2026 line-up speculation

[Justiceforcedave]

P.S It’s Geese. No speculation.

[paulwa]

12 hours ago, noisenoiseandmorenoise said:

The thing with the Pulp post (and honestly my last thought on the topic) is that it was a message to their 178k followers who each time there is a new post are hoping it is a 40k+ festival within 2 countries of them. 'Unusual' as a word feels very Pulp. For their fanbase seeing that announcement, seeing that poster, Pulp being on it is the 'unusual' bit. It was not a post targeting attendees of or even repeated by eotr festival, it was aimed at Pulp fans on their account.

Imagine (god help us) Oasis headlining, it could have read 'a fookin special festival for a fookin special band for a fookin special show'. This doesn't mean that they'll do a special show. It means the fact it exists is in itself special/unusual. 

I accept that this is a boring post, apologies.

I think you're spot on. It's "unusual" for Pulp fans' normal circumstances. Unusual for where you might normally expect to find them.

[xxialac]

13 hours ago, noisenoiseandmorenoise said:

The thing with the Pulp post (and honestly my last thought on the topic) is that it was a message to their 178k followers who each time there is a new post are hoping it is a 40k+ festival within 2 countries of them. 'Unusual' as a word feels very Pulp. For their fanbase seeing that announcement, seeing that poster, Pulp being on it is the 'unusual' bit. It was not a post targeting attendees of or even repeated by eotr festival, it was aimed at Pulp fans on their account.

Imagine (god help us) Oasis headlining, it could have read 'a fookin special festival for a fookin special band for a fookin special show'. This doesn't mean that they'll do a special show. It means the fact it exists is in itself special/unusual. 

I accept that this is a boring post, apologies.

Hmm.

 

You could make a weak case it’s special (not a word they used incidentally).

 

You could make even weaker case it’s unusual.

 

You can’t make a case however that it’s unexpected if they do their normal festival setlist at the location announced 9 months prior.

[SweepingTheNation]

13 hours ago, noisenoiseandmorenoise said:

The thing with the Pulp post (and honestly my last thought on the topic) is that it was a message to their 178k followers who each time there is a new post are hoping it is a 40k+ festival within 2 countries of them. 'Unusual' as a word feels very Pulp. For their fanbase seeing that announcement, seeing that poster, Pulp being on it is the 'unusual' bit. It was not a post targeting attendees of or even repeated by eotr festival, it was aimed at Pulp fans on their account.

I don't know if this works, though - I don't think most Pulp fans will know what EOTR is or even that it's a four day festival, as the number I saw posting something along the lines of "I'm not paying £300 for a Pulp gig" on the headliner announcement suggests. If the idea of an unusual show is "playing a smaller capacity show than normal" I don't think that would come across to that audience.

 

Only seven more months of this to go!

[xxialac]

Just realised I didn't get an email from them announcing the 2026 lineup.

 

Bit weird, no? (or maybe others got one)

[zahidf]

Beverly Glen-Copeland album is VERY good. Will be great on the Garden stage

[xxialac]

My theory (and agree it is getting boring now) is that Simon approached Jarvis and tried to persuade him to sign up for their 20th anniversary, that loved the band so much he'd be happy for Pulp to do the show any way they want. Just so long as they were there. Perhaps Jarvis said something along the lines of...we're just the band, you'd have to speak to our paymasters...

 

...but ultimately a deal was done with them getting a reduced fee compared to what they'd get at a Latitude etc in exchange for a stripped back show.

[paulwa]

Boring? Have you seen the weather outside? This is sustaining!

 

Latest bird brain idea… 90 minutes of SFA followed by 60 minutes of reduced price Pulp 

[modefan]

2 hours ago, SweepingTheNation said:

If the idea of an unusual show is "playing a smaller capacity show than normal" I don't think that would come across to that audience.

 

Only seven more months of this to go!

For me that wouldn’t even count as unusual. On the current run they’ve done Hammersmith Apollo - I was there and paid less than those at Finsbury Park for a longer and better set - Hogmanay in Edinburgh (cap 6000), Bridlington Spa and a few BBC things. On the previous reunion they did TCT and two nights at Brixton (again I was there).

[SweepingTheNation]

1 hour ago, paulwa said:

Latest bird brain idea… 90 minutes of SFA followed by 60 minutes of reduced price Pulp 

Christ. Can everyone just get over the idea that Simon's dream booking, the biggest coup EOTR has ever had in its big anniversary year, aren't going to be prioritised, or he'd be OK with shortchanging or deliberately undermining his audience?

Edited February 6 by SweepingTheNation

[zahidf]

I think its probably worth waiting nearer the time. Im sure it'll come up in interviews around the festival.

[paulwa]

17 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

Christ. Can everyone just get over the idea that Simon's dream booking, the biggest coup EOTR has ever had in its big anniversary year, aren't going to be prioritised, or he'd be OK with shortchanging or deliberately undermining his audience?

You obviously didn't see Sufjan at the 10th anniversary then.

[xxialac]

I reckon in the end it's just Jarvis on a wooden stool playing a kazoo.

[modefan]

40 minutes ago, xxialac said:

I reckon in the end it's just Jarvis on a wooden stool playing a kazoo.

I’d be OK with that as long as it’s not ABBA covers

[LalanaCat]

On 06/02/2026 at 11:27, paulwa said:

Boring? Have you seen the weather outside? This is sustaining!

I've started working my way through the line-up and forming my verdict. It's in some ways the reverse of last year... fantastic headliners (with the exception, for me, of Mac Demarco) but maybe not as strong at the next rung down. Surely we must be missing at least one Garden stage headliner... I can't understand how Fat Dog and Beverly Glenn-Copeland would be big enough. But the bulk of the undercard is as brilliant as usual, maybe even better. Really excited about Model/Actriz, Ela Minus, Just Mustard and Modern Woman... amazing stuff.

[SweepingTheNation]

3 hours ago, LalanaCat said:

Surely we must be missing at least one Garden stage headliner... I can't understand how Fat Dog and Beverly Glenn-Copeland would be big enough.

I've already mentioned I think BGC will sub Garden, but on thinking further I really wouldn't be surprised if Fat Dog sub Mac Demarco and Kurt Vile is Garden headliner opposite CMAT with the (as it currently is) Friday Garden headliner TBA. Fat Dog are much more Squid or Goat size than BCNR/Viagra Boys.

[xxialac]

4 hours ago, LalanaCat said:

I've started working my way through the line-up and forming my verdict. It's in some ways the reverse of last year... fantastic headliners (with the exception, for me, of Mac Demarco) but maybe not as strong at the next rung down. Surely we must be missing at least one Garden stage headliner... I can't understand how Fat Dog and Beverly Glenn-Copeland would be big enough. But the bulk of the undercard is as brilliant as usual, maybe even better. Really excited about Model/Actriz, Ela Minus, Just Mustard and Modern Woman... amazing stuff.

Feel exactly the same way. The $$$ on the fantastic headliners weakened the strength of the subs but the undercard is as varied and amazing as ever.

[artbrutarchitecture]

3 hours ago, xxialac said:

Feel exactly the same way. The $$$ on the fantastic headliners weakened the strength of the subs but the undercard is as varied and amazing as ever.

I was expecting a Dry Cleaning, Wednesday or Melody's Echo Chamber as well (greedy I know) and I suppose we still might. When GM release their line-up, that will confirm who we're not getting.

[xxialac]

5 minutes ago, artbrutarchitecture said:

I was expecting a Dry Cleaning, Wednesday or Melody's Echo Chamber as well (greedy I know) and I suppose we still might. When GM release their line-up, that will confirm who we're not getting.

It seems a fairly safe bet we will get one medium size name still.

 

But nothing that will change the overall feel of the poster. 

 

[accordionandvoice]

I must say, I don't think the money spent on headliners has impacted the subs in the slightest. Super Furry Animals are by far the biggest 'sub-headliners' the festival has had besides the surprise Damon Albarn set. Lucinda Williams is a massive get, a proper legend in americana world, which the EOTR faithful are always crying out for. Fat Dog, although rubbish, are very big at the moment and sold out Troxy. Kurt Vile and Ty Segall are big staple names that will be familiar to most EOTR goers.

[xxialac]

5 minutes ago, accordionandvoice said:

I must say, I don't think the money spent on headliners has impacted the subs in the slightest. Super Furry Animals are by far the biggest 'sub-headliners' the festival has had besides the surprise Damon Albarn set. Lucinda Williams is a massive get, a proper legend in americana world, which the EOTR faithful are always crying out for. Fat Dog, although rubbish, are very big at the moment and sold out Troxy. Kurt Vile and Ty Segall are big staple names that will be familiar to most EOTR goers.

You're right, I change my mind! I think I'm just not that keen on them personally (apart from SFA) rather than them not being substantial names.

[accordionandvoice]

Just now, xxialac said:

You're right, I change my mind! I think I'm just not that keen on them personally (apart from SFA) rather than them not being substantial names.

Yeah I've never been interested in the bigger names though - there's always 20 acts I want to see among the smaller names so I'm fine 🙂 

 

I think the place where costs may have been cut is the tier below the subs - the area on the line up that was filled last year by John Maus, Lisa O'Neill, Moin, These New Puritans, Throwing Muses... Possibly. But honestly I think it's worth it if the festival effectively has 5 headliners (inc SFA), including arguably the biggest headliner the festival has ever had (just edging Sufjan / Flaming Lips / Joanna Newsome) and what is probably the biggest hype band in the world right now in Geese. There's also Simon's favourite, Mac Demarco, and an act on the cusp of mainstream stardom, CMAT.

 

Again, though, for me it's all about those names scattered among the smaller text. I've listed them earlier in this thread, but it does feel like the 'experimental' contingent at EOTR is growing which I'm delighted about!

[xxialac]

Open question to the forum - who is particularly good live (i.e. not just on record) of the smaller fonts?

[accordionandvoice]

Kiran Leonard great live 🙂 

[artbrutarchitecture]

32 minutes ago, accordionandvoice said:

I must say, I don't think the money spent on headliners has impacted the subs in the slightest. Super Furry Animals are by far the biggest 'sub-headliners' the festival has had besides the surprise Damon Albarn set. Lucinda Williams is a massive get, a proper legend in americana world, which the EOTR faithful are always crying out for. Fat Dog, although rubbish, are very big at the moment and sold out Troxy. Kurt Vile and Ty Segall are big staple names that will be familiar to most EOTR goers.

I agree, I wasn't moaning as I think the line-up is brilliant, but what you've said is correct, in that it's the artists below the subs that possibly aren't as strong, but with the headliners it's more than worth it.