Kilby Block Party 2026
May 15-17th, 2026 | Written and photographed by Regan Jones
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It’s been circulating the internet recently that there’s a possibility that Kilby Block Party is the new Coachella. And while I can’t speak to comparisons since I haven’t made a trip out to the desert yet, I can say they know how to put on a legendary music festival over in Salt Lake City. To capture lightning in a bottle is not an easy thing to do, and the line-up for this year’s fest is a clear example of the Kilby team’s dedication to providing just that.
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For the first day of the fest, indie music fans both old and new found heavy-hitters like Louisville’s Wombo, the post-punk expertise of Dry Cleaning, and the timeless sound of Snail Mail. From there, the breakout experimental pop group Chanel Beads cemented their rise with a killer set at the desert stage — possibly presenting the hardest decision all weekend with Father John Misty across the festival at the Lake Stage. Genre strongholds, Japanese Breakfast and Modest Mouse, then took their respective stages. All of these artists stand so strongly on their own, so to have them play one after the other was like marathon clad in good taste. And the finish line to this race was none other than Turnstile. Following their NEVER ENOUGH tour, the Baltimore punk band hit the festival circuit; with Kilby coming shortly after their explosive Coachella performance. The energy felt incomparable. When a band is so dedicated to the art of creating a moment for those that are in the crowd, it pays off in spades.
After a stacked line up, and crowd-surfing galore, Kilby Block Party day one came to a close in a tight-knit mosh pit. What a dream it was to witness this historic start to an iconic weekend.
As day two revved up, Kilby continued to show its hand at memorable experiences. YHWH Nailgun, an experimental rock group from Philadelphia, was the first to step in front of my lens — proving that an early set time has nothing on both artist and fan alike. It’s almost as if they grabbed the mic to set the tone for Saturday. If day one was a timeless classic, day two was a masterclass in authenticity. Each artist that took the stage wore their heart on their sleeve, showcasing why the Kilby crowd gathered in the thick May air of Salt Lake at each stage.
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Following YHWH Nailgun on the Kilby stage was another Pennsylvania native, Feeble Little Horse. Complete with a story on being scammed in the SLC airport, Feeble Little Horse’s set put shoegaze on the Kilby map in a big way. Next came Jane Remover on the Mountain Stage, to an almost sold-out crowd if we had been planted in a traditional venue. As soon as they took the stage, it was clear this was a pivotal moment for the day. The energy was radiating off the crowd like a heat wave, with crowd-surfers and hands flying. Even as the photographers were ducking and weaving in the chaos, almost every single one had a smile and childlike wonder in their eyes about what we were collectively capturing — an authentic display of passion. The upward trend of the day only continued to show itself with Between Friends taking on the Lake Stage next. The pure scale, both in crowd and stage presence, was awe-inspiring. Laced with excitement and pure electric pop, Between Friends elevated their 3:55pm slot to nearly headlining status.
Through and through, the next artists to play brought their own unique experiences to those who were lucky enough to catch them. Dehd, The Last Dinner Party, Lucy Dacus, and Alex G, all brought their unbridled, emotional rock energy. (And a special nod is in order to hearing Night Shift from Lucy Dacus live for the first time in 2026— thank you Kilby!)
To close out the monumental second day, The XX captured the day’s anticipation like a shoot star. After an eight year hiatus, the London trio has only been reunited since April of this year. But after their immovable, dream pop performance, it seemed as though not even a day had passed since the last time they were making music together. It was clear they were glad to be back, and what a beautiful experience to have Kilby welcome them with open arms. As day two came to a close, the excitement only continued to build ahead of what was in store for day three.
It’s likely impolite to choose a favorite day of a three day festival, but it does almost seem as though the team behind Kilby Block Party was saving the best for last heading into Sunday’s festivities.
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If day one was a marathon, day three was an ultra for indie heads. To start us off, Folk Bitch Trio serenaded the Kilby Stage with their effortless harmonies, followed by the 2010’s expertise of Mustard Service. This is Lorelei rang in the reason for the season — this season of Kilby being just how many stellar artists you can fit into one afternoon. The Norwegian art pop group Smerz went on shortly after, enveloping the Lake Stage in a cool girl dream. Comprised of Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt, the Kilby crowd was invited into their vividly detailed and tranquil world. It was almost as if they were able to transform a crowd of thousands of people into a quiet, yet upbeat, living room session.
From there synth-rock legends TOPS took on the Mountain Stage, with Freak Slug joining the ranks shortly after. Then came American Football, gifting the Kilby crowd with their blueprint Midwest emo sound. To see such a genre giant on the same grounds as so many other incredible artists could have been enough, but American Football elevated their set to another level by bringing out Hayley Williams to sing their collab Uncomfortably Numb. The high of experiencing two once-in-a-lifetime artists sharing the stage only continued as Magdalena Bay was next to perform on the Lake Stage. Their energetic dream-pop set provided a much needed levity to grey, rainy skies that had rolled in on Salt Lake. They had transported Kilby into trippy-pop heaven, and the crowd was enjoying every second.
Next came the big three. It’s hard to put into words how extraordinary it felt to have Hayley Williams, Blood Orange, and Lorde play back to back to back in the drizzling rain. Filled to the brim with iconic moments, including this line-up being Hayley Willams’ first time playing a festival as a solo artist and Blood Orange opening his set with a cover of How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths (along with Best to You, Chosen, and You’re Not Good Enough straight through). Only for Lorde, whose set was her first time ever playing in Salt Lake City, to deliver an explosive, emotionally raw performance to end the amazing weekend.
Lorde’s final bow, with Ribs, saw some 30,000 strangers singing “You’re the only friend I need” to one another. A poignant, and picturesque, encapsulation of Kilby Block Party 2026.
