By Danni Scott
Copyright metro
Lewis Capaldi will headline Isle of Wight Festival in 2026 (Picture: Matthew Baker/Getty Images)
One of the most anticipated festivals of 2026 has finally revealed who will headline — and it’s ‘one of the best line-ups yet’.
The Isle of Wight Festival has stepped up its game for 2026, pulling in some epic headliners while rival Glastonbury takes a fallow year.
After a triumphant return to performing, Lewis Capaldi has been announced as a headliner alongside Calvin Harris and legends The Cure.
The 28-year-old singer took time off after being diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, which derailed his Glastonbury performance in 2023.
His return to music, which officially began with a secret set at Glastonbury 2025, was met with an emotional outpouring from fans.
Lewis’ first tour back was highly anticipated and sold out quickly, with Metro praising it as ‘a testament to resilience’.
This is the festival’s ‘best line up yet’ (Picture: Isle of Wight festival)
The popular festival will run from Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 21 in 2026 at Seaclose Park in Newport, Isle of Wight.
Lewis will also headline BST in Hyde Park in July, which has a capacity of 65,000 per show — around 10,000 more than IOW but 35,000 less than his Glastonbury return.
This is the first UK show announced for legendary band The Cure in 2026 but they are set for an epic festival run which includes Primavera and Rock en Seine.
Frontman Robert Smith joined Olivia Rodrigo on stage at Glastonbury last year, performing two of the band’s biggest hits with the 22-year-old Sunday headliner.
Olivia’s guitarist Arianna Powell told Guitar World she ‘started crying’ when the Just Like Heaven icon was confirmed.
‘He was so cool,’ she said. ‘He was leaving his dressing room door open for us to hang out. He wanted to talk and be social.
The Cure are set to close the festival on Sunday (Picture: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)
Frontman Robert Smith performed at Glastonbury with Olivia Rodrigo (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
‘Through conversations with him, he was just saying, ‘It’s just another show.’ And he was talking about how much he enjoys performing, and he loves it every time.’
The Cure are set to close the 2026 festival, with Lewis taking the Friday opening gig and Calvin bringing his string of hits to Saturday night.
It’s been a while since the UK has been treated to a Calvin headline set, with him spending much of the 2025 festival season in Ibiza.
While there are still more names to come, the lineup looks stacked already with US star Teddy Swims and indie icons The Kooks on the poster.
Also announced are Tom Grennan, Wet Leg, The Last Dinner Party, Anastacia, Sex Pistols (Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock) featuring Frank Carter, Jo Whiley, David Gray, KT Tunstall, Shed Seven, Starsailor, Suzanne Vega and Rick Astley.
Saturday headliner Calvin Harris has been missing from UK festivals in 2025 (Picture: John Parra/Getty Images for Fontainebleau Miami Beach)
Festival director Caroline Giddings said: ‘It might be our best line-up yet. It’s my favourite so far, at least. We’re proud to put the future of music and current stars on a bill alongside artists like The Cure and the Sex Pistols, who helped lay the foundation of pop culture.’She added: ‘The festival has always been an extension of the Isle of Wight’s rich cultural history. From Lewis Carroll and Tennyson to Julia Margaret Cameron, the island has been a source of inspiration for artists through time.
‘We always try to honour that by presenting the very best music has to offer, giving people an unforgettable festival experience in the process.’
Tickets for the Isle of Wight 2026 will go on sale at 8am on Wednesday, October 1 via the festival’s website.
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