage, the band enjoyed an entertaining set on the opening day of the festival. The Wombats went under the radar pre-festival and ended up being one of the highlights of Friday, performing classics, such as Moving to New York and Lemon to a Knife Fight. However, it was Let's Dance to Joy Division that truly put the crowd in good spirits. The thrilling set went to the next level when the stage was invaded by giant dancing furry animals.

2. Wolf Alice plays matchmaker as couple get engaged

Reading Chronicle: Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell still suffers from stage fright

A couple of lovebirds - Hannah and Katie - made the festival a bit more special for themselves when they got engaged on Friday. Fans loved this moment and Wolf Alice was keen to make sure what the answer was when she said: "Louder!" before performing Don't Delete the Kisses. While many fans were watching Fall Out Boy on the Main Stage, Hannah and Katie were creating their own memories to be thankful for.

3. Mike Shinoda pays emotional tribute to Chester Bennington

Reading Chronicle: Chester Bennington (PA)

It is still a hugely sensitive subject for Linkin Park fans. More than a year has gone by since Chester Bennington took his own life and the band's co-founder took the opportunity to remember his friend in front of thousands of people. As well as teaming up with Sum 41 for a rendition of Linkin Park's Faint, Shinoda invited fans to remember Chester by singing along to In the End.

4. Dua Lipa absolutely smashing it on the Saturday Main Stage

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It has been a very successful couple of years for the pop singer. Two top-10 UK singles, two Brit Awards and now one of the most memorable performances Reading Festival has seen in the last couple of years. The New Rules singer has teamed up with the likes of Calvin Harris in 2018 and she looks set to stay in the charts for some time after lighting up Saturday with a standout set.

5. Post Malone overcomes flight problems and reaches new heights

Reading Chronicle: Post Malone

Few artists will have encountered the kind of issues Post Malone had on his way to Reading Festival. The American rapper was travelling in a private jet on Tuesday when he was forced to make an emergency landing. That didn't stop him from arriving on Friday afternoon and delivering several crowd-pleasers. It was during one his better-known hits Better Now that he truly came into his own. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand and proved Reading Festival was about much more than the traditional rockstars.

6. Kendrick Lamar shines behind closed doors

Reading Chronicle: Kendrick Lamar to headline at Reading and Leeds festivals (Alan D West/PA)

We will have to take your word for it, but by all accounts, Kendrick Lamar was one of the more epic acts to appear at the 2018 festival. The Grammy-winning rapper rounded-off a spectacular show on the second day at Richfield Avenue. And the 80,000 revellers who were fortunate enough to get into the festival had all the more reason to smile, as they were in the best position to capture his set.

7. When The Kings of Leon exceeded all of our expectations

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There was a great deal of uncertainty around this particular band. Previous visits to Reading had not gone well at all and there was every chance that this year's festival would end on a low note. That was far from the truth, however, as the four-piece entertained the crowds with classic hits, such as Use Somebody and Sex On Fire. It was, perhaps, not quite as spine-tingling as Muse's finale in 2017, but by no means a failure.

8. Pendulum swing it in their favour with Propane Nightmares 

Reading Chronicle: Pendulum is coming to Switch nightclub next month. Credit: PA.

If you ever needed proof that not all of the good acts are on the Main Stage, then look no further than Pendulum. They have had a reasonably quiet few years, but that did not stop them from being one of the highlights of 2018. The BBC Radio 1 Stage erupted throughout Saturday evening and one of the drum and bass classics that proved to be a particular crowd-pleaser was Propane Nightmares.

9. Don't Panic! Bohemian Rhapsody is a surefire way to keep people happy

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As well as smashing several of their own classic hits, Panic! At The Disco frontman, Brendon Urie, did a wonderful job at pretending to be Freddie Mercury. Covering a song can be risky at the best of times, let alone in front of a jam-packed crowd. More than four decades later, a new generation of festival-goers was more than willing to join in with this rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody and it was epic.

10. Fall Out Boy's irresistible set gave fans something to dance, dance about

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Closing the opening day of the festival is never an easy task, but Fall Out Boy were more than up to the challenge. Fans swarmed in their thousands to the Main Stage to enjoy many of the bands sensational singles. It was hardly a surprise to see Fall Out Boy smash it, given that the band has been going for nearly 20 years, which seems to be the average age of today's festival-goers. 

What were your favourite memories of Reading Festival 2018?

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