Summer Camp reveals phase 1 lineup for 2026 return

February 16, 2026

Summer Camp locks in its comeback with a genre-hopping Phase 1 lineup, warming up the campfire for its 25th anniversary.

Summer Camp Music Festival has officially returned to the conversation, and it has done so with a Phase 1 lineup that has reassured fans that the long-running Midwest staple has very much been alive and plotting. The 25th anniversary edition has been set for May 21–24, 2026, at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois, marking the festival’s first true return since 2023.

Organizers have already confirmed EOTO as a headliner, and the initial artist wave has leaned heavily into Summer Camp’s anything-goes identity. Electronic, jam, hip-hop, funk, bluegrass, and rock worlds have collided once again, with names like Two Friends, Big Gigantic, Manic Focus, Maddy O’Neal, Greensky Bluegrass, Lettuce, Marc Rebillet, 2 Chainz, Tech N9ne, Mike Posner, and SunSquabi all joining the bill. If genre lines have existed, they have already been thoroughly trampled.

Jam fans have also been given plenty to chew on, as STS9, The Floozies, Yonder Mountain String Band, Andy Frasco & The U.N., and The Werks have rounded out a lineup that has felt tailor-made for wandering between stages with zero schedule discipline.

Notably, longtime hosts moe. and Umphrey’s McGee have remained absent from the 2026 roster. Organizers have acknowledged the change, wishing both bands well while emphasizing a renewed focus on fresh faces, returning favorites, and a four-day camping experience that still feels unmistakably like Summer Camp.

The road to this announcement has not been smooth. Following the cancellation of Solshine Reverie and a scrapped 2025 Memorial Day event, fans have spent months refreshing social feeds and questioning the festival’s future. Founder Ian Goldberg has since addressed communication gaps, citing internal changes and thanking the community for its patience.

With tickets now on sale and more announcements expected, Summer Camp has entered its 25th year sounding confident again. The message has been clear: the festival has stumbled, regrouped, and come back swinging — and it has brought enough genres to start at least three arguments at the campsite.