Your point of entry into the festival’s new music centrepiece, which comes to Dalston this November.
Pitchfork Festival returns to London through the first week of November, swooping down onto the gigland hot spot that is Dalston for a packed all-day takeover on the 7th for a tantalising line-up of lesser-spotted, cool-as-fuck alternative artists. The lineup is always reliably lead by a genre-skipping mix of heavy hitters, which this year includes shoegaze behemoths DIIV, Manchester electronauts Working Men’s Club and francophonic experimental ravers Mandy, Indiana. But what really marks out the billing this year, as every year, are those names we’ve only seen on Pitchfork write-ups or online forums; artists from across the world heading to London for what is often their first ever UK show. Getting us in the headspace not just to stroke our chins, but to groove out onto the Kingsland Road too, we’ve ripped a bunch of tunes onto a CD-R, a mixtape if you will, of must-see acts playing this year.
ideasforconversations – ‘Dwm’
Transform yourself into a 16-bit raver and drip pixelated tears onto the dancefloor. ideasforconversations are a rising New York electronic duo mingling the blogcore textures of ear with the plaintive indie of The Postal Service. Our pick ‘Dwm’ comes from February EP ‘No Bad Words’ – it’s high energy, and it’s in its feelings.
DIIV – ‘The Fountain’
Shoegaze to soundtrack the apocalypse, ‘The Fountain’ introduced the world to DIIV’s socially conscious new album ‘ZIRP!’, released at the end of the month and produced by none-other than Charli XCX-partner-in-crime A.G Cook. Chunky guitars? Check. Lightsaber riffs? Check. The end of the world never dripped with this much rizz.
Mandy, Indiana – ‘Magazine’
Firm HoH favourites, Franco-English noise rock provocateurs Mandy, Indiana are a welcome headliner addition to this year’s Pitchfork festival bill. Our pick ‘Magazine’ comes from their critically acclaimed second album ‘URGH’ – released earlier this year via Sacred Bones – combining glitchy industrial experimentalism with an exorcism of ferocious, severe noise that will render your very full pint of beer a thing of the past.
cootie catcher – ‘Dumb lit’
Travelling all the way from Toronto, Canada for their highly anticipated London debut, Carpark Records’ jangle-twee indie rockers cootie catcher are an absolute must-see for us on this year’s Dalston Takeover bill. ‘Dumb lit’ – taken from their 2023 sophomore record ‘Shy at first’ – is a red sky at night, shepherd’s delight haze of hopeful, anthemic slacker rock joy, built for long, winding road trips with the homies, all your cares far away.
Robber Robber – ‘The Sound It Made’
Another North American act making their UK debut, Vermont post-punk shapeshifters Robber Robber are a tantalising proposition for fans of Water From Your Eyes or Honeyglaze, but with heaps of added bite. List pick ‘The Sound It Made’ – taken from their fantastic second album ‘Two Wheels Move The Soul’, released this year via Fire Talk – is a thundering, propulsive gut punch of twisted, experimental post-punk. Tip: would make a great alarm song if you’re looking to rack up some cortisol in the mornings.
Victoryland – ‘Fits’
They’ve just reissued their acclaimed January record ‘My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It’ on the prestigious Dead Oceans label, and their appearance at Pitchfork Festival marks NYC’s Victoryland’s first ever live shows in the UK. Exciting Shit. Our pick is mesmeric 6-minute epic ‘Fits’: It’s spellbinding, and sounds like if Television took on Krautrock and flew away into the stratosphere
Swapmeet – ‘Bonny’
Adelaide outfit Swapmeet issued one of indie rock’s standout records of 2026 with July’s ‘Mount Zero’, and ‘Bonny’ showcases the full spectrum of the whole enterprise in its 2-minute hypnosis. It evokes the quartet’s wistful acoustic intimacies, enchanting melodies and tight-as-hell songwriting, but also warns that they show no mercy when it comes to stomping down on the grunge accelerator either.
Sarah Meth – ‘Bromance Is Dead’
Dalston Takeover attendees not yet acquainted with the dreamy, balladic enchantments of London singer-songwriter Sarah Meth are in for a treat. Fans of Beach House will likely find treasure in our pick ‘Bromance Is Dead’, a dewy, ripe peach of soft, nectary dream pop luring you into its gorgeous, plushy synths. Music for pining, preferably on a chaise longue or whilst staring wistfully into the mirror of your dressing table.
TURNSPIT – ‘DO I KNOW YOU?’
Enigmatic Leeds newcomers TURNSPIT have been going from strength to strength over the last year, and their clean sweep of plunging, atmospheric electronic bangers firmly caught our attention over at HoH HQ. Our pick ‘DO I KNOW YOU’ is strictly a lights-off and speakers cranked type beat – lit cigarette in hand and cool air whirling, softly swaying to its icy, icy beats.
lots of hands – ‘barnyard’
So-called ‘Twee-tronica’ is heading up the buzzlists in 2026, but Newcastle duo lots of hands were twinkling out gorgeously intimate tunes like ‘barnyard’ when they released the equally gorgeous album ‘into the pretty room’ back in January 2025. Circling, infinite, and aching with beauty, ‘barnyard’ is a masterstroke.
