Kelburn Garden Party unveils full 2026 line-up across 12 stages
Kelburn Garden Party has unveiled its full music line-up for 2026, with more than 250 bands, DJ and acts confirmed to perform across 12 bespoke stages when the festival returns to the grounds of Kelburn Castle from 2 to 6 July. Now in its 16th year, Scotland’s leading independent music and arts festival will welcome 6,000 attendees for its largest and most diverse edition to date, with four-day passes already sold out and all remaining tickets expected to follow by the end of May.
Set within the ancient glen surrounding the castle, the sprawling music programme spans electronica, rock, dance, avant-garde pop, folk, jazz, global, post-punk and experimental sounds, offering an expansive snapshot of Scotland’s grassroots and alternative music and club culture. From large-scale arenas to hidden micro-venues, the festival continues to present a wide-ranging and immersive sonic experience that is shaped by a cast of guest curators and takeovers from across Scotland’s homegrown music and club scenes.
Among the stage highlights, The Landing hosts takeovers from Subculture and Headset, with London-based DJ and producer Sherelle (AV) bringing her high-energy, breakneck club sound, alongside the emotive, leftfield electronics of Leon Vynehall and the Berlin-style electro and house of Jen Cardini. The Square Stage welcomes Snapped Ankles and their rhythm-driven, post-punk performance style, the grungey jazz and soul compositions of Emma-Jean Thackray, Lost Map head honcho Pictish Trail and Scottish electronic folk pioneers Valtos.
At The Viewpoint, a Samedia Shebeen takeover is headlined by Brazilian DJ BADSISTA, known for his percussive, club-focused sets, and South African artist Toya Delazy who blends amapiano, GQOM and UK club styles. A Shapes showcase led by Wallace sits alongside performances and Esa’s Afro-Synth Band while legendary DJ Quantic and Glasgow sound system Mungo’s Hi Fi close the Sunday, with emerging Scottish jazz artists Tao, Ari Tsugi and Astrosnax also featured.
Elsewhere, The Pyramid Stage continues its focus on emerging Scottish live acts through a curated programme from Sneaky Pete’s and The Skinny with headliners Opedepus & The Mama’s Boys, SOAPBOX, Indoor Foxes and Kai Reesu, providing a refreshing snapshot of Scotland’s best emerging acts. A new addition for 2026, The Giant’s Castle, will debut in the Secret Forest, curated by Glasgow party Hot Towel with music by We Want Sound, spotlighting leftfield disco, house, Balearic and electronica. The Gathering will centre Scottish trad and folk music, while Sheela’s Tent presents a female-led programme of folk and world music with a punk-informed approach.
The Saloon returns with a focus on contemporary club culture, including Bemz’s M4 festival showcasing Glasgow’s afrobeats and hip-hop scene, and IMPORT.WAV platforming global, bass-driven sounds from marginalised communities. Across the wider site, stages such as the Boat, Beech Plateau and the iconic Viewpoint continue to offer audiences a mix of discovery and established names.
Alongside its headline names, the 2026 programme further underscores Kelburn’s commitment to championing emerging and alternative talent from across Scotland and beyond. Highlights include fast rising Edinburgh psych group Bikini Body, the hybrid music / theatre of Acolyte, the nu-prog of Idiogram and the sharp, contemporary hip-hop of Chef The Rapper. Elsewhere, Falasgair and Belfast’s Huartan push the boundaries Gaelic and folk traditions, while Flew The Arrow and Pippa Blundell offer introspective, melody-driven songwriting. Across the programme, Scotland’s best DJs and selectors including Ali Ooft!, Skillis, Lezzer Quest, Jacuzzi General, Dansa, Frankie Elysie, Mirror Dance, Ravelston give a flavour of the impossibly wide range of music on odder. The full list of announced artists performing at Kelburn Garden Party 2026 can be found here.
Chris Knight, Programme Co-ordinator, said: “Once again Kelburn is proud to showcase an almost impossibly wide snapshot of the Scottish underground and grass-roots music and club scene. Taken together with the unique hand-pick UK and international artists, this year’s music programme represents a fantastic sonic tapestry for our guests to enjoy over 4 days. Our newly updated website features the full line-up and artist profiles for almost all acts appearing this year.”
Further details of the visual arts programme within Kelburn’s immersive Neverending Glen trail will be announced in the coming weeks, expanding the festival’s multi-sensory experience through site-specific installations set across the woodland landscape.
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