Two decades after Creamfields first planted its flag in the fields of Daresbury, the UK’s biggest dance weekender is gearing up for a milestone year — and the 2026 line-up reads like a love letter to every era the festival has shaped, championed, and outlasted.
Across four days this August Bank Holiday, 80,000 ravers will descend on Cheshire for a celebration that feels less like a festival and more like a generational reunion. Creamfields has always been a rite of passage, but this year’s edition — marking 20 years at its spiritual home — carries the weight of legacy. And with over 250 artists announced, it’s clear the organisers intend to honour that legacy with something colossal.
Swedish House Mafia return for a UK festival exclusive, a reminder of the supergroup’s enduring gravitational pull.
Amelie Lens brings AURA for another exclusive, signalling the continued rise of techno’s new vanguard.
Disclosure (Live) step back into the spotlight with a rare UK festival appearance.
Faithless and Underworld bring the live electronic heritage that shaped the very DNA of Creamfields.
Calvin Harris, Carl Cox, Tiësto, Martin Garrix — names that have defined main stages for decades — anchor the bill with the kind of star power only Creamfields can stack side by side.
But the real story is the breadth. From Andy C to I Hate Models, Becky Hill to Hybrid Minds, Patrick Topping to Chloé Caillet, the line-up reads like a map of modern electronic culture: house, techno, drum & bass, trance, bassline, live electronica, and everything in between.
It’s a festival that understands its audience spans generations — the ones who were there in the early 2000s, the ones who discovered dance music through YouTube algorithms, and the ones who’ve only ever known a world where Creamfields is the pinnacle of the UK festival calendar.
Last year’s new addition, Downtown, makes a bigger return in 2026. What started as a curious experiment — a pocket of wellness, sport, pampering, and secret sets — has quickly become a defining part of the Creamfields experience.
An on-site gym for the committed (or the delusional)
Five-a-side football for the competitive
Wellness classes for the fragile
Pampering for the glamorous
And those whispered-about secret sets that always end up being the weekend’s most talked‑about moments
With PayPal offering a 48‑hour window of exclusive access to the last remaining tickets, the scramble is already underway. Creamfields has long been one of the fastest‑selling festivals in the UK, and a 20‑year Daresbury celebration with this kind of line-up is only going to accelerate the rush.
Creamfields 2026 feels symbolic. It’s a festival looking back at two decades of seismic cultural shifts — from the rise of EDM to the resurgence of techno, from superclubs to livestreams, from vinyl to USBs to whatever comes next — and still managing to feel like the beating heart of UK dance music.
This year’s line-up isn’t just stacked; it’s intentional. It honours the past, celebrates the present, and hints at the future. And for anyone who’s ever lost themselves in a field at 3am, it’s a reminder of why these weekends matter.
Last remaining tickets are available at www.creamfields.com/tickets
