Wychwood Festival 2026: Line-up revealed and major change announced for Cheltenham Racecourse event
A major change has been announced for family-friendly Wychwood Festival as 2026 line-up also revealed.
The Leveller, Feeder, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor are among the latest additions to the line-up for this summer's Wychwood Festival - which is set to run across four days for the first time. Held at Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire, the event is marking its 20th anniversary between May 29 and 31.
Topping the bill, Levellers join the already confirmed headliners, Kaiser Chiefs, with Feeder, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Boney M, The Pigeon Detectives, Newton Faulkner and Chesney Hawkes also joining the line-up.
The festival has also revealed it will open gates on the Thursday for the first time, alongside an increased capacity at the scenic Cotswolds site. Thursday night will be headlined by Dutty Moonshine Big Band, with the Friday night headliner and more names still to be revealed.
Elsewhere, the likes of The South, The Subways, Dub Pistols, The Wedding Present and Tankus will also appear, coupled with a host of newcomers, including Adult DVD, Elles Bailey, Pale Blue Eyes, Bloodworm, Hunny Buzz, Pia Rose and more.
Away from the traditional music, Shrek musical tribute The Ogretones will perform, while Shaun Williamson's Barrioke, and Taskmaster creator Alex Horne’s The Horne Section will also join the fun, as well as James B Partridge Primary School Bangers, Hip Hop Karaoke, 3 Daft Monkeys, Mr B Gentleman Rhymer, The X&Y, and Witney Soul Club.
Around 20 comedy acts are also set to take to the stage, including Henning Wehn, Patrick Monahan, Javier Jarquin, Jonny Awsum, Duncan Oakley and more.
Wychwood was crowned Family Festival of the Year at the UK Festival Awards 2025, and features hundreds of family-friendly activities, arts, comedy, children’s literature and workshops.
Festival director, Graeme Merifield, said: "Reaching our 20th anniversary is a huge moment for Wychwood, and this lineup reflects everything we love about the festival. Opening on Thursday for the first time and expanding to four days feels like the perfect way to extend the good times and offer more to our incredible community.
“This year we wanted to bring some big names to the bill to show the ambition of where we’re heading, while also marking this momentous anniversary year with some friends who have played an important part of our journey from the start, and will ignite those cherished memories in the crowd for so many.
"From Kaiser Chiefs’ anticipated debut to one of our most-loved and requested headliners of all time, Levellers, 2026 is shaping up to be our most exciting year yet - and there’s even more still to come."
The 20th edition of Wychwood Festival takes place between May 29 and 31 at Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire. The pre-sale opens on Monday (February 9) at 6pm, with general tickets on sale from 10am the following day via the Wychwood Festival website.