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State Fayre 2026: The complete line-up deep dive
Americana comes to Essex this summer – take a closer look at the acts playing the inaugural State Fayre
With country music considered the fastest-growing genre in the UK today – especially among those under 30 – State Fayre is shaping up to be one of the most unmissable festivals of the summer for fans of all things country, rock, folk and Americana. Taking place just half an hour from London in Chelmsford, Essex, this major new festival showcases an eclectic lineup of both established stars and rising talent from across the globe.
Beyond the music, attendees will be pleased to find that the State Fayre experience is set to extend to the food, with the UK’s premium BBQ festival, Fume, curating a mouthwatering selection of BBQ from award-winning pitmasters and chefs, perfectly complementing the festival’s Americana-inspired vibe.
We’ve scoured the festival’s inaugural line-up and picked just a few highlights to get you started.
The headliners
Kings of Leon have long been a mainstay on the global festival circuit, animating vast crowds with their signature guitar riffs, explosive drums and rousing, anthemic choruses. Formed in Tennessee by the Followill brothers and their cousin, the band evolved from purveyors of raw Southern garage rock into arena-filling alt-rock icons. With nine studio albums to their name, they’ve built a reputation for memorable live shows, often enhanced by bold lighting and pyrotechnics. Offering setlists packed with instantly recognisable multi-platinum hits such as ‘Sex on Fire’ and ‘Use Somebody’, Kings of Leon feel uniquely qualified to headline the opening night of State Fayre’s inaugural festival.
The oft-dubbed “Queen of Alt-Rock Angst”, Alanis Morissette needs no introduction. With her seminal debut album Jagged Little Pill arriving at the cusp of the turn of the century, Morissette quickly became a cultural force and Y2K icon, soundtracking a generation’s coming of age. Armed with an inimitable mezzo-soprano voice and a gift for witty, cynical and confessional songwriting, she captured the mid-’90s zeitgeist with era-defining hits such as ‘Ironic’, ‘You Oughta Know’ and ‘Hand in My Pocket’, earning the 1996 Grammy for Album of the Year. Decades on, her legacy remains vital, as evidenced by her triumphant return to Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage last summer, which drew a huge, cross-generational crowd.
As the sun sets on the final evening of State Fayre 2026, who better to ward off the Sunday scaries than The Lumineers. Pioneers of the modern Americana sound, the trilby-toting outfit rose to global fame with ‘Ho Hey’ and ‘Ophelia’, sparking a run of 24 No.1 hits and selling out arenas worldwide. Formed in Denver by Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, their music blends folk and country influences with heartfelt storytelling. Renowned for their deeply affirming and cathartic live shows that often culminate in mass singalongs, The Lumineers are sure to offer a unifying, soul-stirring close.
Read about The Lumineers’s best touring anecdotes in our Stage Times interview.
American Country
Shrouded in mystery thanks to his affinity for fringed zorro-style masks, Orville Peck cuts a camp, rhinestone-bedecked figure in the American country music scene. Far from a novelty act however, Peck’s vocals and live shows are nothing short of mesmerising. Since bursting onto the scene in 2019 with his debut album Pony (featuring fan favourites such as ‘Dead of Night’ and ‘Roses Are Falling’), the South-African born, Los Angeles-residing singer has taken the industry by a storm. Aside from proving himself to be a sought-after collaborator, clocking up guest appearances from the likes of Kylie Minogue, Elton John, Willie Nelson and more, Peck has also doubled down on his prowess as a performer, appearing as Emcee in the Broadway show Cabaret just last year.
![Orville Peck - Dead of Night [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q3esGD6lcMM/0.jpg)
Hayden Blount
At just 23, Hayden Blount arrives at State Fayre Festival as one of country music’s most compelling next-gen voices. Hailing from Savannah, Tennessee, the self-taught singer-songwriter delivers a raw, guitar-and-fiddle sound rooted in his own brand of ‘rural realism’. Inspired by fellow country crooners like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, Blount’s music favors honesty over gimmicks, opting for stripped-back melodies and characterful vocals. After early independent releases, his breakout tracks and 2024 EP Up, Out, and Leaving showcased his songwriting chops, with tracks like ‘Good God, Hot Damn’ and ‘Heaven On Earth’ clocking up millions of streams.
A name like Buffalo Traffic Jam is sure to stand out on any line-up poster, but here’s why they’re worth going along to. Formed whilst at university in Montana, Frankie Cassidy and Nathan Ross began playing covers before landing upon their own stripped-back, acoustic sound. Think warm, atmospheric folk rooted in storytelling traditions and heartfelt lyrics that conjure open landscapes and cinematic sunsets. You might recognise their evocative hit single ‘Fool’s Gold’ with its rich instrumentation and winding mandolin lines, but make sure to have a listen to their latest release ‘Hanging on Hope’ which is sure to transport festival goers to an arid land far, far away from Chelmsford.
British Legacy
Fronted by the enigmatic Johnny Borrell, Razorlight are set to bring their post-Britpop brand of indie rock to State Fayre. Formed as a result of Borrell’s now-legendary ad in NME where he announced his search for guitarists who could play the pentatonic scale (so the story goes, Björn Ågren was the only person to respond), Razorlight made a splash in the early 2000s with their debut Up All Night (2004). Today, they’re best known for their punchy, melodic hooks and urgent lyrics, as displayed across countless anthems including ‘America’, ‘Golden Touch’ and ‘In the Morning’. Revered for their electrifying live performances that have seen them share stages with the likes of Oasis and Queen, this is an incredible opportunity to see British indie rock royalty on home soil.
Originating from Merseyside, The Coral are undoubtedly one of the UK’s most idiosyncratic and enduring guitar bands. Led by James Skelly’s distinctive, blues-tinged vocals, their sound oscillates uninhibitedly between ‘60s garage rock, psychedelic pop and folk, blending Merseybeat charm with a loose, bluesy swagger, and the occasional sea shanty thrown in for good measure. Breakout tracks like ‘Dreaming of You’, ‘Pass It On’ and ‘In the Morning’ helped to define their early success, whilst their reputation for thrilling and unpredictable live shows has kept fans coming back for more.
Famously made up of two pairs of siblings, Romeo and Michele Stodart, and Sean and Angela Gannon, The Magic Numbers are a four-piece powerhouse whose blend of harmony and heart has made them one of the UK’s most beloved bands. Their Mercury Prize-nominated eponymous debut introduced timeless anthems like ‘Forever Lost’, ‘Love Me Like You’ and ‘Love is a Game’, selling over a million copies and earning double platinum status. Elsewhere, they’ve toured with music royalty such as Neil Young, Sonic Youth and Morrissey, and put out five critically-acclaimed albums with new material in the works.
Rising Stars
Hopping over from Amsterdam, sisters Sarah and Julia will be bringing their thoughtful songwriting and haunting harmonies to the bill. Shaped by their shared upbringing and influenced by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Bon Iver and Joni Mitchell, their delicate indie-folk sound weaves contemplative storytelling with intertwined vocals. Tracks like ‘Cairngorms’ from their debut EP How Do We Go Back To Being Normal? (2024) quickly resonated online, while newer material from Only Making It Worse (2025) has seen the duo grow into captivating live performers, earning praise for their intimate, emotionally charged sets across European stages.
Read our interview with Sarah Julia here.
Growing up in a musical family alongside his sisters Johanna and Klara (AKA Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit), 21-year-old Isak Benjamin is following in the footsteps of his siblings, establishing a burgeoning musical career that belies his modest Spotify catalogue. Having already performed at a sold-out Avicii Arena and toured the US, Benjamin’s debut EP, Never Look Down (2025), blends indie-folk arrangements with expansive melodies, drawing inspiration from Sam Fender, Bleachers and Tom Petty. Heavily endorsed by Spotify and Apple Music playlists, and with live highlights including appearances at Way Out West and Nashville Nights, Benjamin is undoubtedly one of Sweden’s most exciting emerging voices right now.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised on a diet of Frank Sinatra and Dolly Parton, Ava Hall is a rapidly rising country talent whose timeless voice and poignant lyrics have been turning industry heads. Her fiddle-flecked debut single, ‘Georgia Heat’ has already racked up almost half a million streams and perfectly exemplifies Hall’s knack for authentic Midwestern-rooted storytelling and melodic pacing. Her follow-up, ‘What About Yours’, co-written with Nashville songwriter Johnny Clawson, delivers a more emotionally resonant and introspective side of her artistry, whilst hinting at the mastery of her upcoming debut EP.
British & Irish Country
Channeling transatlantic inspiration from both Irish and American traditional music, DUG is composed of Irish and Scottish songwriter Conor Lorkin O’Reilly and Californian banjo player Jonny Pickett. Blending driving folk rhythms with bluegrass energy, their sound feels both timeworn and refreshingly modern. Their breakout single ‘Jubilee’ earned rare recognition with two Grammy shortlist nods, and served to showcase their propensity for bridging continents and traditions through the medium of tight harmonies and propulsive strings. Their debut album Have At It! , released in September 2025, sees DUG build steadily on that momentum, cementing them as an infectious, foot-tapping contemporary force on the live folk circuit.
Backed by her road-honed band, singer-songwriter Elles Bailey’s raw, smoky vocals blend Southern soul, British grit, and hard-earned authenticity. The Bristol-born artist found her voice early (its signature rasp shaped by childhood illness) and grew up on Chess Records classics before carving her own path through relentless touring schedules. Her breakout track ‘What’s The Matter With You’ arrived in 2019, and since then Bailey has been rewarded with major accolades such as Live Act of the Year and Vocalist of the Year and Artist of the Year (two years running) at the UK Blues Awards. Elsewhere, she’s performed alongside artists such as Van Morrison and Rag’n’Bone Man, as well as bolstering her CV with a weekly show on Planet Rock Radio which she has hosted since 2022.
Muireann Bradley brings a rare sound to the line-up, reviving the spirit of early 20th-century country blues and ragtime guitar with remarkable authenticity. Hailing from County Donegal, the teenage guitarist and singer has honed her craft since the age of nine, mastering intricate fingerpicking well beyond her years. Drawing from icons like Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, her latest EP introduces her first-ever original track, ‘No Name Blues’, a satisfying reimagining of the traditional murder ballad where instead of our female protagonist’s demise, she exacts her revenge. Having recently performed Bob Dylan’s ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ for Mahogany Sessions and appeared on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, Bradley is a truly unmissable live act.
State Fayre festival takes place 26-28 June 2026 at Hylands Park, Chelmsford – find tickets here
Photo credits Tim Mosenfelder/WireImag, Gary Miller, Iwi Onodera/Getty Images
