Must-sees and unexpected extracurricular activities to complete your schedule this weekend at Larmer Tree Gardens.

End of the Road 2026 is here at last! Kicking off this Thursday, the festival returns to Larmer Tree Gardens with a dazzling lineup on offer. Regular readers will know what to look out for among headline sets from Geese, CMAT, Pulp and Mac DeMarco, bigger names like Ty Segall, Bassvictim, Fat Dog, Angine de Poitrine and Kurt Vile and exciting up-and-comers such as Shaking Hand, Spanish Horses, TTSSFU, big long sun and Alice Costelloe. Now, as you firm up those last decisions while digging out the camping gear, here are eleven must-sees you may not yet be absolutely locked in on, from the lineup’s hidden gems to bigger names you may be underestimating.

caroline

If you are weighing up the likely clash between caroline and Mac DeMarco on Friday night, let this be your sign to catch the former. The band produced one of our top albums of 2025 in the very literally named ‘caroline 2’. Built around euphoric peaks won by the ensemble’s intricate interplay and completed by inventive experimental approaches to composition (such as the misleadingly named ‘coldplay cover’, on which we hear two separate pieces of music fade organically into one another as a microphone passes between performances across two rooms). Their previous appearance at End of the Road was marred by line check issues as they balanced out their delicate live sound. There is no danger of any such trouble this time around. A headline slot on the Garden Stage gives them the luxury of a full soundcheck that morning, setting them up perfectly for a redemptive return to that idyllic setting. (Friday, Garden Stage, 21.45)

Milkweed

Milkweed uniquely blend folk storytelling with experimental production, making them a distinct outpost of the current revival of alternative folk music in Britain. Their recorded output draws on traditional instrumentation and melody, collages of found archival material and a kind of self-remixing production style. Live, the studio tricks recede, bringing the focus back to the core songs themselves. The result is a perfect complement to their records, similarly impactful but in a far more immediate and intimate manner. Recent performances of 2025 album ‘Remscéla’, complete with additional narrative detail in between songs, have made for some of their most powerful shows to date. (Friday, Garden, 16.30)

YHWH NAILGUN

The unbridled, maniacal cacophony YHWN Nailgun will be familiar to many readers of Hard of Hearing. Those that have yet to witness the searing live show from the New York frenzy should expect nothing but relentless intensity. Their palpitating sound seamlessly combines post-punk and electronic references in a hulking industrial wall of noise. And rest assured, they are as blistering live as they are on record. (Thursday, Woods Stage, 19.15)

PISS

Vancouver hardcore punks PISS are already commanding oversubscribed shows with a recorded output limited to three Bandcamp demos (aptly collected under the title ‘three demos’), their hype is centred on an indelible live sound. Live videos can only hint at the violence and pace of their shows, which focus around the screaming outpourings of vocalist Taylor Zantingh. The real thing will make for a sweaty cataclysm in an undoubtedly packed Folly. Get down early for this one. (Sunday, The Folly, 18.15)

Super Furry Animals

Welsh psych-pop heroes Super Furry Animals are an essential part of our Sunday night plans. Touring again after ten years, we are looking forward to a set packed with hits from across their wide discography. Willing outsiders to the ‘Britpop’ phenomenon, the band produced some of the era’s most accomplished records, legendarily blew a sizeable Creation Records advance on a rave tank, and ultimately became a defining influence on subsequent generations of Welsh indie bands. Newcomers intimidated by the band’s extensive discography would do well to take a listen to key albums ‘Radiator’ and ‘Rings Around the World’ beforehand, but this should make for a fun and diverse set for the uninitiated either way. (Sunday, Woods Stage, 19.00)

Bo Ningen

A late addition to the lineup, Japanese psychedelic space-rock cyclone Bo Ningen simply must be experienced upon their return to End of the Road. And they are just that: An experience. A mind-melting, intergalactic comet ride, a Bo Ningen live show is up there with any in the world. Upon conclusion, when your brain is nothing but pulp on the floor and walls, you realise no words could ever articulate what you just went through. (Sunday, The Boat, 20.00)

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek

It’s been a few years since Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek last played End of the Road. The outfit return in 2026 on the Friday, graduating from The Folly to The Woods and will be nothing short of enchanting, their sound touching on Anatolian folk and psych-funk. Evoking the likes of Selda Bağcan and Erkin Koray, along with modern day contemporaries Altin Gün, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek will be an absolute joy. (Saturday, Woods, 15.45)

Nina Winder-Lind

Fresh from the release of her splendid debut record ‘Wild Love’, Brighton-based multi-instrumentalist Nina Winder-Lind brings her band to End of the Road for the opening day, returning after an outstanding debut with The New Eves at last year’s festival. Coalescing avant-garde, art-rock, folk and elements of garage-rock with a searing primal energy, the West Country landscape will make for a fitting setting for Nina Winder-Lind. It’s going to be a truly spiritual experience. (Thursday, The Folly, 17.45)

Bab L’Bluz

Morrocco’s marvellous desert psych-blues shredders Bab L’Bluz are set to perfectly soundtrack the early afternoon this Saturday. Their transcendent and hypnotic sound will pull you into a dance to kick the day into gear and should be nothing short of wondrous. The band are set to reignite the energy after two busy opening days and fans of Mdou Moctar, Imarhan and Tinariwen may well find a new favourite band. (Saturday, Woods, 14.15)

Jeffrey Lewis and the Voltage

A DIY inspiration and defining voice of what came to be termed ‘anti-folk’, Jeffrey Lewis, with backing band The Voltage in tow, is always captivating live. Expect a career-spanning set, including life-affirming slacker anthems like ‘Alphabet’ and ‘Seattle’, as well as garage rock freakouts, all completed by Lewis’ expressive delivery. Be ready also for the ingenious interspersal of Lewis’ comic strip interludes, which can range from whimsical B-movie parody to condensed but surprisingly informative histories of, for example, Chilean Marxism. (Saturday, Woods, 15.45)

Kiran Leonard

A songwriter and guitarist who constantly pushes his virtuosity in the most ambitious of directions, Kiran Leonard is always worth catching live, whatever setup and instrumentation he is working with. For this show, we are particularly hoping he is joined by a sometime backing band composed of several members of caroline, which always makes for an outstanding set. (Saturday, The Folly, 19.45)

Plus… Our Non-Musical Highlights

There is plenty to enjoy between the music at End of the Road, from early morning workshops and pop-up art exhibitions through to the late-night DJ sets which close out each night. Here are some key non-musical highlights to look out for this year.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Live Playthrough)

It’s a surprise to see a live videogame playthrough at End of the Road, especially a videogame that was one of the most expensive games ever made, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is a grand piece of art featuring one of the all-time great stories in fiction. The Invada Records-curated cinema line-up on the Saturday at 12:30 (Invada themselves put out the rather excellent soundtrack via vinyl) features a playthrough with commentary by Calamity Calling. 

Outside of the crime-drama, RDR2 can be a meditative affair, revolving around foraging berries and plants and and going fishing and birdwatching. Given the agrarian themes, it is weirdly fitting within the End of the Road gardens, really. Here’s hoping for a high honour playthrough with lots of horse and dog praise. Maybe they can even visit the in-game cinema… whilst we’re sat in the cinema tent… WHOA… (Saturday, Cinema, 12.30)

Late-Night Games

Nestled in the site’s winding woods, the games area caters to all ages through the day, complete with all manner of amusements, from table tennis to chess to cornhole. After dark, however, the space is transformed. It’s amazing what DJs, a few beers and the cover of darkness can do to transform a game of giant Jenga into something unifying and momentous. If you can find it, this spot makes for the perfect waypoint on the way between dancefloors after dark.

Best Stick Competition

If the back-to-nature timbre of Red Dead Redemption 2 sounds appealing but the virtual approach just doesn’t quite cut it, you’re in luck! It is also somewhat possible to do such things in real life at End of the Road. A favourite focus is the annual ‘Best Stick’ competition, with lots of different categories. It’s a fun, silly experience and whilst the festival is always generally pretty chill, it is always nice to take it down one more gear by taking some time out walking around the forest, being fully present in the moment, and trying to figure out what you would deem the best stick in the woods. 

Set times liable to change. Full info and latest news at https://endoftheroadfestival.com.