All Things Go DC has revealed its full 2026 lineup for the festival's 12th edition, taking place this September at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Hayley Williams and Mitski anchor the three-day event as headliners, with Williams performing under her solo project "the Hayley Williams Show" rather than as the Paramore frontwoman.
The festival rounds out its card with emerging and established indie and pop acts. Ethel Cain, the Louisiana singer-songwriter whose concept album "Perverts" established her as a major voice in contemporary alternative music, appears on the bill. Pop artists Zara Larsson and Slayyyter also join the roster, bringing mainstream and hyperpop sensibilities respectively to the Maryland venue.
All Things Go has carved out a distinct identity as a boutique festival catering to fans of indie rock, bedroom pop, and alternative music. The DC edition competes with a sprawling landscape of mid-sized festivals nationwide, though it maintains loyal regional appeal through its consistent curation and established reputation. Williams' solo venture continues her exploration beyond Paramore's emo-rock framework, while Mitski's festival presence underscores her status as a generational alt-pop figure.
The 2026 lineup reflects current trends in indie and alternative music: a blend of established names (Williams, Larsson) with critically acclaimed newer artists (Cain) and boundary-pushing pop experimentalists (Slayyyter). This mix appeals to the festival's core demographic of college-aged and millennial listeners navigating a fragmented streaming landscape where genre distinctions have blurred considerably.
All Things Go DC occupies a sweet spot between major multi-genre festivals and niche genre-specific events. It offers enough star power to draw casual fans while maintaining credibility with music press and tastemakers who follow emerging artists.
WHY IT MATTERS: Festival lineups signal where indie and alternative music is headed; this roster shows the genre's continued embrace of experimentation and genre-blending artists.