Also confirmed: DEADLETTER and rising talents Jack Shore, Slow Crush and ten56.

The free-to-attend Hit The City festival returns from Thursday 27 August to Saturday 29 August with a brand-new edition, continuing its steady growth. At the end of summer, Eindhoven and beyond will come together for three days of live music, as the festival further strengthens its presence in the city with the addition of five new venues. The first 54 acts have now been confirmed, including DEADLETTER, High Vis, Jonna Fraser, Kevin, Lambrini Girls, S10, Typhoon, Elmer, Jack Shore, jet van der steen, Josylvio, MICHA, Slow Crush, ten56., Yīn Yīn and many more.

Last year, Hit The City delivered its biggest edition to date, welcoming 41,500 visitors who took over Eindhoven’s city centre for a weekend of major names and exciting discoveries. The festival once again proved its versatility: from mosh pits in a packed Café The Jack and intimate shows at De Rozenknop, to collective moments at Ketelhuisplein. With the addition of new venues Vrijstaat, Nieuwe Oude Rechtbank, Otomoto, Café Prins Hendrik and Stage Music Café, this year’s edition adds even more dimensions to the festival.

Major headliners at Ketelhuisplein
The large outdoor stage at Ketelhuisplein, with a capacity of around 7,000 visitors, once again sets the scene for high-profile Dutch headliners. On Friday, hip-hop fans can look forward to Rotterdam rapper Kevin, New Wave member Jonna Fraser and Typhoon, who combines high-energy performances with honest and vulnerable lyrics.

On Saturday, the focus shifts to the breadth of Dutch pop and hip-hop. Singer-songwriter MICHA brings his signature “happy sad” pop, Amsterdam rapper Elmer turns up the intensity, Josylvio delivers raw street energy that inevitably leads to mosh pits, and S10 proves how her distinctive alt-pop—following her Alpha-stage success at Lowlands – effortlessly moves the Ketelhuisplein crowd.

Opening night at Effenaar
The festival kicks off on Thursday evening at Effenaar with DEADLETTER, whose sound—somewhere between The Fall and LCD Soundsystem—has quickly established them as one of today’s most exciting post-punk bands, following appearances at festivals such as Paaspop. Headliner High Vis is another act that needs little introduction for those who saw them live last year: after standout performances at Jera On Air and as support for Turnstile, they now play what is currently their only confirmed Dutch show at Hit The City. Irish band Croíthe, tipped by fans as one to watch, completes the line-up with a dark blend of post-punk, goth and shoegaze.

A musical route through Eindhoven
The diverse flavours of Hit The City once again come together in a city-wide programme that unfolds like a route through Eindhoven. On Friday, Effenaar hosts Girls to the Front, where Lambrini Girls – after packing Café The Jack to capacity in 2023- make the jump to the Main Hall. Female and queer punk bands Jools, Vals Alarm, L.A. Sagne, PISS, Supermarkt and Snackbar further fuel the activist spirit.

Things get even louder at Dynamo and Café The Jack, with a new wave of metalcore and hardcore acts such as ten56., SERVE and Wrong Man, alongside heavy bands Lintworm, BLOED, Coalmine Canary and Gallamesh, and the rough-edged (post-)punk of Mouth Ulcers and Hex Girlfriend. At Altstadt, you’ll find some of the most exciting indie acts, including French electronic artist LeBlanc and post-punk trio Automatic, while Stage Music Café shifts toward genre-blurring performances from artists like Ceebo, Frozemode, Michael Ekow & May and Ɣazal.

New venues further shape the programme: Nieuwe Oude Rechtbank offers more intimate moments with Greg Freeman, Silver Lake and TJE, alongside the familiar De Rozenknop, where you’ll find singer-songwriter Blair Davie, the indie folk of Frans Kalf and the art-pop of Gala Dragot. At Café Wilhelmina, indie pop band Future Husband and Popronde favourite Fit take the stage, while the adjoining, tiny Café Prins Hendrik provides just enough room for the energetic electronic duo badtime and queer rave phenomenon Alice Olsthoorn.

Right in the city centre, Vrijstaat emerges as a new festival hub, where you can dance to summery pop from around the globe, including Yīn Yīn, and keep going late into the night with DJs at Otomoto.

On Saturday, the focus shifts to danceable live acts at Effenaar, featuring fast-rising pop star jet van der steen, YouTube sensation Jesse Hoefnagels and Jack Shore, who delivers a 360° live experience in a Boiler Room-inspired setting. Meanwhile, the Small Hall erupts with krautrock disco-punk from Fellatio, the DIY musical trip of Brik Tu-Tok and a live AV set from South Korean producer Kirara. At Dynamo, the festival proves shoegaze is very much alive, showcasing a new generation of bands including Honey I’m Home, Glazyhaze, Slow Crush and New Candys.
A boost for the region

As late summer draws to a close and daily life slowly resumes, Hit The City invites residents of the Brainport region—and far beyond—to come together and celebrate Eindhoven. With a recognisable, accessible and inclusive music festival, it provides an important boost to the region’s cultural offering.

Hit The City 2026 takes place from Thursday 27 August to Saturday 29 August across 18 indoor and outdoor venues in Eindhoven. The entire festival is free to attend. Now in its thirteenth year, Hit The City continues to make its mark on the music scene, with a sharp eye for emerging talent. Over the years, the festival has hosted early performances by major acts such as Loyle Carner, Phoebe Bridgers, Viagra Boys, Fontaines D.C., Khruangbin, Joost, S10, Zwangere Guy, Alex G, Baauer, Wolf Alice, Glass Animals, Lander & Adriaan, Hak Baker, DITZ, Nusantara Beat and more. In the past two editions, the festival also introduced larger headliners, including Sampa the Great, MEROL, The Haunted Youth, Broederliefde, Pommelien Thijs, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Ronnie Flex & The Fam.

Hit The City is programmed by Effenaar and Friendly Fire, and is made possible in part by ASML and Gemeente Eindhoven.

Info:
Hit The City 2026
Thursday 27 August – Saturday 29 August
Eindhoven
Free entry

The first 54 names:
DEADLETTER / High Vis / Jonna Fraser / Kevin / Lambrini Girls / S10 / Typhoon / Elmer / Jack Shore / jet van der steen / Josylvio / MICHA / Slow Crush / ten56. / Yīn Yīn / Alice Olsthoorn / Automatic / Badminton / badtime / BLOED / Blair Davie / Brik Tu-Tok / Ceebo / Coalmine Canary / Croíthe / Fellatio / Fit / Frans Kalf / Frozemode / Future Husband / Gala Dragot / Gallamesh / Glazyhaze / Greg Freeman / Hex Girlfriend / Honey I’m Home / Jesse Hoefnagels / Jools / Kirara / L.A. Sagne / LeBlanc / Lintworm / Michael Ekow & May / Mouth Ulcers / New Candys / PISS / SERVE / Snackbar / Silver Lake / Supermarkt / TJE / Vals Alarm / Wrong Man / Ɣazal + many more TBA