Noise Pop Festival Unveils Phase One Lineup for 2026 Return to San Francisco

Noise Pop Festival will return to San Francisco for its 33rd year next winter, with organizers revealing the first wave of performers for the 2026 edition running February 19 through March 1.

The Bay Area’s signature celebration of independent music and arts will once again transform the city into a multi-venue showcase of live music, art, and community events. Festival badges and individual concert tickets are on sale now at NoisePopFest.com.

Headlining the 2026 Phase One lineup are Chicago post-rock innovators Tortoise, who are set to release their first new studio album in nearly a decade later this year, and Los Angeles experimental rap trio clipping., featuring Hamilton star Daveed Diggs. Also on the bill are The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, celebrating the 15th anniversary of their debut album, and DeVotchKa, returning to mark 20 years since Little Miss Sunshine with a special tribute performance.

Other highlights include Beats Antique, Shannon Shaw, The Joy Formidable, Vs Self, Summer Salt, and Christopher Owens, among others, with more artists expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“Noise Pop has always been about discovery – of new sounds, new spaces, and new ideas,” said founder Kevin Arnold. “Whether you’re seeing your favorite band in an intimate venue or stumbling upon your next obsession in a backroom club, that sense of shared magic is what keeps the Bay Area’s music scene alive.”

The 2026 event continues several long-running Noise Pop traditions, including its partnership with KEXP for a series of Live on KEXP at Noise Pop sessions. Local artists are invited to submit for a chance to perform during the festival and record a live session at Oakland’s 25th Street Recording studio, with one selected act also earning a spot at KEXP’s Vinelands Live showcase in San Francisco.

“We are so grateful to continue curating this festival for a thirty-third year,” said co-founder Jordan Kurland. “It’s always been a labor of love, and even after three decades and countless cultural shifts in this city, we’re still celebrating the creative spirit that makes the Bay Area so unique.”

Founded in 1993, Noise Pop Industries is the Bay Area’s longest-running independent promoter, known for championing emerging talent and pioneering the multi-venue festival model that influenced similar events nationwide. Past Noise Pop lineups have featured early performances by The White Stripes, Modest Mouse, Yoko Ono, Joanna Newsom, The Flaming Lips, Courtney Barnett, Death Cab for Cutie, and Grimes.

Artwork for the 2026 festival was created by Oakland illustrator Emma Atterbury, whose bold, skeleton-filled designs have been featured in national art shows and collections.

Noise Pop Festival 2026 will feature dozens of concerts, art shows, happy hours, and after-parties across San Francisco’s clubs, theaters, and galleries.

Tickets and festival badges are available now at NoisePopFest.com.