Kelburn Garden Party returns in 2026 as Scotland’s fastest-growing multi-arts festival
Kelburn Garden Party returns this July to the enchanted grounds of Kelburn Castle, celebrating its
16th year of music, art, nature and adventure, as well as a landmark moment for Scotland’s
independent festival culture.
Now officially Scotland’s second-largest camping festival, Kelburn continues to grow while still
retaining the magic, intimacy, and creativity that have defined it since day one.
Taking place across four unmissable days 2-6 July, Kelburn Garden Party is set beneath ancient
woodlands at the foot of a spectacular Scottish glen, surrounded by waterfall plunge pools, secret
pathways, and the striking painted walls of the 13th-century Kelburn Castle.
The festival will host music across 14 bespoke stages, ranging from Scotland’s premier outdoor
electronic arena, the Landing Stage, to the far-flung Beech Plateau, a breathtaking venue nestled on a
wooded promontory some 30 minutes’ walk up the glen. Celebrating its new charitable status, the
Neverending Glen offers an immersive open-air gallery experience, featuring a record-number of
installations of multidisciplinary art hidden throughout the estate’s ancient landscape. Two brand-new
micro-venues will debut in 2026, rewarding curious wanderers willing to follow the paths deeper into
the landscape.
In the first phase artist announcement, Kelburn’s commitment to progressive club culture and
grassroots collaboration continues through a series of special stage takeovers. Edinburgh club
institution Sneaky Pete’s curate Thursday on the Pyramid Stage, while the essential Glasgow party
Subculture take over the Landing Stage on Friday, headlined by the pioneering French-born DJ and
producer Jen Cardini and featuring a rare b4b between the beloved Subculture residents.
The same stage welcomes Headset back to curate a night of cutting edge bass music, jungle and D’nB.
Award-winning rap sensation BEMZ brings his own M4 banner to Kelburn to curate the Saloon on
Friday and performing live with his full band on the much-loved Viewpoint Stage, while The Skinny
returns to curate the Pyramid Stage, spotlighting Scotland’s most exciting emerging artists. In a new
addition for 2026, Gilded Balloon joins the programme, introducing a dedicated comedy offering to
Kelburn’s expanding cultural landscape.
Further highlights include Sao Paolo’s BADSISTA’s signature blend of futuristic baile funk and electro. A
true pioneer of drum & bass and jungle, Bristol legend Krust brings his classic, much-imitated sound
to Kelburn, drawing on decades of influence from his work with Full Cycle, Reprazent.
Leon Vynehall pushes the boundaries of modern dance music, joins the lineup following the success
of his latest album for Ninja Tune, In Daytona Yellow, alongside a reputation for standout DJ mixes
across Radio 1, DJ-Kicks, Fabric Presents, and Resident Advisor. Glasgow sound-system heavyweights
Mungo’s HiFi return with their bass-driven blend of reggae, dub and global collaborations, reaffirming
their status as mainstays of Scotland’s club and festival culture.
Under his Quantic alias, Will Holland brings nearly two decades of soul-rich global sounds, blending
live instrumentation and electronics. High-speed club innovator SHERELLE storms the lineup with her
boundary-pushing, 160bpm-plus sound for her first ever Scottish festival show.
Globe-trotting producer Wallace will deliver his left-field electronic sound to Kelburn, following standout releases on
Studio Barnhus, Disco Halal and Rhythm Section, and numerous appearances at Berlin’s infamous
Panorama Bar.
Mercury Prize–nominated producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Emma-Jean Thackray
delivers her fearless blend of jazz, soul, pop and electronic music, following the release of her
acclaimed and deeply personal album Weirdo. BBC Introducing NI Artists of the Year Huartan fuse
Irish traditional song with electronic and industrial textures, reimagining Irish-language music through
powerful live performances.
Edinburgh-based project Indoor Foxes, led by songwriter Martha Barr, delivers heartfelt,
melody-driven pop and rock, pairing gut-honest lyrics with powerful, captivating vocals that have
quickly marked her out as a standout new voice. Following the viral success of “Mum does the
washing” spoken-word artist Joshua Idehen performs his urgent, life-affirming poetry blending
rhythmic narration with expansive electronic production.
Acid house purists Paranoid London bring their raw, distorted live show to the Landing Stage,
channeling the genre’s underground roots into rough, jack-heavy tracks built on overdriven machines
and no-frills intensity. Long-time collaborators Gerardo Delgado and Quinn Whalley have spent over a
decade turning dancefloors inside out, becoming festival favourites at Glastonbury, Dekmantel,
Movement and beyond.
The psychedelic electronic-pop project of Isle of Eigg songwriter Johnny Lynch, Pictish Trail delights
audiences with his signature mix of wonky synths, lo-fi folk and widescreen songwriting, ahead of his
forthcoming album Life Slime while London post-punk agitators Snapped Ankles bring their feral,
masked live show to Kelburn, fusing experimental electronics, dance rhythms and art-rock into an
exhilarating, pagan-tinged assault on the senses.
Glasgow punks SOAPBOX arrive armed with
razor-sharp politics and raw energy, quickly becoming one of Scotland’s most talked-about new bands
after sold-out shows, festival slots and a run of confrontational releases.
Self-styled “Mother of Afro-Rave” Toya Delazy delivers a fearless, high-energy collision of rap, rave and
Afro-futurist club sounds, honed through electrifying performances across the UK festival circuit. Skye
duo Valtos blur the lines between trad and electronic music, creating a euphoric, genre-defying sound
inspired by folk roots, club culture and the spirit of the Highlands.
For the full first phase line-up announced please see below, with last remaining tickets on sale now
here.
Supported by EventScotland’s National Events Programme, Kelburn Garden Party continues to push
boundaries in Scotland’s independent festival scene, balancing world-class talent with grassroots
values and a strong connection to its natural surroundings.
David Boyle, Director and Co-Festival Founder, said: “When we started The Kelburn Garden Party we
were, without doubt, lacking experience and blind to the challenges ahead of us, you might say naïve,
but we always had big dreams and a dogged enthusiasm to create something truly magical, full of joy
and creativity. What Kelburn has become, through the vision and belief of so many incredible creatives
and crew, and through the beautiful culture that has blossomed in the Kelburn community, is far
beyond my wildest imaginings. Kelburn to me, and I hope to many others, has become a shimmering
light in the murky waters of modern existence, a weekend of boundless joy and creative self expression,
where anything can happen, dreams are forged and where we can find hope in human nature.”
Chris Knight, Kelburn’s Head Programmer says: “A huge part of Kelburn’s success and appeal has been
down to our devotion to and support for Scotland’s underground clubbing, record label, radio and and
independent venue community, where diverse new talent and future stars are born and nurtured. The
likes of Sneaky Pete’s, Sub Club, Headset, EHFM and Bemz’s M4 Festival do the hard work all year
round to maintain the health of the Scottish scene, and it is our pleasure to represent their work in
2026 via stage takeovers.”
Rebecca Edser, Head of EventScotland, said: “I’m delighted that EventScotland is supporting Kelburn
Garden Party through the National Funding Programme for another year. It’s great to see the festival
return with another exciting and diverse line-up. The stunning surroundings of Kelburn Castle and the
natural beauty of the glen provide the perfect stage for the event, helping to encourage visitors to
Ayrshire, drive the Scottish economy and showcase our world-class tourism and events offering.”
HEADLINE LIVE ACTS ANNOUNCED
BEMZ
Bonfire Radicals
El Buho
Emma-Jean Thackray
Hodge
Huartan
Indoor Foxes
Jinje
Joshua Idehen
La Tromba
megaTRAD
Oby Onyioha & Sai Galaxy
Paranoid London
Pictish Trail
Snapped Ankles
Soapbox
Solo Banton
Soothsayers
Tanzana
The Menstrual Cramps
Toya Delazy
Valtos
HEADLINE DJs ANNOUNCED
Ash Lauryn
BADSISTA
Cooly G
Dom Servini
Earthly Measures
Jen Cardini
Krust
Leon Vynehall
Mango Park
Mattana
Mungo’s Hi-Fi
Quantic
Sean Johnson
Sherelle
Tigerbalm
Wallace