We are just a few days away from one of the biggest events in the Northern Ireland musical calendar. The fields of Ballymully Cottage Farm in Limavady will be alive with music and we could not be more excited. Ahead of the festival, we thought we’d pick on ten artists you must not miss out on.
The Thing Is…
Downpatrick’s alt rock outfit the thing is…have dominated the Belfast music scene for some time. Their recent releases have been unrelenting and uncompromising and their live set is something to behold. Their debut performance at Stendhal is going to be one to remember.
Reflect
Just over a year ago, Reflect seemed to come from nowhere. Their debut single ‘Wasting My Time’ was a stadium sized rock anthem for the ages. The five piece continued their hot form with a run of great singles and soon became a staple on the live scene. After their set this year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them further up the bill next year.
:PANIC:OVER
Indie rock darlings Panic Over packed out the Empire for us last year and gave us one of our most memorable Gifted shows to date. We expect their high energy performance and stacked set of sing-a-long anthems to translate well to the festival crowds.
tessio
Callum and Jude make up singer songwriter duo tessio. The pair craft beautiful indie folk in the mould of Simon and Garfunkel and the Everly Brothers and honestly are criminally underrated. Expect to hear plenty of new songs from their sophomore album.
HUARTAN
Huartan are an Irish-language trad-electronic band turning endangered folk songs into radical, ritualistic performance art. Their live shows channel a mythical pre-Christian Ireland: masked performers embodying the síogaí (fairy folk) and a symbolic ram drawn from Celtic mythology. Must be seen to be believed.
Cora Harkin
Another artist we had the pleasure of hosting recently. The Derry songwriter’s sound is rooted in indie pop. Known for her captivating performances and relatable songwriting, Cora has established herself as one of Northern Ireland’s most exciting young artists.
CHALK
There is little doubt that Chalk are one of the most prolific Irish artists of recent times. Their debut album which was a hybrid of industrial dance punk received rave reviews across the musical press. But is is the live arena where the duo continue to turn heads and win hearts and minds. A fitting choice to close out proceedings for Stendhal 2026.
Alana Henderson
Alana Henderson has long occupied a singular space in contemporary folk, threading raw lyricism with poetic depth. From her debut EP Wax & Wane, several years touring as a multi-instrumentalist with Hozier, and collaborations with Joshua Burnside, she has built a devoted audience and when you see her live it is easy to understand.
Dylan Bradley & the Heat
Dylan Bradley was known for delivering heart on the sleeve punk rock anthems while fronting the likes of Lost Avenue and Parker. While those bands are no more, Bradley wasn’t ready to drift off into the sunset. His solo journey finds him exploring his americana influences through an indie-rock lens and one that is worth joining him on.
Polar Bolero
Polar Bolero are almost festival royalty at this point. A band that folds pop precision, folk storytelling, jazz flair and theatrical sweep into something instinctive and whole, with a sound that feels both completely their own and quietly timeless. Given their current trajectory, we don’t think it’ll be too long before they’re headlining.
These are just some of the artists playing Stendhal in 2026. Yo can find the full line-up and a handy schedule creator on the official Stendhal Festival app which is now available on the app stores – Android & Apple Store.
The app also features a detailed FAQ, details of the food and drink outlets and much more.
Tickets are still available for the festival and can be purchased direct from the Stendhal website.
