Hylands Park set to host more global music acts at new 2026 festival
Hylands Park is preparing to welcome more incredible music artists to Chelmsford next summer for a brand-new annual camping festival, which debuts from Friday 26 – Sunday 28 June. State Fayre, from Festival Republic and Live Nation, presents a spectacular line-up for 2026, including Kings of Leon, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts, and The Lumineers.
Fantastic lineup confirmed for American-inspired music and BBQ festival
State Fayre will be the UK’s largest music and BBQ festival and is set to bring rock, country, folk and Americana-inspired vibes to Chelmsford. The three-day camping festival will have a capacity of around 30,000, with day tickets also available.
A fantastic multi-stage lineup has already been announced for the event. This includes the multi-Grammy and BRIT Award-winning Kings of Leon, the legendary Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts, as well as folk-rock band, The Lumineers and 80s rock ‘n’ roll band The Black Crowes.
Headliners for State Fayre 2026 are Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts, Kings of Leon and The Lumineers, with The Black Crowes also set to perform.
Also confirmed to perform are Elvis Costello and The Imposters with Charlie Sexton, Counting Crows, KT Tunstall, Kingfisher, Kip Moore, Avery Anna and many more.
Also due to perform are Avery Anna, and Elvis Costello and The Imposters.
The family-friendly weekend presents a vibrant package of entertainment for festivalgoers to enjoy. Inspired by American state fairs, the event mixes music, food and culture.
Alongside three main stages packed with live music, there’ll be vegetarian and vegan food traders, live food talks and demonstrations, whiskey, craft beers and cocktail bars plus non-alcoholic drinks options, boutique camping options, state fair festival rides and activities for the family to enjoy. The UK’s premier BBQ festival, FUME, will host The FUME Pit on-site, featuring award-winning pitmasters and vendors from across the UK and beyond.
Event follows BBC Radio 2 in the Park success earlier this year
The news of another major festival for Chelmsford follows the success of Radio 2 in the Park 2025 which Hylands Park hosted in early September.
The event saw most of Radio 2’s presenters, including Scott Mills, Sara Cox and Fearne Cotton, set up in Hylands Park for a three-day celebration of great music. Tens of thousands of festivalgoers, including many who travelled from across the country, enjoyed live performances across the weekend from Bryan Adams, Def Leppard, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Jessie J among others. Plus, BBC Radio 2 presenters delivered DJ sets from the DJ tent.
Created by renowned music promoter
State Fayre is promoted by Live Nation and delivered by Festival Republic, a renowned music promoter which attracts big-name artists and oversees some of the UK’s biggest festivals including Reading, Latitude, and Download. Chelmsford City Council has a long-term relationship with the promoter, which has previously brought other major events to Hylands, including V Festival (1996-2017) and Creamfields South (2022 and 2023).
Councillor Natacha Dudley, Cabinet Member for an Active Chelmsford, says another major festival for Hylands is welcome news following the success of Radio 2 in the Park:
““We have a great relationship with Festival Republic and as a result we’ve been able to host some incredible festivals in Chelmsford over the years. We loved hosting their Creamfields South event in 2022 and 2023. Now, Festival Republic brings a very different vibe to Hylands with their brand-new Americana style State Fayre, which has some incredible artists already confirmed to appear for 2026 and is expected to become a popular fixture in Hylands’ annual calendar of events.
Councillor Natacha Dudley, Cabinet Member for an Active Chelmsford, Chelmsford City Council
“After such a fantastic weekend of music, culture and community bonding at Radio 2 in the Park just a few months ago, many residents have been asking for another festival at Hylands Park! So, I know that music fans across Chelmsford and Essex will be thrilled by this news and looking to quickly snap up tickets to be part of this next exciting event for Chelmsford.”
Tickets on sale next week
General tickets for State Fayre will go on sale at 9AM on Friday 28 November at www.statefayre.com. Keep up to date with State Fayre news via their Instagram.
Cherelle writes about Chelmsford Theatre, the Museum of Chelmsford, Hylands Estate, the Mayor of Chelmsford and culture and events in the city.