Innings Festival 2026 - Highlighting Millennial Nostalgia Through Music

Innings Festival 2026 is back in full swing!

Over three days, attendees saw notable bands such as Sublime, Blink 182, Marcus Mumford, Dashboard Confessional, and more. This year is the perfect blend of millennial moody angst and hope for the festival circuit that we’re finally back to lineups that encapsulate the best music. Paired with MLB legends and you’ve got yourself the perfect weekend in Arizona.

Taking place at Tempe Beach Park this years festival brought a major win for festival attendees - astroturf (because if you know, you know). More astroturf means less dust flying around, which was crucial especially for Friday when the winds and cooler temperature were noticeably present. Read on below for our top sets at Innings Festival 2026.

Dontrelle Willis by Charles Reagan for Innings Festival 2026

Friday Highlights:

Ok Go Turned Their Set into a Red Carpet Interview:

Ok Go by Nathan Zucker for Innings Festival

Ok Go was a surprising crowd favorite. The energetic immersive set took place mid-day on Friday and not only gave fans a glimpse into their high energy performance but their willingness to connect with fans. Throughout the set, frontman hilariously did a Q+A with festival-goers. Fans were randomly selected to ask questions answered on the spot. “Where is the confetti,” one fan asked. “You could have had a good day, but thanks to nature,” frontman Damian Kulash coyly quipped as for the reason for the lack of confetti for this performance. At some point, fans learned keyboardist Andy Ross is a huge baseball fan and the dream was to be starting pitcher (although he thinks he may have landed as a second baseman). To which Kulash added, “you can’t sell yourself short in your fantasy.”

The set was nothing short of entertaining and leaving fans waiting in high anticipation for a few of the classics. “Get Over It” and “Here It Goes Again,” a power-pop classic that was held to the very last moment. Of course, it was well worth the wait. 

GroupLove Encourages Unity and Connection Through Art:

Grouplove by Charles Reagan for Innings Festival 2026

If there was a through-line threading its way through the festival grounds, it was this: love and connection aren't just nice-to-haves anymore -they're essential. Artists seized their moments in the spotlight to push positivity into the crowd, offering flickers of hope in uncertain times. Grouplove understood the assignment.

Fresh off dropping their sixth studio album, the band delivered a set drenched in '90s alt-rock nostalgia and raw, kinetic energy. Mid-set, co-vocalist Hannah Hopper pressed pause on the chaos to get real with the audience. Her message? We need more art—it's the glue that binds us together. She urged everyone to chase their creative impulses, to go wherever inspiration calls. Then, as if on cue, the band launched into "Tongue Tied," their breakthrough anthem that still hits like lightning.

For a group that's criminally underrated, Grouplove proved exactly why festival crowds need them. They even unveiled "Shusha," a brand-new single that doubles as a love letter to self-acceptance—embracing the messy, complicated, beautiful parts of yourself because, well, they're yours.

The set closer? "Colors." It was the perfect full-circle moment, hammering home the entire performance's ethos: see the world in technicolour, love every fragment of who you are, and never apologize for it.

Goo Goo Dolls: Music Vets Prove They've Still Got It:

GooGoo Dolls for Innings Festival 2026 by Dusana

Two decades deep into their career, and the Goo Goo Dolls haven't lost a single step. Commanding the Home Plate stage, the band delivered a clinic in arena rock showmanship that left the massive crowd absolutely floored. Over a blistering 90-minute set, they tore through their catalog with surgical precision while fans hung on every chord progression and vocal hook.

The moment that broke the dam? Their eternal anthem "Iris," naturally—a song that still manages to reduce entire venues to emotional wrecks. Frontman John Rzeznik took things up a notch by diving directly into the sea of fans, collapsing the barrier between performer and audience in the most visceral way possible. "The fact that all of us are smashed together, we have more in common than [you] think," Rzeznik told the crowd, "Thank you so much for being part of my life."

This was easily one of the weekend's defining performances-pure feel-good rock energy that hit stratospheric levels and reminded everyone exactly why this band still matters.

Myles Smith: The Discovery That Made the Weekend:

Myles Smith for Innings Festival 2026 by Dusana

If you ask me, a festival season's greatest gift is stumbling onto your next obsession. I'd actually caught Myles Smith's music without realizing it while watching Netflix's The Ultimatum, but seeing him live at Innings Festival sealed the deal. The British singer-songwriter closed out the Right Field Stage Friday night with a 75-minute set that balanced raw vulnerability with serious vocal firepower.

Between songs, Smith opened up about the isolating nature of life and mental health struggles. "There's only a way up when you're at the bottom. Sometimes getting better is just a conversation," he shared with the crowd. "If there's one thing you take from my set, it's to reach out and know everything can change in a matter of seconds."

From his breakthrough hit "Nice to Meet You" to a stunning cover of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," watching Myles Smith command that stage felt essential - the kind of performance that sticks with you. Pure joy, undeniable talent, and hopefully a preview of many festival returns to come.

Mumford & Sons: The Perfect Opening Night Closer:

Mumford and Sons by Charles Reagan for Innings Festival 2026

The party doesn't really start until Mumford & Sons plug in. Festival veterans at this point, Marcus Mumford and company knew exactly how to work the Innings crowd. Mumford spent the early minutes riffing on the abundance of golf gear and Phoenix's particular brand of desert energy - establishing an immediate rapport that never wavered.

The band wasted zero time, launching straight into a setlist that balanced beloved catalog staples with fresh cuts from Prizefighter, their album that dropped earlier that same Friday. Emotional devastation is kind of their thing, and they delivered it in spades. The highlight? Twenty thousand voices singing the bridge of "I Will Wait" -a communal moment that happens at every Mumford show but somehow never loses its power.

Experience Mumford and Sons by Charles Reagan for Innings Festival 2026

Some might question whether Mumford & Sons had the firepower to close opening night. From where I stood, there was no better choice.

Saturday Highlights:

Cage The Elephant for Innings Festival 2026 by Dusana Karam

Saturday was all about the high-energy cult classics. From Cage the Elephant, Dashboard Confessional, The Fray, Deer Tick, Lord Huron, and more. Friday’s stacked lineup opened up the way for people to take a slower pace to the music on Saturday (and prepare for the flames ahead).

Dashboard Confessional by Ismael Quintanilla III for Innings 2026

Twenty One Pilots:

Twenty One Pilots by Ismael Quintanilla III

Twenty One Pilots delivered a characteristically explosive performance that showcased why they remain one of live music's most compelling acts. The duo maximized every inch of available stage space, crafting a set that balanced controlled chaos with precision showmanship. The festival served as a platform for debuting several tracks from their latest album "Breach," offering attendees an exclusive first listen.

The production value lived up to the band's reputation for theatrical elements—from elevated platform jumps to pyrotechnic displays - creating an immersive visual experience that complemented their sonic intensity. While newer material took center stage, the setlist strategically incorporated catalog staples including "Stressed Out" and "Heathens," alongside an unexpected rendition of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army."

Sunday Highlights:

Sunday's programming concluded with a diverse lineup featuring Switchfoot, Sublime, Big Boi, Public Enemy, and Blink-182. 

Switchfoot Ignites the Crowd:

Switchfoot by Nathan Zucker for Innings Festival 2026

Switchfoot's set emphasized audience connection, with frontman Jon Foreman making multiple crowd excursions. His guitar bore the inscription "hope is the anthem," a sentiment that resonated throughout their performance. The inevitable crowd surge accompanied their breakthrough singles "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move," both enduring tracks from2003's The Beautiful Letdown. "I feel this energy too," Foreman acknowledged. "Y'all are incredible."

Big Boi Brings Atlanta Hip-Hop to Tempe:

Big Boi by Charles Reagan for Innings Festival

Big Boi's set functioned as a masterclass in hip-hop longevity, transporting audiences back two decades while demonstrating the timeless quality of his catalog. The crowd's enthusiastic response to each track confirmed these songs' continued cultural relevance.

Innings Festival distinguished itself as a testing ground for new material. Twenty One Pilots performed "Drag Path" for the first time, while Mumford & Sons effectively transformed the event into a release celebration for their album Prizefighter. The programming's genre diversity created an experience reminiscent of personally curated mixtapes - an increasingly rare quality in contemporary festival curation. This thoughtful artist selection suggests a lineup with lasting significance in the festival circuit.

Aerial by Ismael Quintanilla III for Innings 2026

The music continues with Extra Innings next week, featuring Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Dierks Bentley, and additional performers, pivoting to country music's current heavy hitters.

*Cover photo: Blink 182 by Nathan Zucker for Innings Festival 2026