VICE’s Most Anticipated Music Festivals of 2026

Updated April 23, 2026.

There’s arguably never been a better, or worse, time for music festivals. On one hand, there are new festivals debuting all the time. On the other hand, a fair share of festivals have either totally tanked, or at least taken gap years in recent memory as well.

To be sure, the live music market is in a hell of a state in general—ticket prices are insane, yet only the top 1% of artists (if we’re being generous tbh) are able to make a decent living off their art.

But attending a music festival is still definitely one of the best ways to get your money’s worth in this current state of affairs. You can see a bunch of high-profile artists, plus discover a ton of up-and-coming acts on the undercard, all for, well, probably less than a ticket to a Taylor Swift concert.

Plus, lineups are more eclectic than ever, which creates an exciting experience for music lovers to explore different genres all in one space. Most of these festivals are like an IRL version of a streaming app—there it is, laid before you: a diverse smorgasbord of more music than you know what to do with.

So I’ve rounded up a few of the best music festivals coming up this year. On this summer’s festival circuit, you can catch some longtime favorites like The Strokes, Lorde, and LCD Soundsystem, and get a load of the hottest up-and-comers like Turnstile, The Dare, and Geese.

K-Pop, hip-hop, hardcore, and more await you. Read on to learn everything we know so far about our most anticipated music festivals of 2026.

Outside Lands – San Francisco, August 7-9

This iconic San Francisco music festival is known for drawing history-making headliners, and this year’s will be no different. Among the top-billed acts are Charli XCX, RÜFÜS DÜ SOL, The Strokes, The XX, Baby Keem, Turnstile, Djo, and many more.

The festival’s eclectic mix of pop, EDM, hip-hop, and rock promises to please festivalgoers of all persuasions and keep the party rocking late into the night. Geese, Wet Leg, Lucy Dacus, Sierra Ferrell, Glorilla, and Ethel Cain are among the buzzy acts billed on this year’s fest.

Outside Lands will take place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on August 7-9, 2026. This will be the 18th year of the festival, and sure to be one of its biggest yet. I, for one, look forward to the annual late-night horde of shivering, confused teenagers in shorts and t-shirts on Geary Blvd. PSA: Dress WARMLY, kids!!!

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Lollapalooza – Chicago, July 30-August 2

Lollapalooza is really bringing their A-game this year. I can literally not think of a single trendy artist that is not featured on this flyer. To wit: Charli XCX, Lorde, Tate McRae, Olivia Dean, John Summit, JENNIE, the xx, and Smashing Pumpkins in the headlining slot.

The undercard, though, goes bonkers. Lil Uzi Vert, Turnstile, Sombr, Beabadoobee, Ethel Cain, Geese, Wet Leg, Blood Orange, Clipse, Muna, Oklou, Die Spitz, Fakemink, Water From Your Eyes, horsegiirL, Freddie Gibbs, Wolf Alice, Julia Wolf, Finn Wolfhard, Hot Mulligan, Viagra Boys, and my homies in The Story So Far—just to name a select few.

Lollapalooza 2026 will take place Thursday, July 30 – Sunday, August 2 at Chicago’s Grant Park. There’s a variety of passes available for Lollapalooza 2026, including 4-day GA, 4-day GA+ 4-day VIP, 4-day Platinum, and more. Check out the Lollapalooza site to see all the different types of passes and pricing tiers.

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Vans Warped TOur – Various Cities and Dates

The iconic punk fest Vans Warped Tour relaunched in 2025 after a few years’ hiatus. Now with a new format that includes five stops, each with their own distinct lineup, Warped Tour is back and ready to create new memories for punks young and old.

Stops include Washington, D.C. (June 13-14); Long Beach, California (July 25-26); Montréal, Quebec (August 21-22); Mexico City, Mexico (September 12-13); and Orlando, Florida (November 14-15).

Warped Tour doesn’t really do the whole “headliners” thing, so it’s hard to highlight who all is playing this year. Coheed and Cambria, Rise Against, Hawthorne Heights, Norma Jean, Jimmy Eat World, Newfound Glory, Underoath, Yellowcard, Hoobastank, Papa Roach, Madball, Sublime, Thrice, Dropkick Murphys, Saosin, The Casualties—there’s a taste for ya.

Learn more about the individual lineups and dates here: Warped Tour is Back for 2026. Here’s Everything We Know So Far.

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Shaky Knees – Atlanta, September 18-20

Atlanta’s Shaky Knees revealed the 2026 lineup a few weeks ago, and the rock-forward fest has secured an impressive array of talent for this year’s headliners and undercard.

This year’s acts include The Strokes, Gorillaz, Turnstile, Wu-Tang Clan, Geese, Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, Danny Elfman, Modest Mouse, The Prodigy, Twenty One Pilots, Fontaines D.C., Japanese Breakfast, and tons more.

Shaky Knees 2026 will take place at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park on September 18-20. A variety of experiences are available, including 1-Day, 2-Day and 3-Day passes in GA, GA+, VIP, Platinum and Ultimate. Plus, there’s an assortment of lodging arrangements like cabanas, bungalows, and more. Learn more at Shaky Knees’ official website.

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Rolling Loud – Orlando, May 8-10

Rolling Loud has announced 2026’s festival in Orlando, and it looks like some of what I assume to be the biggest names in hip-hop are coming to Camping World Stadium on May 8-10.

Esdeekid, Chief Keef, Destroy Lonely, Pooh Shiesty, Sexxy Red, and many, many more acts are slated to appear at the brand’s only US festival this year.

Passes to Rolling Loud are available now, with multiple tiers of 3-day passes on offer including GA, GA+, VIP, and VIP+. More information about passes, pricing, accommodations, and more is available at Rolling Loud’s official website.

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Bottlerock – Napa, May 22-24

Napa’s BottleRock festival 2026 will take place on May 22nd-24th at the Napa Valley Expo. Backstreet Boys, The Foo Fighters, Lorde, LCD Soundsystem, Teddy Swims, Sombr, Lil Wayne, and Zedd are headlining, plus tons of headline-quality acts on the undercard.

Millennial nostalgia tops the bill at BottleRock. Ludacris, Papa Roach, and Rilo Kiley will be appearing, plus some cool-Boomer fare like Joan Jett and Kool and the Gang. (Bring Mom and Dad! Someone‘s got to pay for our passes, amirite Millennials?)

Contemporary rap (BIGXTHAPLUG), indie (The Beths), Americana (Larkin Poe), and Gen-Z pop (Sombr) all have a place here as well, making this honestly the perfect festival for a mixed-generation family to have a great time together getting hammered on excellent Napa Valley Cabernet.

Learn more here: BottleRock 2026 Lineup Announced: Foo Fighters, LCD Soundsystem, Backstreet Boys (!), Lorde, and More to Headline

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Governors Ball – NYC, June 5-7

Headliners include Lorde, Stray Kids, A$AP Rocky, Baby Keem, Kali Uchis, and Jennie. Additional notable performers will include 2025 breakout Geese, as well as K-poppers KATSEYE, EDM group Major Lazer, and singer-songwriter Dominic Fike.

Plus, The Beths (yay), Wet Leg, Amyl and the Sniffers, Hot Mulligan, and Japanese Breakfast are playing, for the indie kids and (vaguely) punk crowd. And opening it all up will be a series of special performances by School of Rock New York and School of Rock Queens. Which will probably be cute, and possibly even good.

For 2026, Gov Ball will offer a range of 3-Day and 1-Day passes across multiple tiers, including GA, GA+, VIP, and Cabana. Pit viewing will also return, providing the same amenities as the VIP tier along with exclusive front-of-stage viewing areas at all three stages. Layaway payment plans will be available, and residents of Queens in the 11368, 11355, 11375, and 11367 zip codes qualify for a 15% discount on passes. Additional ticket information, including pricing, can be found here.

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Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN, June 11-14

Manchester, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo is one of the festivals most anticipated by fans, year after year. And with each year’s festival bringing top-notch headliners atop a decidedly eclectic bill, this fest has become one to look out for—especially for fans in the south and midwest who can’t make it to Coachella (sorry, but it’s true).

This year’s Bonnaroo will take place June 11-14 at the Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, Tennessee.

Past festivals have featured a full lineup for Thursday, but this year’s Thursday is more of a kick-off party, featuring Skrillex in the headlining slot.

Friday’s headliners include The Strokes, GRiZ, and Turnstile. Saturday boasts RÜFÜS DU SOL, Teddy Swims, and the Neighbourhood. And Sunday’s lineup will feature Noah Kahan, Role Model, and Kesha. (Don’t miss the Saturday late-night party with Weird Al Yankovic.)

But the undercard is the real story here, many fans agree. Take a look at the full Bonnaroo 2026 lineup here.

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Just Like Heaven – Pasadena, August 22

This one-day Southern California festival produced by Goldenvoice is slated for August 22, 2026 in favor of the usual May positioning. Just Like Heaven 2026 will take its rightful place Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

For the sixth year of Just Like Heaven, The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem are in the headlining slot, with Chromeo, The Rapture, Feist, TV Girl, Twin Peaks, Dayglow, Porches, STRFKR, Whitney, Matt & Kim, This Is Lorelei, and more appearing on the undercard.

There are four tiers of GA passes available, starting at $209. VIP passes are also available, starting at $439 for the first tier, followed by the Clubhouse pass which starts at $699. A $49.99 down payment plan will also available, for the normal people.

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CBGB FEst – NyC, September 26

New York’s CBGB fest is back for its second year with a lineup of goated punk and punk-adjacent legends and newcomers. The festival takes place in Brooklyn under the K Bridge, which sounds like an awesome place to take in a punk festival IMO!

Headliners and oldtimers include Morrissey (if… you know), Patti Smith, and Interpol, plus The Sex Pistols ft. Frank Carter, Bikini Kill, Agnostic Front, The Buzzcocks, and Circle Jerks. Relative newcomers include High Vis, Mannequin Pussy, Militarie Gun, Violet Grohl, and more.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 24 at 10AM.

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Darker Waves – Huntington Beach, November 14

Darker Waves announced its 2026 lineup earlier this year, with Morrissey and Smashing Pumpkins topping the bill.

The one-day festival will take place Saturday, November 14 at Huntington City Beach. People know it does get cold(ish) here, right? Dress accordingly, beach goths!

Who wouldn’t want to party on the beach with Moz? Plus The Pumpkins, Bad Religion, Soft Cell, The Damned, Gary Numan, Buzzcocks, Circle Jerks, and tons more punk and new wave legends and newcomers (shoutout Purest Form—one of the coolest up-and-coming LA bands IMO).

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Sea.Hear.NOw – Asbury Park, September 19 & 20

The Sea.Hear.Now Festival is set to return to Asbury Park on September 19–20, 2026.

Saturday’s bill is topped by Mumford & Sons, with additional performances from The Offspring, Chaka Khan, The War on Drugs, The All-American Rejects, Shaggy, Men at Work, and Susanna Hoffs, among others.

On Sunday, The Strokes take the headlining slot, joined by Goo Goo Dolls, Fontaines D.C., Moby, Pixies, Ziggy Marley, Kim Gordon, Die Spitz, and Alice Phoebe Lou, plus more.

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Roots Picnic – Philadelphia, May 30-31

Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic, hosted by The Roots, will take place May 30-31 at Belmont Plateau in the band’s hometown of Philadelphia.

Jay-Z with The Roots are heading up the bill alongside Erykah Badu, Kehlani, Brandy, and T.I. Mariah the Scientist, J. Period’s Live Mixtape featuring Black Thought & Wale, and Jermaine Dupri and Friends fill out the headlining slot.

The festival, founded by The Roots in 2008, celebrates hip-hop’s culture and heritage by embracing artists spanning the genre’s 50+ year history. This year’s fest will feature Jay-Z’s first live performance since his appearance at wife Beyonce’s final Cowboy Carter Tour date.

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Mosswood Meltdown – Oakland, July 18 & 19

If you’re looking for something that palpably feels (smells?) a bit more niche, there are still fests out there that can offer big-fest names with small-fest vibes (and prices!!!). Like Oakland’s Mosswood Meltdown.

Mosswood Meltdown will take place July 17-19, 2026 at Mosswood Park in Oakland, California.

Iggy Pop and Bikini Kill are the Saturday and Sunday headliners, respectively, plus Friday’s “Pre-Party” is headed up by none other than Pavement (with Wednesday and Vivian Girls on the undercard.

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Bumbershoot – Seattle, September 5 & 6

Bumbershoot 2026 will take place September 5 and 6 at the Seattle Center in the shadow of the iconic Space Needle. Death Cab for Cutie, Turnstile, and Japanese Breakfast are heading up the Seattle-based festival this Labor Day weekend.

Orville Peck, Blood Orange, Chase & Status, Bikini Kill, De La Soul, Molchat Doma, Yves Tumor, Peaches, Die Spitz, TOKiMONSTA, ATARASHII GAKKO, Joey Valance & Brae, and Sudan Archives are among the other acts slated to appear.

The 53rd annual Bumbershoot features one of the festival’s most eclectic lineups yet—and continues to uphold its values of supporting local culture, from artists to vendors.

Watch this space for updates as festival season continues to unfold!

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