Boomtown Second Wave Adds Kae Tempest, Folamour, DJ EZ & More

he most ambitious chapter in Boomtown’s history continues to unfold, as the festival today reveals its second phase line-up for August 2026. With over 50 new artists added, spanning live bands, dance pioneers and a wide array of underground innovators, this announcement further cements Boomtown’s commitment to diversity, genre-spanning discovery and intergenerational dancefloor energy as Chapter 5: Radical Redesign gathers momentum.

This latest wave sees some of the most influential names in UK dance music step forward, including DJ EZ, one of the most iconic figures in UK garage culture, and a DJ set from sonic shapeshifter SBTRKT. Cutting-edge bass pressure arrives via A.M.C ft. Phantom, Alix Perez, S.P.Y, Ivy Lab, Lens and Kasra B2B Samurai Breaks, showcasing the full spectrum of drum & bass past, present and future.

Electronic music’s more leftfield edges are equally represented, with boundary-pushing techno from VTSS and Azyr, groove-led selections from Folamour, and forward-facing house energy via Ross From Friends B2B Effy, Rossi. B2B Silva Bumpa, Eats Everything B2B TSHA, and Trampsta. Meanwhile, bassline, breaks and rave mutations arrive through Zero, Bakey B2B Mia Koden, Hamdi B2B Mala, Yung Singh B2B Ryota, Ahadadream, and Arthi, reinforcing Boomtown’s reputation for unpredictable dancefloor adventures.

Beyond the decks, the line-up continues to expand its rich live offering. Acclaimed poet and performer Kae Tempest joins the bill alongside politically sharp voices such as Hak Baker, KiLLOWEN and Songer, while genre-defying artists Peaches, Beardyman, Lynks and Henge promise unforgettable moments of spectacle and expression. Rising indie and alternative talent arrives in the form of Rose Gray – now on The BRIT Awards Critics’ Choice Shortlist for 2026 – alongside Cardiff DIY punk band Panic Shack, fast-rising Dublin noise rock band Gurriers, Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, The Skinner Brothers and The Bloody Beetroots, while Boomtown favourites Dub Pistols, Dutty Moonshine Big Band and Nubiyan Twist add further colour to an already vast musical landscape.

Some exciting takeovers are coming to the South Downs National Park this summer, with 20 Years of Rupture celebrating the history of jungle whilst the legacy of 90s UK rave culture lives on with Fantazia Into The Woods. Celebrating sound system culture and Caribbean influence around the world, the 17th edition of Boomtown will feature the legendary David Rodigan pres. Ram Jam ft. D Double E, Irah & Hollie Cook, alongside a solo set from Cook, the lovers rock star and former member of reggae/punk pioneers the Slits. Plus, more hip hop representation this year comes from High Focus Allstars, ensuring Boomtown’s cross-genre ethos remains front and centre.

These new additions join a blockbuster bill alongside the previously announced Skrillex, Four Tet, Faithless, Madness, Kneecap, Scissor Sisters, Scooter, Shaggy, Ashnikko, Eve, Groove Armada, Floating Points – Live, Brutalismus 3000, Sherelle – AV Show, Shy FX and many more. With even more still to come, this will be Boomtown’s most musically diverse year to date, moving fluidly between dance music, live bands, hip hop, punk, reggae, pop and the unexpected.

Running through every element of the 2026 experience is Boomtown’s overarching theme, Radical Redesign. Offering some initial insight into what this means as part of a major expansion and evolution of the festival’s site, Boomtown’s Creative Director Mair Morel said: “Radical Redesign is more than a storyline, it is an invitation to rethink how we live, connect and create. In a world of accelerating progress but deepening division, Boomtown offers a different model, one rooted in reconnection, community and collective joy. Radical Redesign asks what needs rebuilding from the ground up, what wisdom from old ways of living is worth revisiting again, and how balance can be restored between people, nature and our shared purpose”. Across the city’s expanding districts and immersive theatrics, these questions will be brought to life, explored and developed in real time, ultimately influencing the shape of society going forward beyond the festival grounds this summer.

Boomtown is a living, breathing world of its own – a place where creativity thrives and boundaries blur between the stage and arena. With its elaborate world-building, immersive storylines, and spontaneous shows hidden in unexpected corners, it’s no wonder Boomtown scooped a double win at the UK Festival Awards 2025, taking home both Large Festival of the Year and Tech Innovation of the Year, having previously secured Best Festival Production for three consecutive years.

With over 90% of the tickets for 2026 already sold out, demand for this next chapter is breaking all records in Boomtown’s 17-year history. As hundreds more artists and story elements are still to be revealed, Boomtown 2026 is shaping up to be its boldest, most imaginative and most vital edition yet.

Boomtown Festival takes place at Matterley Bowl, Hampshire, from Wednesday 12th August to Sunday 16th August 2026. Remaining tickets are available here: www.boomtownfair.co.uk/tickets

The line up so far: 
Kneecap, Scissor Sisters, Madness, Skrillex, Four Tet, Faithless, Scooter, Ashnikko, Shaggy, EVE, 999999999 – AV Show 
[A-Z] 20 Years of Rupture, Alborosie & Shengen Clan, A.M.C Ft. Phantom, Ahadadream, Alix Perez, Antony Szmierek, Arthi, Azyr, Bad Manners, Bakey B2B Mia Koden, Beans On Toast, Big Special, Beardyman, Brava, Brutalismus 3000, Camo & Krooked B2B Mefjus, Daft Funk, Darren Styles, David Rodigan pres. Ram Jam Ft. D Double E, Irah & Hollie Cook, Diffrent, DJ EZ, Donae’o, Dub Pistols, Dutty Moonshine Big Band, Elvana, Eats Everything B2B TSHA, Fantazia Into The Woods, Floating Points – Live, Folamour, Fox Stevenson,Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, Gentleman’s Dub Club & Friends, General Levy, Groove Armada, Gurriers, Hak Baker, Hamdi B2B Mala, HAVOC of MOBB DEEP w/ BIG NOYD + DJ L.E.S, Henge, High Vis, High Focus Records, Hollie Cook, Ivy Lab, Kae Tempest, Kasra B2B Samurai Breaks, KiIimanjaro B2B Oppidan, KiLLOWEN, Kings of the Rollers: Present Royal Rumble, Less Than Jake, Lens, L’Entourloop, Lynks, Mandidextrous, Marlon Hoffstadt, Mungo’s Hi Fi Allstars, Nimino – Live, Notion, Nubiyan Twist, Oguz, Panic Shack, Peaches, Princess Nokia, Rose Gray, Ross From Friends B2B Effy, Rossi. B2B Silva Bumpa, Sampa the Great, S.P.Y, SBTRKT – DJ Set, Sherelle – AV Show, Shy FX, Skindred, Songer,The Bloody Beetroots (DJ SET), The Skinner Brothers, Trampsta, Vengaboys, VTSS, Wilkinson, Yung Singh B2B Ryota, YUQT B2B Faster Horses, Zero

Watch The Official Trailer for 2026 – A New Kind of Boomtown is Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzlcT14Tzag