2026 line-up speculation

[xxialac]

Metronomy are back. Always welcome surely...

[accordionandvoice]

the speculation is fun and cute but ultimately pointless because the fourth headliner is Geese. all the other acts being mentioned - Stereolab, SFA, Wilco, Metronomy - are far too big to be sub-headliners or Garden headliners and therefore won't be appearing at the festival.

 

more fun would be to try and predict the sub-headliners and Garden headliners, because these are not yet known !!! 

[xxialac]

11 minutes ago, accordionandvoice said:

the speculation is fun and cute but ultimately pointless because the fourth headliner is Geese. all the other acts being mentioned - Stereolab, SFA, Wilco, Metronomy - are far too big to be sub-headliners or Garden headliners and therefore won't be appearing at the festival.

 

more fun would be to try and predict the sub-headliners and Garden headliners, because these are not yet known !!! 

Hold on. You’re saying Stereolab and Metronomy cant be a sub or garden headliner either?! Surely?!

 

 

[SweepingTheNation]

47 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Hold on. You’re saying Stereolab and Metronomy cant be a sub or garden headliner either?! Surely?!

 

Stereolab are playing Psych Fests Friday to Sunday so unless they're subbing Geese, which for the Thursday seems unlikely, they aren't (and there's no reason they'd be kept secret, before anyone says it)  And Metronomy are on the comeback and seemingly playing Lido or APE so I'm not sure they'll be looking at not headlining a festival they've headlined before.

Edited January 23 by SweepingTheNation

[xxialac]

Sounds like im really out of touch. Metronomy and Stereolab have been around forever and Ive seen them as Thursday headliner level or sub/garden headliner any other day.

 

As you say Geese are clearly thursday this year and Stereolab are booked the other days.

[Rasco]

11 hours ago, accordionandvoice said:

the speculation is fun and cute but ultimately pointless because the fourth headliner is Geese. all the other acts being mentioned - Stereolab, SFA, Wilco, Metronomy - are far too big to be sub-headliners or Garden headliners and therefore won't be appearing at the festival.

 

more fun would be to try and predict the sub-headliners and Garden headliners, because these are not yet known !!! 

My predictions for Garden headliners are Bill Callahan, Dirty Three and Wednesday. Or perhaps Ty segall replacing one of those

[ElGanzo]

2 hours ago, Rasco said:

My predictions for Garden headliners are Bill Callahan, Dirty Three and Wednesday. Or perhaps Ty segall replacing one of those

 

Jesus.. Those would be sensational. Not sure Dirty Three are quite there for headlining the garden stage however.

 

Would love MJ Lenderman.

Edited January 24 by ElGanzo

[modefan]

This will be my first year at EOTR so I’m by no means an expert. Surely if last year’s Psych headliner was EOTR sub, how would this year’s Psych sub be too big to sub at EOTR? Clearly Stereolab can only play on Thursday which makes them less likely to show up, but it’s the principle I’m interested in. 

[xxialac]

Yeah and also Stereolab’s music is quite avant garde and challenging. Obviously they are having an increase in popularity but back in their heyday they were very niche.

And they’ve been playing venues like Electric Ballroom in London. They are a solid sub/garden headliner for EOTR. Only headlining if they cant get anyone else.

[Mardy]

Adam Buxton band played last year in the tent, right? That project is a Metronomy thing as much as an AB thing, really. Not beyond the realms of possibility that Simon had a chat with Joe Mount about them (metrnomy) playing the Garden. 

[SweepingTheNation]

On 24/01/2026 at 11:06, ElGanzo said:

 

Jesus.. Those would be sensational. Not sure Dirty Three are quite there for headlining the garden stage however.

I'd guess Dirty Three aren't going to be active this summer because the Bad Seeds have a load of European festival dates up to the week before.

 

If I had to guess, I'd have Garden headliners down as Kurt Vile (in Europe the previous two weekends), Wednesday (in Europe for most of August) and Dry Cleaning (feels like their time), and Woods subs Ty Segall (subbed Garden acoustically, in the country that weekend, feels right for Mac day), Ezra Furman (no dates yet announced past February but we know her relationship with EOTR) and Richard Hawley (because of Pulp and also a link back to its early years for the anniversary)  My wild card for a high level booking would be Danny Brown, who's on the bill of Tyler The Creator's APE the previous weekend and billy woods said on stage should play the festival.

[xxialac]

4 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

I'd guess Dirty Three aren't going to be active this summer because the Bad Seeds have a load of European festival dates up to the week before.

 

If I had to guess, I'd have Garden headliners down as Kurt Vile (in Europe the previous two weekends), Wednesday (in Europe for most of August) and Dry Cleaning (feels like their time), and Woods subs Ty Segall (subbed Garden acoustically, in the country that weekend, feels right for Mac day), Ezra Furman (no dates yet announced past February but we know her relationship with EOTR) and Richard Hawley (because of Pulp and also a link back to its early years for the anniversary)  My wild card for a high level booking would be Danny Brown, who's on the bill of Tyler The Creator's APE the previous weekend and billy woods said on stage should play the festival.

All seem like very good guesses to me.

 

What's your sense on when we will get the lineup. Is next two weeks more likely than not?

[SweepingTheNation]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

All seem like very good guesses to me.

 

What's your sense on when we will get the lineup. Is next two weeks more likely than not?

Last year was February 13th, but we had more names then than we have now. I'd guess early February, as they're long since already in a higher tier than the same point last year so won't need to immediately sell tickets.

[accordionandvoice]

Dirty Three completely sold out Barbican last year. They've got a big old following too. I reckon they're more than capable of headlining Garden.

[accordionandvoice]

Stereolab and Metronomy have previously headlined EOTR and therefore aren't going to play unless headlining. Both are very big bands in terms of following and ticket sales

[accordionandvoice]

My shouts for Garden headliners are Dirty Three, Lucy Dacus and Danny Brown.

 

For Woods sub-headliner, I reckon Ty Segall, Kurt Vile and The Beta Band.

[xxialac]

14 minutes ago, accordionandvoice said:

Stereolab and Metronomy have previously headlined EOTR and therefore aren't going to play unless headlining. Both are very big bands in terms of following and ticket sales

As a proxy Stereolab played Electric Brixton last month and also in 2023.

 

Surely a very big band would play in much larger London venues?

[accordionandvoice]

4 minutes ago, xxialac said:

As a proxy Stereolab played Electric Brixton last month and also in 2023.

 

Surely a very big band would play in much larger London venues?

They sold out both Royal Festival Hall and Electric Brixton in the same month last year. That's at least 2,500 + 1,500 tickets.

[accordionandvoice]

A band that can sell out RFH and Electric (total 4,000+), as well as two nights Earth Hall (2,400) two years prior and Roundhouse (3,300) three years prior is WAY too big for anything other than headlining End Of The Road. Add to that the fact that they also headlined this very festival in 2021.

[Mardy]

I'd say for Metronomy in particular, past performance is not indicative of future results.

 

[accordionandvoice]

1 hour ago, Mardy said:

I'd say for Metronomy in particular, past performance is not indicative of future results.

 

Yeah agreed, they've fallen off massively and probably at their most popular 10 years ago. Stereolab are on the ascension though, having a thorough second wind (or third).

[xxialac]

2 hours ago, accordionandvoice said:

A band that can sell out RFH and Electric (total 4,000+), as well as two nights Earth Hall (2,400) two years prior and Roundhouse (3,300) three years prior is WAY too big for anything other than headlining End Of The Road. Add to that the fact that they also headlined this very festival in 2021.

Fair enough, I hadn't realised that and you're right.

[carrierbagman]

Not solid evidence but Stereolab also headlining We Out Here, another festival in Dorset taking place only a couple weeks before - seems unlikely they would have two festival slots down the road from eachother 2/3 weeks apart surely? I also thought Beta Band seemed nailed on for Green Man but could be wrong

[SweepingTheNation]

2 hours ago, accordionandvoice said:

My shouts for Garden headliners are Dirty Three, Lucy Dacus and Danny Brown.

 

For Woods sub-headliner, I reckon Ty Segall, Kurt Vile and The Beta Band.

Suspicion is that the Beta Band are at Green Man (John Maclean was there to introduce one of his films last year and apparently dropped a hint), and I'd be surprised if Dacus is still touring her album that late.

 

Of course, there's very likely to be a completely unexpected name or two high up in the announcement - nobody even knew Matt Berninger had a solo album coming until he was announced.

[accordionandvoice]

56 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

Suspicion is that the Beta Band are at Green Man (John Maclean was there to introduce one of his films last year and apparently dropped a hint), and I'd be surprised if Dacus is still touring her album that late.

 

Of course, there's very likely to be a completely unexpected name or two high up in the announcement - nobody even knew Matt Berninger had a solo album coming until he was announced.

Yeah I do suspect Beta Band will be more Green Many that EOTR...