Hometown festival organizers at Noise Pop Industries today announce the Phase 4 music lineup for their flagship music festival – Noise Pop Festival 2026 – by expanding the beloved Bay Area institution with new headliner shows, dozens of additional local support acts, and the return of signature festival experiences that extend beyond the stage.
Now featuring more than 140 total acts during its 33rd anniversary – with Bay Area artists now comprising the majority of the 2026 lineup – Noise Pop Festival stands apart as one of the largest annual paid-gig opportunities for local musicians in Northern California. The festival’s commitment to local booking underscores its role as a discovery-driven, community-rooted alternative to the modern mainstream festival model.
Notable Phase 4 lineup additions include:
• STEPHEN MALKMUS (Feb 23, Great American Music Hall): The Pavement frontman and indie rock icon brings his sharp wit and unmistakable guitar work to a rare and intimate festival showcase.
• WISP (Feb 24, Great American Music Hall): One of shoegaze’s fastest-rising new voices delivers hazy hooks and heavy atmosphere in a highly anticipated festival set.
• SUGAR CANDY MOUNTAIN (Feb 25, Rickshaw Stop): Oakland’s psych-pop favorite returns as festival alum with lush melodies and kaleidoscopic grooves tailor-made for the Noise Pop crowd.
• SHANNON SHAW (Feb 27, Kilowatt): The Shannon & the Clams frontwoman adds a second, newly announced show that follows an intimate KEXP Live pop-up the day prior on February 26, as the Oakland-born musician celebrates the release of her critically acclaimed debut album last year.
• ILLUMINATI HOTTIES (Feb 28, Bottom of the Hill – early show): Los Angeles’ “tenderpunk” project and Noise Pop alum welcome a special early afternoon matinee show that adds to the Bottom of the Hill Festival Farewell Concert Series, which honors the venue where Noise Pop was born alongside a limited-time photo exhibition in the venue that opens on February 12.
• SUN RA ARKESTRA (Feb. 28 and March 1, The Chapel): The legendary avant-garde jazz ensemble brings its cosmic sound and Afrofuturist legacy to Noise Pop with two immersive performances.
Noise Pop Festival also confirms the return of its annual free happy hour series at Bender’s Bar & Grill, a fan-favorite tradition that brings the festival’s community together ahead of nightly shows. Running February 24-28, the weekday-to-weekend series features a rotating lineup of local collectives and partners, including Do The Bay x Noise Pop x San Franpsycho (Feb. 24), Big Leap Collective (Feb. 25), White Crate (Feb. 26), Balanced Breakfast (Feb. 27), and Text Me Records (Feb. 28). Open to fans 21+ and free to attend, the series underscores Noise Pop’s commitment to accessibility, local culture, and gathering spaces beyond the main stage.
We don’t always have an official Phase 4 lineup, but this year, we just can’t stop adding great shows. It’s a privilege to keep doing what Noise Pop has always done best: spotlighting incredible artists while creating meaningful opportunities for the Bay Area music community. From new headliner sets to expanded local business participation, Phase 4 brings together iconic artists, emerging local voices, and community partnerships that extend the festival beyond the stage, while staying true to the independent spirit that’s defined Noise Pop for more than three decades – Kevin Arnold, Founder and Executive Director of Noise Pop Festival.
Plus, Noise Pop Festival organizers also welcome the return of the ‘Live on KEXP’ recording sessions, broadcasting live from 25th Street Recording in Oakland throughout the festival week. From February 24-27, intimate recording sessions from festival performers LYRICS BORN, ROGUE WAVE, LA DOÑA and PINK BREATH OF HEAVEN are broadcast on-air across the Bay Area by KEXP, with more artists to be announced.
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