Livestream XPoNentnial Music Festival 2026 - WXPN

The wait is over: the 2026 XPoNentnial Music Festival is finally here!

All weekend, we’re hosting national artists such as Portugal. The Man, Dawes, Little Feat, Sierra Hull, Ratboys, and Leif Vollebekk. We’re also welcoming stellar local acts: Langhorne Slim, Devon Gilfillian, Mackenzie Johnson, and The Flying Vees (our 2026 24 Hour Song Challenge winners), to name a few.

See the full lineup with set times below

Friday

Sept 18 · Gates open 4:30pm

Te Vista — 5 p.m., Marina Stage

Local to Philly, but more local to Jersey, Te Vista kicked off XPoNential Festival 2026. But what is South Jersey if not an extension of Philadelphia? They’re a stylish bunch, with guitarist Niko Berardo in head-to-toe denim. Their rock sound is pretty retro, heavy drums and deep bass playing foil to delicate harmonies concocted by Berardo and fellow guitarist Ricky Hardin. The harmonies especially shone during “Made From You,” when bassist Grace Halter joined in on vocals, too. After playing a well-received Free At Noon and getting a bit of a standing ovation at today’s set, Te Vista is slowly becoming a local darling.

— Danielle Ciampaglia

Daniel Villarreal — 5:45 p.m., River Stage

The instrumental brilliance of Daniel Villarreal and his trio kicked off the River Stage performances for XPoNential Music Festival 2026, creating complex soundscapes through vibraphone (Victor Vieira-Branco), upright bass (Matt Engle), and drums. Originally from Panama City, the percussionist and band leader spent time in Chicago before forming his current group in Philly. It was easy to be swept away by the magical tones of the vibraphone, and Villarreal’s rhythms moved the band through dynamic ups and downs. Aside from the normal drums, his kit included a small gong-like cymbal, ride cymbal beads, and a separate string of shaker-like bells, adding unique texture to his performance.

— Atticus Deeny

Devon Gilfillian — 6:25 p.m., Marina Stage

Devon Gilfillian is grateful. He’s grateful to have so much family in the audience at today’s XPoNential Festival. Among them was his father, who a few years ago suffered a heart attack. That was a reminder for him of the harsh reality of our mortality, and now he takes this gratitude to the stage. Gllfillian reminded the crowd to hold onto the people close to you because you never know how long you have. He had a coolness about him that was infectious, and had the crowd up and dancing despite the late-summer heat.

— Danielle Ciampaglia

Cyril Neville Plays the Dead — 7:20 p.m., River Stage

As the sun set behind the Philly skyline, the Dead rose. Led by Cyril Neville, the six-piece band paid tribute to the Grateful Dead—amongst others—with a handful of tunes, automatically drawing a large crowd to the stage with “Touch of Grey.” Cyril began performing in New Orleans with his late brother Art during the late ‘60s and ‘70s as The Meters, and recently embarked on a Dead-inspired tour, a concept which translated quite well in the festival setting. “These are the best young musicians New Orleans has right now,” Neville declared, regarding his band. The mix of southern blues and classic rock had tons of people dancing—surely the greats would’ve been pleased by their soulful renditions. Shoutout to the eight-string guitar, five-string bass, and six-keyboard setup as well.

— Atticus Deeny

Budos Band — 8:15 p.m., Marina Stage

The ever funky Budos Band took its nine members onstage at XPoNential Music Festival to treat the crowd with almost an hour of horns, thrumming bass, and three types of percussion. There’s no words to their songs, but when they did speak, they called themselves “a cobra without fangs.” They might look dangerous, but ultimately they’re just sweethearts. Three fourths of the way through their set, a fireworks show started in the river in a sort of overwhelming amount of noise from both directions. Despite some technical difficulties and a surprise noisy competitor, the Staten Island funk outfit said they had the best night of their life.

— Danielle Ciampaglia

Dawes — 9:15 p.m., River Stage

One of our favorites here at WXPN, indie folk rockers Dawes will close out day one of XPoNential Festival.