Quasi, Lyrics Born, Esther Rose, and more join a 26th-anniversary roster that keeps doing what Pickathon does best — honoring the architects while championing what’s next.

We said the first wave was formidable. We meant it. But we weren’t done.

Today we’re announcing the second round of artists joining Pickathon 2026, and if you know how we do things at Pendarvis Farm, you know what that means: more genre-defining legends, more discovery artists pointing toward what music will sound like five years from now, and more reasons to clear your calendar for July 30–August 2.

Joining the Legends tier

Quasi, Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss, Portland’s own angular, emotionally raw rock duo, are joining the lineup in a move that feels less like a booking and more like a homecoming. Two decades of catalog, quietly shaping the sound of an entire region.

And then there’s Lyrics Born. The Bay Area hip-hop icon is a performer whose genre-bending showmanship and sheer range have kept him essential across decades. If you’ve never seen him live, this is your moment.

The new Discovery Artists

This is where it gets even more exciting, and where Pickathon’s track record speaks loudest. These are artists people will be talking about for years.

Esther Rose continues her rise as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary country and Americana, plainspoken songwriting that lands with real weight. Leroy from the North arrives from Canada with a wry, poetic storytelling style already drawing comparisons to the greats. Meatbodies bring psych-rock wall-of-sound intensity that was practically made for our open-air stages. Sgt. Papers delivers the kind of combustible live energy that ignites rooms. Ora Cogan offers something haunting and precise: gothic atmosphere with real emotional depth. The Takes bring live-wire indie energy, and Nathan Bowles, banjoist, drummer, improviser, rounds out the additions with a one-of-a-kind set that defies easy classification.

The full 2026 lineup

Steve Earle / Marcos Valle / Built to Spill / Shakey Graves / Quasi / Meridian Brothers / Lyrics Born / Alela Diane / Acid King / Clinton Fearon / The Altons / Thee Sinseers / The Brothers Comatose / The Womack Sisters / Widowspeak / Hudson Freeman / Mary Halvorson / Leroy from the North / Florry / Family Company / Folk Bitch Trio / SA-Roc / Meatbodies / Hannah Frances / Ben Chapman / D.K. Harrell / The South Hill Experiment / Rumbo Tumba / Friendship / Boy Golden / Hannah Juanita / Sgt. Papers / Channing Wilson / Dylan Earl / Hogslop String Band / El Khat / Esther Rose / Briscoe / Automatic / The Takes / DUG / The Onlies / Ken Pomeroy / Prewn / mercury / Nathan Bowles / Mexican Institute of Sound / PISS / Hannah Hill / Setting / Caitlin Canty / Terror Cactus / Ora Cogan / Jonny’s Day Out / Cosmic Tones Research Trio / Buddy Wynkoop / Portland Songwriters Guild / Rose Gerber / Willam Surly / Honky Tonk Basement / Corndog Cowgirl

26 years of getting there first

There’s a reason people trust the Pickathon process. The War on Drugs, Kamasi Washington, Tyler Childers, The Marías, Black Pumas, Khruangbin, Big Thief… all of them played Pendarvis Farm before they were selling out arenas. That’s not an accident. It’s the result of 26 years of curation built around a single question: who’s pointing toward what’s next?

“We don’t book artists because they’re obvious and everywhere. We book them because they’re pointing to what’s next, and over 26 years we’ve built a community that trusts in the Pickathon process.” — Zale Schoenborn, Pickathon founder

More than a music festival

Pickathon is place-making as much as it is programming. Every summer, local design teams transform Pendarvis Farm into a walkable temporary village, including purpose-built stages woven into the forest, intimate fern-lined performance pockets, large-scale wooden structures that blur the line between artist and audience. Nearly every artist performs two distinct sets on different stages. DJs carry momentum between sets. There are literary readings, standup comedy, a full family neighborhood for kids, the intimate 100-seat farm-to-table Curation dining series, and a robust wellness offering including yoga, massage, and dedicated quiet spaces.

Zero-waste operations, reusable serviceware, and site-wide composting have been part of the DNA for years. Free cold water stations, open-air showers, and abundant natural shade keep everyone comfortable. Every ticket gets you the same high standard, the best view at any stage goes to whoever shows up first.

2026 EMBLEM: THE FROG

This year’s annual emblem is the frog: joyful, at times a little absurd, and strongest as a chorus of voices. Feels about right. See you on the farm.