Beat-Herder marks 21 year milestone with huge line-up for 2026 including:
Faithless, Wilkinson, Sigma
Kings of the Rollers ft. Inja, Queen Omega & the Royal Souls
David Rodigan, House Gospel Choir, Notion, Groove Armada (DJ Set)
Roni Size, Tiga, DJ Seinfeld, TSHA, Eats Everything, Kirollus, Lens, salute, Sarah Story, Born on Road, Harriet Jaxxon
Lancashire’s beloved independent festival Beat-Herder celebrates its 21st year in 2026 with a monumental line-up and four days of unfiltered joy in the breathtaking Ribble Valley, returning 16–19 July.
Born from the DIY spirit of the 90s free party movement, Beat-Herder has spent two decades building a fiercely independent, wildly creative gathering in the North, where towering stage builds, world-class DJs, live bands, immersive theatre and surreal installations collide. Voted Festival of the Year at the 2024 Northern Music Awards and crowned Best Festival by TPD TV, the cherished event continues to prove that bigger isn’t always better, and that magic thrives in the details.
From hidden tunnels and teleporting phone boxes to a secret swimming pool, stained-glass parish church and cars you can dance on, Beat-Herder’s immersive, hand-built world-building remains unrivalled. Every field holds a surprise; every corner a story. At its heart are six school friends who built this extraordinary gathering. Twenty-one years on, Beat-Herder remains fiercely independent, defiantly creative, and powered by a community of kindred spirits where strangers become lifelong friends.
This 19th edition marks 21 years since its true inception in 2006, promising one of the strongest line-ups in the festival’s history, anchored by bona fide icons and the most exciting names in contemporary dance music.
Thursday 16 July sees Beat-Herder throw open its gates exclusively to limited four-day ticket holders, kicking off celebrations in style. Toil Trees remains the festival’s spiritual core, hosting marathon sets and forward-thinking selectors. On Thursday night, expect eclectic house and melodic grooves come courtesy of Olive F, before Jordan Peak ramps up the tempo with driving electronic energy. As night falls, Tiga delivers his signature blend of sleek electro and peak-time techno, with dance music royalty Groove Armada closing the stage with a classic, high-energy DJ set packed with anthemic moments.
Over at The Ring, bass culture takes centre stage with roots and reggae flavours from Kaya Fyah, breakbeat dynamism from Ed Solo, jungle pioneer Roni Size bringing heavyweight credentials, and the high-octane drum & bass collective Born on Road keeping the energy surging late into the night.
Into the main weekend - this year’s Main Stage line-up delivers some of the festival’s biggest moments of the weekend: Friday kicks off the weekend with the kaleidoscopic chaos of Brutus Gold’s Love Train, the uplifting harmonies of House Gospel Choir, and the unmistakable Manchester house legacy of K-Klass, setting the tone for a festival of genre-blurring brilliance. The night climaxes with dance pioneers Faithless, whose era-defining catalogue continues to soundtrack dancefloors worldwide.
Saturday brings a high-octane showcase of drum & bass and electronic mastery. Cam Cole delivers genre-blurring electronic grooves, The Orb (live AV) takes the crowd on a cosmic journey, Slamboree brings euphoric energy, and Kings of the Rollers ft. INJA combines jungle and D&B royalty with razor-sharp lyricism. Headliners chart-topping duo Sigma are set to deliver a masterclass in high-energy drum & bass.
Sunday closes the weekend with reggae authority David Rodigan, spinning decades of deep-digging sound system culture, cosmic beats with live performance from Transglobal Underground, the soulful power of Queen Omega & The Royal Souls, and drum & bass heavyweight Wilkinson, known for euphoric, high-octane festival anthems that get crowds moving from the first beat.
At The Factory, Beat-Herder’s playground for experimental rhythms, forward-thinking production, and immersive bass, Friday opens with Samurai Breaks and Drumsound & Bassline Smith, delivering high-octane drum & bass and breakbeat sets that set the weekend in motion.
Saturday showcases innovative selectors, including Breakage, whose deep, textured bass and rhythmic mastery keep the crowd moving, alongside LMajor, delivering a dynamic blend of drum & bass and electronic exploration.
Sunday closes the stage with the improvisational genius of Beardyman, whose live looping, beatboxing, and electronic creativity push boundaries and create a one-of-a-kind festival experience.
Beyond the headline stages, Beat-Herder Festival proves once again that its magic lives between the lines. Hidden parties, anarchic theatre, secret venues and lovingly handcrafted stage builds ensure that no two wanderings are ever the same. From stained-glass selectors in the parish church to surprise pop-up performances deep in the woods, every corner of the Ribble Valley site holds a story.
As it marks 21 years, Beat-Herder remains fiercely independent in an increasingly corporate landscape — a festival built by friends, powered by community, and fuelled by creativity.
When the final beats echo out across the fields on Sunday night, there’ll be glitter-streaked goodbyes and promises to reunite next July. Twenty-one years young and still gloriously unfiltered, Beat-Herder 2026 looks set to be one of its boldest chapters yet.
