The Hinterland Music Festival returns July 30 — Aug. 2, and the lineup has dropped! With this lineup, Hinterland offers musical talent for fans across generations — from Gen Alpha through Gen Xers, it's the festival that both you and your kids will want to attend next summer.
The 2026 lineup has a great mix of new and established artists across genres, including rock, country, pop, dance, Latin, rap and even K-pop. Featured musicians you'll see over the four-day fest include MUNA, Jessie Murph, Wet Leg, Sofia Isella, Audrey Nuna, Geese, Julia Wolf and more. As for the headliners? Rounding out the festival lineup this year are: KATSEYE, Lorde, Mumford & Sons and Kali Uchis.
Notable this year, KATSEYE is the first "global girl group" to headline the festival in its 11-year history. Another trend in the lineup? The festival is bringing in several up-and-coming artists who have been having success in nontraditional music discovery spaces, namely TikTok and Spotify.
Hinterland is well-known as a festival where fun musician collaborations can happen, and this lineup has lots of potential. We can't wait to see who might show up that's not on the bill but just had to say 'hi!'
Studio One fans, we'll be there the whole time, but we're especially excited to see you during some of our favorites, including Lorde, Mumford & Sons, MUNA, Wet Leg, Geese, The Format, Beabadoobee and Santigold!
KATSEYE
Global girl group KATSEYE was formed in 2023 through the reality competition Dream Academy. This is perhaps the most straightforward pop act to ever perform at Hinterland — imagine Spice Girls mixed with Pussycat Dolls, but with a 2025 TikTok twist.
As festival organizer Sam Summers notes, this group is blowing up, and was one the festival had to try to get. In fact, Summers revealed that they added the fourth day just for KATSEYE. If you're less familiar, this is a band that will absolutely appeal to your kids, and could make for a great shared festival experience when you bring them back to see Mumford and Sons two days later.
Prep for KATSEYE by listening to "Gabriela" and "Gameboy."
Lorde
2025 was a big year for Lorde. She came back swinging hard with Virgin and it paid off. The Ultrasound tour has been underway for a little while and Lorde's been performing all over the globe. Being able to catch her in the Iowa countryside is sure to be a highlight of the festival. Will there be a Charli XCX collab??? Probably not, but hey, we can dream!
Lorde was also the first musician on the lineup to fully commit to Hinterland 2026, and is the one that Summers is particularly looking forward to.
Prep for her set by listening to "What Was That" and "Broken Glass."
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons is the most classic "Hinterland band" to be playing the festival in 2026 and is bound to a packed set. The group's latest studio album Rushmere came out in March with another, Prizefighter, on the way. Prizefighter is being sold as a collab record, with appearances from Hozier, Gigi Perez and Gracie Abrahams already announced. If we're primed to see a Hinterland collab in 2026, this set feels like it's at the top of the list!
Prep for Mumford & Sons by listening to "Rubber Band Man" feat. Hozier (which we've been playing on Studio One since late October) and go back in time a bit with "Little Lion Man."
Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis blends pop, R&B and Latin rhythms to make the sexiest sounds you've ever heard. She also boasts over 30 million monthly Spotify listeners and has two tracks in the Billions Club on Spotify. Simply put, Kali Uchis is a big deal.
Prep for Kali Uchis by listening to "Moonlight" and "All I Can Say."
MUNA
Hinterland alum MUNA, comprised of Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin, doesn’t have any new music out right now, but maybe this appearance is a precursor of a new album to come? Gavin released a solo record back in 2024, so the band is due for some new tunes. At MUNA's last Hinterland performance we got a Phoebe Bridgers/Lucy Dacus team-up, so the bar is pretty high for what they will do this time.
Prep for MUNA by listening to "Silk Chiffon" and "I Know A Place."
Jessie Murph
Another big name in the pop world is Jessie Murph. Murph combines country, rap and mega production to create a larger-than-life sound. Think previous collaborator Jelly Roll hanging with Ella Langley with Niki Minaj coming and going. Murph is a total genre mashup that's sure to be an exhilarating performance.
Prep for Jessie Murph by listening to "Blue Strips" and "Wild Ones (feat. Jelly Roll)."
Wet Leg
Here at Studio One we love Wet Leg, so seeing them on the lineup is amazing! The “catch these fists” rockers put on an energy-drenched set full of Flash Dance-inspired dance moves and some serious muscle posing. Wet Leg represents some much-needed rock on the 2026 lineup as well.
Prep for Wet Leg by listening to "mangetout" and "catch these fists."
Sofia Isella
If you're not familiar with "The Doll People" singer, now is the time to remedy that. After getting a big break opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras tour, Sofia Isella has been firing on all cylinders. Though sonically she has more in common with Billie Eilish and Ethel Cain than Swift, Isella's performances are likened to some kind of exorcism. She puts on quite a stage show, so this one's another that can't be missed.
Prep for Sophia Isella by listening to "Crowd Caffeine" and "Everyone Supports Women."
Santigold
Santigold doesn't tour much, so the fact that she's going to be at Hinterland should not be ignored. Her biggest hits may have released in 2008, but those songs sound as fresh now as they did back then. Her performance is sure to give you your mid-2000s nostalgia fix!
Prep for Santigold's performance by listening to "L.E.S Artistes" and "Lights Out."
Audrey Nuna
Ever hear of a little Netflix movie called KPop Demon Hunters? If you haven't, then you've missed Audrey Nuna (who plays Mira), and that needs to change. “Golden,” which is the single from the movie, has seemingly been everywhere since its release, and kids that come to Hinterland (and trust us — they will want to!) will go bonkers to see her live set.
Prep for her performance by listening to "How It's Done" and "Golden."
Geese
Here's another Studio One favorite! Geese sticks out a little bit on the lineup as being one of the weirder bands (and also one group that plays all its own instruments). Frontman Cameron Winter has been an obsession of ours (and Guster’s), especially since the release of his unforgettable Dec. 2024 debut solo album, Heavy Metal. The band's third record, Getting Killed, has been one of the best reviewed albums of the year, and being able to see some of those new songs played in a giant festival setting is sure to be a treat.
Check out our article on Geese for a deeper dive on indie rock's latest stars.
Prep for their performance by listening to "Husbands" and "Taxes."
Julia Wolf
Julia Wolf is an exciting new voice in alternative rock. She'll be opening the festival on Saturday (which is headlined by Mumford & Sons). Summers advises to keep your eyes on her between now and the fest — he wouldn't be surprised if she blows up in the time between now and August.
Prep for Julia's performance by listening to "iris" and "In My Room."
What a lineup
Hinterland keeps evolving, and 2026 is no exception. The simple fact that the festival is bringing these acts through Iowa, representing genres that we otherwise would never see in the state, is also a testament to its importance both in the state and in the music industry.
Regardless of whether your kids are going to be asking for Hinterland tickets from Santa or if you'll be asking Mr. Claus for tickets yourself, this is a great lineup that represents how music discovery has changed.
We'll see you at Hinterland!
The full lineup can be found below.
Thursday, July 30
- Katseye
- Beabadoobee
- Ashnikko
- Audrey Nuna
- Jane Remover
- Frost Children
- Porch Light
Friday, July 31
- Lorde
- MUNA
- Snow Strippers
- Paris Palmoma
- Sofia Isella
- Saint Avangeline
Saturday, Aug. 1
- Mumford & Sons
- Jessie Murph
- The Format
- Santigold
- CMAT
- Waylon Wyatt
- Amble
- Julia Wolf
Sunday, Aug. 2
- Kali Uchis
- Young Miko
- Geese
- Wet Leg
- Suki Waterhouse
- Aubrey Hobart
- Samia
- Haute & Freddy
Editor's note: Hinterland is a sponsor of Iowa Public Radio.
