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.
Full lineup and recaps below
Saturday
Sept 19 · Gates open 12:00pm
The Flying Vees - 12:30pm
You might remember them from winning XPN’s 24 Hour Song Challenge earlier this year. One of their prizes for “Workman’s Song #1” was a spot on the festival lineup, and they’re kicking off Saturday on the River Stage.
Zoe Lemon - 1:05pm
The Philly violinist and songwriter brought her tracks to an XPN Key Studio Session a couple of years ago and we’ve been a fan ever since. She plays the Marina Stage following her 2025 EP, A Coin in the Mouth of a Fish.
Mackenzie Johnson - 1:40pm
You’ve likely heard her on XPN as a two-time Song Challenge finalist. The Bucks County native takes the River Stage with an acoustic set featuring her latest release, “Feather.”
Grace Gardner - 2:20pm
Gardner moved to Philly from Texas and landed in XPN’s local rotation soon after, including a Key Studio Session and a spot on the station’s Philly Anthems project.
S.G. Goodman - 3:10pm
The Kentucky songwriter played both a Free At Noon and a World Cafe session last year behind her album Planting by the Signs. She takes the River Stage mid-afternoon.
Couch - 4:05pm
All seven members of this Boston group crammed into the World Cafe studio earlier this year to play songs off their debut record, Big Talk.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones - 5:05pm
Regulars on World Cafe, the Alabama soul outfit comes to Camden just a day after dropping their new four-song EP, Proxy.
Leif Vollebekk - 6:05pm
A former XPN Artist to Watch, the Montreal singer-songwriter returned to the station for a Free At Noon last year. He’ll be switching between piano and guitar for his set on the Marina Stage.
Portugal. The Man - 7:05pm
Saturday’s headliners have been XPN staples for years, going back way before “Feel It Still.” They close out the River Stage touring behind their latest album, SHISH.
Sunday
Sept 20 · Gates open 12:00pm
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
Night one of the 2026 XPoNential Music Festival closed with a performance from one of the most beloved acts in XPN history—California’s brother band Dawes. Despite this being their sixth appearance at the festival (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019, and now 2026), the River Stage crowd was on their feet as the group played their smooth, organ-laden brand of pop-rock. In between anthemic choruses and occasionally humorous lyrics, the band had soaring instrumental moments, a few featuring lead singer Taylor Goldsmith on guitar. The audience held their own as the band cut out for them to sing the last chorus of “When My Time Comes.” Midway through, they debuted a mostly spoken song called “The Cliff,” and revealed that they have a new album recorded.
In a very transparent moment, Taylor acknowledged the few recent years when the band had to unfortunately pull out of XPoNential, including when he found out that his child was due in the same month of the 2024 fest. Luckily, everything went according to plan in 2026, and Dawes was able to deliver an impeccable set on a perfect September night.
Before the band performed their last song, “All Your Favorite Bands,” Goldsmith gave the crowd a parting message: “we’ll keep showing up if y’all keep showing up.”
— Atticus Deeny
All set times are subject to change