Festival season is often dominated by headliner chatter. Who had an amazing turnout at Lollapalooza? Whose secret Reading set had everyone losing their minds? Who could be on the cards as a future Glasto headliner? But there’s also a lot of brilliant stuff happening several rows down the line-up poster. Investigate some of the acts in smaller fonts, and you’ll find artists who are filling up tents on Thursday nights, having pints with your favourite bands and watching their onstage jokes die a terrible death in multiple languages.
This year, instead of focusing on the headliners, we asked acts from the NME 100 of 2026‘s rising class what this summer actually looked like from further down the bill; from the crowds they won over to the stages they’re dreaming of playing on next.
Additional reporting: Lisa Wright
54 Ultra
“It’s a game”: the Latin indie soul artist relishes the challenge of winning a festival crowd over
What was your first music festival ever?
“Probably The Greatest Day Ever in New York when I was 17 or 18. It was a rap festival with Tory Lanez and Young Thug. I just remember being excited to see all these artists together and everyone there for the same thing. My second festival was All Points East, which I performed at last year.”
Any milestones this festival season?
“Coachella and Lollapalooza were huge firsts. Having a healthy crowd at both and doing something people were talking about was all I wanted. Coachella felt legendary, like how they show it in movies.”
At a festival, you’re likely to get at least some listeners who have never heard of you at your set. Do you think about winning them over? How?
“It’s never pressure; it’s a game. I’m used to turning new people into fans because nobody knew who I was for so long in New York and New Jersey. I know that feeling and how to get people to pay attention.”
There are some specific stages/sets at festivals that are coveted/special – headlining Coachella, Pyramid or Woodsies Stage at Glasto, or even the collaborative Bonnaroo SuperJam. Is there one you are aiming for?
“Lollapalooza in Brazil and Argentina. I want to go to South America, see different cultures and talk to my people.”
“Headlining Wireless would be full-circle because I worked there. I’ve always told myself that the next time I’m there, I’ll be performing” – Ceebo
Ceebo
Performing at Fête de la Musique, the UK rapper learns language barriers aren’t a thing
Any milestones or first times this festival season?
“This was my first time performing abroad. I played in Paris in March and then went back for Fête de la Musique in June. It was really inspiring seeing how Parisians interact with music. I thought the language barrier would be a thing, but it wasn’t. I’ve also played my biggest stages this year, so it’s been really fun taking on the challenge of engaging with crowds that are much bigger than I’ve done before.”
What’s the most unlikely thing that’s happened to you at a festival?
“When I first performed in Paris, someone rushed over to me when I got offstage. He’d been speaking French throughout my set, then started speaking to me in English and told me he’d travelled specifically to see me. I was like, ‘That is mad.’ I still feel like I’ve got a long way to go as a performer, so knowing people are already invested enough to travel to see me means a lot.”
There are some specific stages/sets at festivals that are coveted/special – headlining Coachella, Pyramid or Woodsies Stage at Glasto, or even the collaborative Bonnaroo SuperJam. Is there one you are aiming for?
“Reading + Leeds headline, Glastonbury headline, Wireless headline – all the good stuff. I’d love to play All Points East too. But Wireless would be especially full-circle because I worked there. I haven’t been back since, and I’ve always told myself that the next time I’m there, I’ll be performing.”
KuleeAngee
Bring back T In The Park, say the Scottish electronic duo
How have you felt about the season at large, or this particular circuit you’ve played?
Duncan Grant: “We’ve done The Great Escape and Latitude, and Latitude was our first major festival as a full band. We got a really good Thursday night slot, when the main stages are closed, so most of the festival crowd was just wandering into tents to see what was on. It was perfect for us as an upcoming band. We just had random people coming in, and we showed them a good time.”
Kesh Kanabar: “It was everything we thought and hoped it would be for our music. The band really suits the festival vibe – it’s inviting and euphoric. It was pretty validating because we’ve always thought our music would work really well at festivals. Now I’m just excited to do more.”
What’s the most surprising thing that’s happened to you at a festival?
Kanabar: “One of my favourite things is meeting other bands. We played a festival in Amsterdam and saw another Scottish band, Brògeal, backstage. We ended up going to a house party together and genuinely became friends. It’s one of those things that happens because you’re all from the same place, but suddenly you’re in Amsterdam together. That’s one of the best things about festivals.”
Some specific stages/sets at festivals are coveted/special – headlining Coachella, Pyramid or Woodsies Stage at Glasto, or even the collaborative Bonnaroo SuperJam. Is there one you are aiming for?
Grant: “I’d love T In The Park to come back and have a Scottish band headline the main stage. That would be special.”
“The band really suits the festival vibe – it’s inviting and euphoric. Now I’m just excited to do more” – Kesh Kanabar, KuleeAngee
Madra Salach
Before serving festivals their fiery folk-punk, the Irish band break the ice with rambling jokes
What’s a misconception you think people/fans have about being an artist performing at a music festival – especially one that’s up and coming?
Paul Banks: “I think I was struck by how calm the vibes are in the artist’s village; everyone’s kind of having downtime. Before I did this, I probably would have thought that everyone was on some rager and getting hammered all the time. But it’s all very chill and people like eating fruit and that sort of thing.”
At a festival, you’re likely to get at least some listeners who have never heard of you at your set. Do you think about winning them over? How?
Jack Martin: “It’s always cool to break the ice with a joke.”
Banks: “Pretty much every set we do, I’ll hand it over to Jack to tell a joke. It’s been really good at these shows on the continent where maybe English isn’t their first language; Jack does his joke and absolutely dies on his arse. It’s been really special.”
Martin: “Sometimes they’re overly polite and give me a round of applause, and that’s also a laugh. They’re not even really jokes; they’re just short ramblings.”
Banks: “The ramblings of a mad man.”
What’s the most surprising thing that’s happened to you at a music festival?
Banks: “This sounds like a humble brag, but we’ve been really surprised at the turnout at some of these shows because you’re going to countries you’ve never been to and you think, ‘Wow, people in Poland like Irish folk.’”
Martin: “We got to go on stage and do ‘Band On The Run’ with Black Country, New Road at Haldernpop, which wouldn’t have been on my 2026 bingo card.”
“My favourite festival memories are those little moments: the first set of the weekend, or when the sun’s going down” – Nadia Kadek
Nadia Kadek
The British-Indonesian indie-folk artist doesn’t have big dreams of headline slots
What was your first music festival ever?
“I’m really lucky because I went to a lot of festivals growing up. My mum loved them, and she actually worked at a café at Glastonbury, so she could go for free. Apparently I was there in 2007, when Amy Winehouse played, but I have no memory of it. All I remember is mud!”
Have there been any milestones or firsts this year?
“I opened Latitude at the Sunrise Arena, which is a stage I’ve always wanted to play. I love the idea of playing a Thursday slot when people are walking around discovering new music. Then later that night I got to go onstage with the Mystery Jets, who are one of my favourite bands, and sing a song with them. I don’t ever play with a band, so that was really special.”
What’s the most surprising thing that’s happened to you at a festival?
“At Kendal Calling, there was this couple who knew all the words to my songs. That just never happens to me! It was so sweet because they’d seen me at a gig before and had come to see me again. Kendal is so far from home, and there were people all the way out there who knew my music. It made me think, ‘If two people can enjoy it, then it’s so worth it.’”
Some specific stages/sets at festivals are coveted/special – headlining Coachella, Pyramid or Woodsies Stage at Glasto, or even the collaborative Bonnaroo SuperJam. Is there one you are aiming for?
“I’d love to open the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. None of my big dreams are actually about headlining. I’d also love to play the Latitude main stage on a Sunday afternoon, when everyone’s just chilling out on the last day. My favourite festival memories are those little moments: the first set of the weekend, or when the sun’s going down. Those are the moments that stick with you.”
“There’s this slight manic energy you get at festivals. The crowd might be sleep-deprived, and as a band you’re often in a similar state” – Simon Tyrie, The Itch
The Itch
The dance-punk duo embrace the unpredictability – and “slight manic energy” of festival season
What was your first music festival ever?
Georgia Hardy: “I went to Reading when I was 14. I remember seeing Crystal Castles, Enter Shikari and Pendulum as one run of bands. That was incredible.”
Simon Tyrie: “I can’t remember which year we went together, but I think Eminem played, Green Day, and Guns N’ Roses, who were two hours late to the stage. Some of the stuff I remember most vividly was Tame Impala for the first time, Savages right before their album was out, and The Wytches. It was a really good year for music.”
What have been the biggest milestones or firsts this season?
Hardy: “Green Man was definitely a milestone for us. It’s a festival we’ve always wanted to play, and one we hadn’t played with any of our previous projects either. I was actually a bit nervous, which is unusual. I’d been going as a punter for about 10 years, so it was a really big deal to finally play there.”
You’re towards the end of the season now – are you seeing its impact on your crowd, or on how you think about performing?
Hardy: “I think festivals are actually a really good way to hone your performance and your setlist in a way that you can’t necessarily do just by playing venues. There’s an element of anything can happen. You haven’t necessarily done a soundcheck; you’ve usually just arrived, got ready and walked straight onto the stage. There’s not much time to think about it, which can be quite freeing. I think more unexpected things happen as a result.”
Tyrie: “There’s also this slight manic energy you get at festivals. The crowd might be sleep-deprived, and on their third night or whatever, and as a band you’re often in a similar state. You’ve probably been travelling for ages; you’ve just arrived at the festival, you don’t even know where you are, you’ve had an hour to get ready, and suddenly you’re on stage.”
Some specific stages/sets at festivals are coveted/special – headlining Coachella, Pyramid or Woodsies Stage at Glasto, or even the collaborative Bonnaroo SuperJam. Is there one you are aiming for?
Tyrie: “Now, it probably has to be Glastonbury. We still haven’t played it, and I’ve never been. I don’t think I’d go as a punter while we’re still doing festivals – I’d just be sad that we weren’t playing. My experience of Glastonbury is all through myths and stories from other bands and seeing it on TV. I think about the Radiohead ’97 Pyramid Stage set, which is apparently Michael Eavis’ favourite Glastonbury performance. I don’t know if I can imagine that kind of set happening again now, but they were a band on their third album. Two more; we’ll see what happens…”
The post NME 100 At The Festivals: some of our favourite rising acts take us backstage on their 2026 festival season appeared first on NME.
