12 Names We Can’t Wait to See at Rock Werchter This Summer

A look beyond the headliners at twelve artists worth catching across Rock Werchter’s sprawling 2026 lineup.

Rock Werchter has built itself as a reputation in recent years as a festival that defies categorisation. You can’t label it into any one genre and that’s only a good thing – it’s one of the few festivals in Europe that can fuse big techno names like The Prodigy with heavier acts like House of Protection and still incorporate good local talent and established legends like David Byrne and the Cure into the mix as well. It has everything, no matter your tastes, no matter your genre – you’ll find something to love at Rock Werchter. I’ve attempted to best curate the chaos of the names for Werchter and direct you to acts, both big and small, that deserve your spotlight over the weekend. It’s going to be big.

The most recent wave of acts announced is Charlotte de Witte, Viagra Boys, Landmvrks, Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton and more added, in addition to the likes of SONS and Dressed Like Boys. Werchter is capable of combining acts that range from Belgium to New Zealand, rock to singer-songwriter, and the emerging talent that it puts next to big names is absolutely mental. Both are possible here – and the conditions, in the height of a Belgium summer, always allow  for a sun-drenched experience that will be a must-see experience for every music lover. Here’s these 12 names: but you’d be lying to yourself if one look at that mammoth lineup didn’t pull you in instantly. 

Whilst yes, there are the likes of the headliners – Twenty One-Pilots, Mumford and Sons and Gorillaz among them, this is a more introspective look at the line-up: what you might find beyond the beaten track. After all – if you go to Werchter and don’t step on the iconic Slope stage once, you’re missing out on the best festival experience in Europe. 

The Vaccines (02 July, The Barn)

The British Invasion of Rock Werchter is well and truly apparent this year and nothing is better suited to front that than The Vaccines, a mammoth indie act that you’ll know from their beloved 2011 record What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) and If You Wanna will have the energy flowing from the word go and the perfect place to bring in the sweeping nostalgia vibes of the Thursday. They’ve still got it, and are a crowd-pleaser as they come – as relevant as they are now as they were in their heyday. Embrace the nostalgic overload, there’s no point in running from it. 

Yard Act (02 July, Klub C)

James Smith from Leeds formed a band after renting out his spare room to Ryan Needham who was also active in the music scene. The post-punk outfit like singing about social exclusion and housing deprivation in a way that goads the audience – they’re aware they’re not hit-ready, but We Make Hits pokes fun at their brutal honesty and origin of the band itself. The lyrics are funny, and you’ll have a great time with their ability to make moshes and generate a ramped up energy.

PUP (02 July, The Slope)

“We are PUP. We’re from Toronto. We play loud music.” PUP introduced themselves to the world in 2010 in barnstorming fashion that arrived ready to kick the door down and not let up. Their name – short for “Pathetic Use of Potential” coined by bassist Nestor Chumak’s grandmother, who believed that anyone making rock music is wasting their talents. Thank god PUP didn’t listen – Who Will Look After the Dogs? Is now their fifth release, and their raw energy and chaos shows that the band deserves a Turnstile summer of their own. The pit will be mental. 

Wolf Alice (03 July, Main Stage)

Incoming BRIT AWARDS icons Wolf Alice are winners of the Mercury Prize in 2017 and have only gone from strength to strength since, influences ranging from everything to Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, shoegaze and folk – drawing from such a wide range of raw materials it’s impossible to pull away from. Quality is at the epicentre here – and The Clearing and Blue Weekend continues their consistent quality that they’ve kept up across all four albums. Silk continues to be monumental after Danny Boyle’s usage of it in the Trainspotting 2 sequel, defining a soundtrack for a new generation of music-fans as much as his legendary original film did. 

Viagra Boys (03 July, The Barn)

I’ve seen Viagra Boys three times now and the chaotic energy that they bring to the table is full of lively violence and witty humour. The Swedish post-punk giants benefit from frontman Sebastian Murphy’s unparalleled energy and witty humour – Best in Show Part IV feels like most band’s break from the chaos but in fact it’s sheer mythmaking at work – “I then proceeded to steal Poseidon’s trident from the Navy SEALS and they’ll never get it back / nor their access to heaven / if I grow up and get my own phrase I can wall through walls / I’m going to find an orb with god inside of it” – if you aren’t entertained by that, what will you be entertained by?

Charlotte de Witte (03 July, The Barn)

Headlining the barn is mammoth techno act Charlotte de Witte, making sure that as much as The Prodigy are there there’s going to be a real dance party at Werchter. The Belgian hometown techno giant will surely draw a crowd, the distinct sound makes her the star of a global electronic scene: you want to dance, you’ve come to the right place! Her music is unparalleled at getting you to just groove, and her hard-work ethic that embraces a grind-like mindset reflects in her rise to fame. 

The New Eves (04 July, The Slope)

Think The Wicker Man by way of The Last Dinner Party. The New Eves’ ethereal, otherworldly witchcraft is spellbinding and unnerving from the word go. It feels like you’d encounter the band playing in a field in rural Britan as much as you would at Werchter – and their unique ability to generate a sound that feels purely alien and entrancing feels like you’ve stepped into the plot of Ari Aster’s Midsommar. Come for the folky dance-y vibes, and you won’t be torn away from it. 

CMAT (04 July, Klub C)

It’s Euro-Country, baby. Having followed her rise from afternoon slot on End of the Road festival 2024 to Alexandra Palace CMAT, born Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, can handle the biggest stage possible, and if it’s Irish Country music you want to sing along to with a frontwoman capable of humour that can bring the house down; CMAT is your act, able to switch between seriousness and comedy at a second - Take a Sexy Picture of Me comes for the beauty standards of the entire music scene. Her music is influenced by the like of Dolly Parton and Katy Perry, and her music is set to go international after a mammoth leg of UK tour. Stadium ready? You bet – she’s just sold-out Ally Pally so Werchter’s Klub C is going to be heaving long before she sets on stage, even if it clashes with 04 July headliners Twenty One-Pilots or Gorillaz.

Man/Woman/Chainsaw (04 July, The Slope)

Man/Woman/Chainsaw are the art-pop five-piece act to watch, having already played well over a hundred gigs in hometown London and now look set to hit the big time. Their music evokes a DIY feel and a real sound of the summer: Adam & Steve evokes echoes of modern Black Country, New Road – and whimsical energy is perfect for getting your groove on. They are at the forefront of a new wave of British bands voted “most likely to” and Billy Ward, Emmie-Mae Avery, Vera Leppänen, Clio Harwood, Lola Cherry and Billy Doyle are destined for great things by now, surely. 

David Byrne (05 July, The Barn)

David Byrne, lead singer of the legendary Talking Heads, has just hit London and has just delivered arguably one of the best live shows ever performed. He hasn’t lost any of his maverick oddball energy since Stop Making Sense debuted as a feature length film in 1977, and his preaching of love and human experience is coupled with an evaluation of a post-COVID landscape and a need for connection and togetherness: perfect for a four-day festival. Byrne switches between songs from his solo records American Utopia and Who is the Sky? And Talking Heads classics like Psycho Killer and Burning Down the House like it was second to none, and The Barn is the perfect stage for him.

House of Protection (05 July, The Slope)

Rock Werchter hasn’t lost any of its heavier acts as of late and House of Protection, who I last saw supporting Architects at the 02, are absolutely worthy of your attention. They are a movement, an invitation to surrender to the beast – expect The Slope to absolutely go nuts when they come on as the veterans of extreme music bring a fusion of Massive Attack, Crystal Castles, The Prodigy and Fever 333 to the table with a unique blend that wears their heart on their sleeve. Stephen Harrison and drummer Aric Improta know what they’re doing – and they’re well worth your attention.

The Cure (05 July, Main Stage)

Of course, one headliner is allowed here. Famous for their three hour sets The Cure are a gigantic legendary act headlined by gothic legend Robert Smith. You know the Cure by now, there’s a reason why they’ve sold out their Sunday already. Be it The Lovecats or A Forest, their discography is full of greatest hits – literally – there’s no bad Cure song – and their influence on the goth music scene cannot be understated. To date, the band have played over 1,800 concerts – and given their mammoth touring schedule, there’s no reason you can see them slowing down just yet. Their most recent album, Songs of a Lost World, has debuted with rave reviews – and expect to see that as much as the hits in full flow. 

Both combination and day tickets are available, the day tickets for Saturday the 4th of July and Sunday 5th July are sold out, but a waiting list has been activated. Camping is part of the Rock Werchter experience, and tickets are available for a range of options from regular camping to lavish boutique tents for all the family.