2026 line-up speculation

[Hooskerdoo]

Well never having heard of them before this announcement, I'm well up for AdeP. I love a bit of math/psych, and some tongue-in-cheek weirdness never goes amiss among the typical EotR fare of earnest singer-songwriters (albeit now with more electronica among the acoustic guitars). I'm hoping for Woods or Garden in the afternoon and a late night Folly set. But they'll probably be in the Big Top. I hate the Big Top.

[airwaves]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/mar/22/geese-review-prosepect-building-bristol-saviours--rock-n-roll

[SweepingTheNation]

Pulp and Earl Sweatshirt/MIKE have both self-confirmed for Saturday. That likely means DeMarco is on Friday as he's playing in Antwerp on Monday so would most likely be flying out on Sunday.

[SweepingTheNation]

Just realised that as SFA briefly listed Sunday as their day that means them and CMAT are most likely clashing (surely the similarly self-confirmed Kurt Vile will be Woods sub)

[qgqgqgqgq]

32 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

Just realised that as SFA briefly listed Sunday as their day that means them and CMAT are most likely clashing (surely the similarly self-confirmed Kurt Vile will be Woods sub)

It's not briefly listed it's still on their instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DUlfnJLCAS-/?hl=en

[LalanaCat]

I'm really pleased Pulp are playing Saturday. It always seemed strange to me the idea that such a highlight would be left until Sunday night. I kind of feel the same about CMAT though... are we sure Friday isn't more likely? Does it make sense for Mac deMarco to play on Friday given the chance of that clashing with his label showcase?

[xxialac]

Please not CMAT vs SFA, two of the biggest draws of the weekend.

[SweepingTheNation]

23 minutes ago, LalanaCat said:

I'm really pleased Pulp are playing Saturday. It always seemed strange to me the idea that such a highlight would be left until Sunday night. I kind of feel the same about CMAT though... are we sure Friday isn't more likely? Does it make sense for Mac deMarco to play on Friday given the chance of that clashing with his label showcase?

It's possible, and CMAT on Friday would mean she could have Lucinda Williams (day self-confirmed) subbing, but it's a long haul and it'd be strange to have the showcase two days before the man whose showcase it is' set, and also Mac/SFA clashing feels even more lopsided.

[oochie]

Fun fact: Mac DeMarco headlining Woods with Lucinda Williams headlining Garden would be identical to the Friday of EOTR in 2017.

[noisenoiseandmorenoise]

Sfa closing the Garden on the Sunday would be perfect for me. Almost irrelevant who is headlining Woods.

[accordionandvoice]

why have we decided SFA are headlining Garden? Surely they're Woods sub-headliners?

[xxialac]

8 minutes ago, accordionandvoice said:

why have we decided SFA are headlining Garden? Surely they're Woods sub-headliners?

Good point! Very good point!

[vxvxvxvx]

9 minutes ago, accordionandvoice said:

why have we decided SFA are headlining Garden? Surely they're Woods sub-headliners?

They aren't subbing anyone on their reunion tour this year. All headline slots. I think they'll headline Garden on this basis. 

[accordionandvoice]

1 hour ago, vxvxvxvx said:

They aren't subbing anyone on their reunion tour this year. All headline slots. I think they'll headline Garden on this basis. 

Headlining the Garden isn't the same as headlining EOTR though.

 

They would get a bigger crowd on the main stage, as it's got a bigger capacity and they wouldn't be clashing with a main headliner.

[LalanaCat]

My hunch is that it'll be Mac deMarco and SFA opposite each other on the Sunday (decent though the counter arguments are). I just think there's less crossover of fans than CMAT and SFA. But it could just be wishful thinking given I don't like Mac deMarco very much.

[noisenoiseandmorenoise]

2 hours ago, accordionandvoice said:

why have we decided SFA are headlining Garden? Surely they're Woods sub-headliners?

Wishful thinking

I still think Kurt Vile or Lucinda Williams headlining the Garden with SFA woods sub makes more sense but given I've no interest in Mdm or cmat, SFA closing the festival would be great.

[xxialac]

My simplistic brain is that a SFA on their triumphant return are a HUGE draw for the festival and therefore only the biggest stage possible will do. Garden is barely more than half the size of Woods.

[SweepingTheNation]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

My simplistic brain is that a SFA on their triumphant return are a HUGE draw for the festival and therefore only the biggest stage possible will do. Garden is barely more than half the size of Woods.

This is why I had Pulp as Sunday headliner once SFA were confirmed for that day, because surely the only band they'd play before given their summer of outdoor shows would be arguably the biggest headliner EOTR has ever had (at the time of headlining, I know Tame Impala etc)  But subbing CMAT? As much as she sold out Ally Pally in half an hour and is the big thing of the moment - though I notice she isn't headlining Bearded Theory, which is about the same size as EOTR, but it seems she's most likely to be subbing Pixies there - that doesn't seem quite right to me, and while being opposite her doesn't really do so either if they're both on that day with Kurt Vile as the other Woods sub/Garden head option that's what I can see it being. SFA being the same font size on the graphic as the top four does seem odd in this context but they're not listed officially as joint headliners anywhere.

 

The other thing about why I don't think Mac's headlining Sunday is his previous gig is on the Wednesday, so if choosing between a day off either side or three days' break before immediately going into the European leg of the tour the next day the former seems more logical even without the showcase the same evening.

Edited March 25 by SweepingTheNation

[zahidf]

Didnt CMAT self confirm for the Friday though? 

[zahidf]

On 20/11/2025 at 11:17, SweepingTheNation said:

 

I don't think they'd give it away like that if it were the case.

 

CMAT has self-confirmed for Friday, and as Mac is in Belgium on Monday I assume he's Saturday and Pulp Sunday.

Ah here we are!

 

Mac can travel to belgium monday morning easily enough

[SweepingTheNation]

4 hours ago, zahidf said:

Ah here we are!

 

Mac can travel to belgium monday morning easily enough

I'd genuinely forgotten that. I think it was briefly up as Friday but then changed to the more standard full four day range so with nobody else having confirmed a day at that time (as opposed to nearly everyone on the second level of names now) I ignored it for some reason. Do think it'd be odd to have the Sunday headliner showcasing his label on Friday, though, unless he's hanging around for the whole weekend and popping up Dave Grohl-style.

[zahidf]

24 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

I'd genuinely forgotten that. I think it was briefly up as Friday but then changed to the more standard full four day range so with nobody else having confirmed a day at that time (as opposed to nearly everyone on the second level of names now) I ignored it for some reason. Do think it'd be odd to have the Sunday headliner showcasing his label on Friday, though, unless he's hanging around for the whole weekend and popping up Dave Grohl-style.

oh yeah, plans could have changed. Hopefully we get day splits soon

[accordionandvoice]

so in spite of all the frenzy and random speculation, it seems like..... Pulp headlining the Sunday with SFA as Woods sub-headliner is the most obvious outcome.

 

SFA on Garden doesn't make sense. Nor does CMAT closing the festival.

[Mardy]

 

Seems pretty clear it's the Saturday

Edited March 26 by Mardy

[SweepingTheNation]

53 minutes ago, accordionandvoice said:

so in spite of all the frenzy and random speculation, it seems like..... Pulp headlining the Sunday with SFA as Woods sub-headliner is the most obvious outcome.

The speculation restarted because Pulp self-confirmed for Saturday.