Boardmasters has been quietly building into one of the UK’s most genuinely exciting summer festivals for a while now, and the 2026 lineup is doing absolutely nothing to change that. Stage splits have just been revealed alongside a fresh batch of names, and if your weekend plans for August aren’t already sorted, they probably should be.
The headline news in this latest announcement is Nia Archives joining the Saturday bill ahead of Lily Allen’s headline set — and honestly, that’s a pairing worth getting excited about. One of the most important electronic voices to emerge in recent years, Nia Archives has essentially single-handedly dragged jungle back into the mainstream conversation and made it sound completely vital in the process. Her “emotional junglism” sound — classic breakbeats, soulful vocals, genuine feeling — has earned her a Mercury Prize nomination for the first jungle album in that category in 20 years, three BRIT Award nominations, a spot on the Beyoncé Renaissance World Tour, and the first ever MOBO Award for electronic/dance, a category that only exists because of her. She’ll be debuting a brand new live show at Boardmasters, which given how good her recorded output is, feels like a very good reason to be near that stage on Saturday.
Lily Allen headlining Saturday is already one of the most talked-about bookings of the UK festival season, not least because she’s been teasing new music and a new live show that will make its debut at Boardmasters. Given that she’s been largely absent from stages for a few years, this feels like a moment. Also on the bill and well worth planning your weekend around: The Kooks, Loyle Carner, Rudimental, Joy Crookes, Tash Sultana, REN, Lambrini Girls, Jacob Alon, Rose Gray and Fatboy Slim headlining across the weekend, alongside Kasabian.
Newly added names joining this wave include Sasha Keable, Girls Don’t Sync, Cliffords, The Guest List, Jack Cullen, The North, Cornwall Rock Choir and more — the kind of additions that fill out a festival bill nicely and often produce the surprise sets people talk about on the drive home.
And beyond the music, this is Boardmasters — which means the WSL surf competitions at Fistral Beach, clifftop sunsets, yoga with sea views, skate, comedy, late-night sessions and street food on the cliffs. There are worse ways to spend a summer weekend.
Tickets including weekend camping, day tickets and coach bundles are on sale now at boardmasters.com.