THE BLUE AND WHITE

Music Festivals are becoming bigger than ever. Estimates have claimed that both Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan have broken Lollapalooza records in recent years. Calvin Harris and Lady Gaga have seen millions of people attend their free Carnaval and New Year’s performances in Brazil. One performance can catapult a career into stardom: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” 2024 performance instantly turned her into a household name, while Fred Again’s 2023 Glastonbury performance cemented him as arguably the most talented DJ in the world. The majority of major music festivals have announced their lineups, though Glastonbury is taking a Fallow Year.

Olivia Rodrigo draws record-breaking 150,000 fans at 2025 Lollapalooza Performance (Chicago)

Coachella

Coachella, although increasingly an influencer-only event, is still the biggest music festival in North America. The 2026 Lineup sees some familiar faces and some breakout stars. The three headliners are: Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G. Carpenter has a much bigger stage than two years ago and also has two new albums in her catalogue, both featuring chart-toppers: Short N’ Sweet and Man’s Best Friend. Bieber’s return with Swag included hits like “Daisies” and “Yukon,” a more stripped-back version of the Canadian (literally if you count his Grammy performance). Karol G has long been one of the biggest names in Latin pop, arguably the most recognizable female Latin star in the last half-decade.

The Friday lineup, headlined by Carpenter, also includes a variety of must-see artists. The British duo of Disclosure have been a constant in House Music for over a decade, while Dijon, Bieber’s producer, will get the opportunity to run his own set. Blood Orange made one of the best albums of 2025 with Essex Honey, and the day also features Katseye (likely missing Manon), who will surely provide a ton of energy, even if their lyrics are, putting it nicely, quite memorable for mostly the wrong reasons. Central Cee and Sexyy Red are the rap headliners for Friday, both likely to draw big crowds. Other notable artists include Teddy Swims and Ethel Cain, though both have a significantly different audience than Carpenter.

The Saturday lineup is filled with stars. The Strokes are the biggest rock act performing this weekend, while Giveon is the same for R&B. Addison Rae has carved out her own niche in pop music, mainly focusing on hyperpop, earning her a Best New Artist nomination. PinkPantheress is another highlight, with fun and danceable music, including one of the most popular albums of 2025, Fancy That? featuring hits like “Illegal” and “Stateside.” Royel Otis is most famous for their covers in the BBC lounge, but they give a new take on bedroom pop bands. ZULAN is the most famous DJ on Saturday, and her sets have gone viral for their energy. Sombr is likely to draw one of the biggest crowds, and although critical of his writing and vocals, a replication of his Grammy performance could help him rebound from the bad press surrounding his obsession with Jeff Buckley or the barking incidents at his concerts. Some other notable artists performing on Saturday are Swae Lee and Fuji Kaze.

Finally, Sunday mixes every genre. Following Karol G’s headline performance, rap is represented with Young Thug and Clipse, the latter of whom received universal praise at the Grammys. More hyperpop is present with FKA twigs and Iggy Pop. Laufey is surely bound to receive a massive audience, but it will be interesting to see what her set looks like on a massive stage. House music’s best day is Sunday: Major Lazer, Subtronics, a B2B of Armin van Buuren and Adam Beyer, and Bunt.

Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 Coachella Performance, where she debuted ‘Espresso’

Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza, the second largest American festival each year, and easily one of the most famous globally, released easily the best lineup of 2026. The headliners are very skewed towards pop, but the undercard features a variety of indie, alternative, EDM, and rap. Charli XCX is the main headliner, two years off from the phenomenon of Brat Summer, but also fresh off the release of the Wuthering Heights soundtrack. Tate McRae continues the pop trend, especially in the dance space, recently releasing the Deluxe to her third album, So Close to What. Lorde and McRae headline both Lollapalooza and Oshaega, with the former receiving a huge recent bump in the streams from the critically acclaimed Pure Heroine. If you told someone this time last year that Olivia Dean would be listed on the headliner section, they wouldn’t believe you. Continuing the trend from her 2023 album, Messy, Dean’s Best New Artist victory demonstrates her incredible growth into stardom in 2025. The last calendar year has seen her release already timeless-sounding hits like “Man I Need”, along with amazing live performances including “Rein Me In” with Sam Fender. John Summit, the Chicago native, will be the lead EDM act, and will have released his new album, CTRL ESCAPE, focusing on leaving the corporate world. It is hard to deny Summit’s recent rise to one of the biggest names in House Music, someone who will certainly stick around. Jennie is the final pop headliner, who recently released multiple remixes to celebrate Ruby, her first solo album. The record was one of the most enjoyable pop albums of 2025, transitioning her away from K-Pop and more so into the dance music scene. Surprisingly, the Rock headliner is Smashing Pumpkins, and the Indie headliner is the XX.

The undercard features all of the main hip-hop and R&B performers. Clipse’s reunion tour of 2026 sees them perform at seemingly every festival this year, while R&B Grammy winner Leon Thomas is a nice feature. The most visible name is Lil Uzi Vert, capping off a surprisingly small lineup of hip-hop. In terms of pop, Sombr and Zara Larson are the two biggest names. Although very different in terms of quality, both reached peaks in 2025, with the latter returning after almost a decade away from the spotlight. Indie is plentiful this year: Beabadoobe is the most recognizable name, but there are also standouts like Blood Orange, Ethel Cain, MUNA, Suki Waterhouse, and Audrey Hobert. In terms of dance and electronic music, the undercard includes The Chainsmokers, Empire of the Sun, Disco Lines, and Major Lazer. The two latter feature at multiple big festivals this year, while EOTS are also touring North America during the summer, a very good ticket to buy. Two other bands shouldering the majority of their genres representation are The Neighborhood for Alternative and Aespa for K-Pop. Finally, two shoutouts go to Finn Wolfhard and Claire Rosinkranz. You can expect Wolfhard to receive a massive crowd, like his co-star Joe Kerry and DJO a couple of years ago. Rosinkranz’s latest album My Lover established herself as one of my favourites in indie music and someone who deserves her breakthrough into the mainstream.

DJO’s 2025 Lollapalooza Performance. His co-star, Finn Wolfhard, plays this year.

Oshaega

Canada’s largest festival includes headliners Tate McRae, Twenty One Pilots, and Lorde. It is a shame that two of the three planned headliners, Fall Out Boy and Lana Del Rey, had to drop out, but it does not diminish the potential of Pop and Rock over the weekend. On Friday, there is the Neighbourhood, who released a new album, ultraSOUND, in November; Kehlani, whose single “Folded” was critically acclaimed and won the best R&B song at the Grammys; and JID, among others. Sombr is also featured at Oshaega on Saturday, which has the longest list of must-see artists. Empire of the Sun has constant energy, with hits like “We Are The People” and “The Spins” that are amplified by a large crowd. If you were to experience collective effervescence during any act of Oshaega, it would likely be EOTS.

Malcolm Todd is a new soulful artist, a mix of indie, rock, and R&B. Finn Wolfhard (yes, Mike Wheeler from Stranger Things) is lower down the card, but could see a breakout of his music similar to his co-star Joe Kerry at Lollapalooza. Zulan, as mentioned in Lollapalooza, is the biggest House Music act on Saturday. Other notable artists include: Wolf Parade, Franz Ferdinand, and Mt. Joy. Finally, Sunday is headlined by Lorde, whose tour has mainly centred around last year’s album, Virgin. Gunna is the biggest rap act of the weekend, but Clipse is not far behind. Subtronics and Major Lazer both highlight the best day for House Music. Zara Larsson is back, reinvigorating her career over the past year with the revival of 2016 hits such as Lush Life and Symphony, her album Midnight Sun.

Oshaega 2025 crowd for The Killers

Primavera Sound

Headliners Gorillaz at their Boston concert (2022)

Although there is a massive gap between Glastonbury and Primavera, the festival cemented itself as the second-largest in Europe. Tomorrowland Belgium may have a case, despite only featuring House Music. Primavera Sound 2026 may not reach the heights of having Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, and Sabrina Carpenter headlining like last year, but this year’s lineup cannot be scoffed at. Doja Cat, The Cure, and the Gorillaz, as headliners, all have hit-filled discographies. Primavera arguably has the deepest roster out of the three on this list. If you want indie/alternative, look no further than: Mac DeMarco, Blood Orange, TV Girl, Role Model, Ethel Cain, and Dijon. More into hip-hop or R&B? There is plenty to choose from with 2hollis, Ravyn Lenae, or PinkPantheress. House Music features Skrillex, Gorillaz, and Peggy Gou. If those won’t satisfy you, there’s still room for Addison Rae, Father John Misty, Men I Trust, or Cara Delevigne.

Other Festivals:

Gov Ball is an annual festival held at Flushing Meadows every early June. This year features a star-studded lineup, with arguably the best headliners mentioned thus far, and plenty of genre variety. On Friday, Lorde and Baby Keem headline. However, Lorde has released only one project in the past half-decade, and Baby Keem recently debuted his first project since 2021 in late February. They are supported by acts like Katseye (although likely down a member), Pierce the Veil, and Audrey Hobert, one of the breakthrough indie artists of 2025. Saturday is headlined by Stray Kids and Kali Uchis, who continue the trends of K-Pop and R&B. Major Lazer’s supporting act will be the largest electronic set of the weekend, while 2Hollis will be the same for hyperpop. Blood Orange’s latest project, Essex Honey, went in a more sentimental and reflective direction, particularly focusing on his childhood, and he will surely play the summer classic “Champagne Coast.” Ravyn Lenae was a breakthrough artist in 2025, with “Love Me Not” being one of the highest-charting songs during the summer. Sunday is jam-packed: A$AP Rocky headlines following his first album in almost a decade, and Clipse performs at yet another 2026 festival, continuing their momentum from 2025. Jennie has transitioned away from K-Pop, and her debut album Ruby was the most critically acclaimed of the Blackpink members, though it didn’t chart as well as Rose’s. Dominic Fike, with whom she collaborated with “Love Hangover,” one of the standouts, is a supporting act.

Surprisingly, Outside Lands, the Bay Area’s festival hosted just outside of the Golden Gate Bridge, sees a lineup much better than normal. Charli XCX is the main headliner; her biggest gig announced for 2026 thus far. Rufus Du Sol is making their way across the world this summer, but will make a stop in San Francisco for the weekend. They, along with Empire of the Sun, are the most exciting names in the lineup. Rufus features “Innerbloom,” one of the best house music tracks of the 21st century. The Strokes and Geese represent the biggest rock acts, and the former will likely play the best rock album of this century, Is This It. In terms of other notable performers, both Disco Lines and Tinashe feature, meaning they will surely play the smash hit “No Broke Boys,” which defined 2025 house music. Clipse perform at their fourth festivals on this list, and Baby Keem headlines for his second.