Atlanta's Shaky Knees has never been afraid to go deep on the guitar-forward, left-of-center side of the bill, and the 2026 edition, running September 18–20 at Piedmont Park, might be its strongest yet.
Announced just this week, the lineup skews heavily toward rock's current vanguard with enough nostalgia sprinkled in to make it a genuinely interesting three days.
Friday: The Night Rock Needed
The Strokes technically headline Friday, but the more compelling conversation sits just below them: Turnstile, Geese, and Fontaines D.C. on the same night is a rare alignment of three bands genuinely pushing rock forward in different directions. Snow Strippers bring a darker, cinematic mood to the proceedings, while Danny Elfman, Hot Mulligan, and Ben Howard offer texture across the day. Emo cult favorites Cartel, Alice Phoebe Lou, and Goldford round out a Friday that rewards patience and exploration.
Saturday: Deep Cuts for the Devoted
Twenty One Pilots headline Saturday and will draw the biggest crowds of the weekend. But further down the bill is where things get interesting: Pierce the Veil, The Prodigy, and Pavement anchor a second tier that hits hard across genres, while Jimmy Eat World, Blood Orange, Taking Back Sunday, and Peach Pit cover a wide emotional range. Keep an eye on Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Geordie Greep, Elio Mei, Villanelle, Congress the Band, and Sophie's Body — Saturday's deep cuts are genuinely exciting.
Sunday: A Wild Closing Statement
Gorillaz close out the weekend in typically unpredictable fashion, flanked by LCD Soundsystem and Wu-Tang Clan in a top three that leans deliberately left of center. Knocked Loose, Modest Mouse, Japanese Breakfast, and Santigold fill out a Sunday that defies easy categorization. Don't sleep on Coheed and Cambria, Fcukers, The Two Lips, Violet Grohl, Big Special, Cardinals, and GarbageBarbie rounding out a surprisingly deep closing day.
Pre-sale begins Thursday, February 26 at 9 AM ET. Catch artists from across this lineup streaming on HEADY.FM.
Full Lineup by Night
Friday, September 18
- The Strokes
- Turnstile
- Fontaines D.C.
- Geese
- Danny Elfman
- Hot Mulligan
- Snow Strippers
- Ben Howard
- Alice Phoebe Lou
- Goldford
- Cartel
Saturday, September 19
- Twenty One Pilots
- Pierce the Veil
- The Prodigy
- Pavement
- Jimmy Eat World
- Blood Orange
- Peach Pit
- Taking Back Sunday
- Minus the Bear
- Wolf Alice
- The Rapture
- Congress the Band
- Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
- Geordie Greep
- Elio Mei
- Villanelle
- Cruz Beckham
- Rehash
- Rum Jungle
- The Inspector Cluzo
- Hotel Fiction
- Sophie's Body
- Songs for Kids
Sunday, September 20
- Gorillaz
- LCD Soundsystem
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Knocked Loose
- Modest Mouse
- Japanese Breakfast
- Santigold
- Coheed and Cambria
- Jet
- OK Go
- Fcukers
- American Hi-Fi
- The Two Lips
- Violet Grohl
- Cardinals
- Big Special
- Porch Light
- Showing Teeth
- GarbageBarbie
- Songs for Kids
