Morrissey and Patti Smith to headline return of CBGB Festival
The CBGB Festival will return this fall with a lineup featuring punk legends and modern alternative acts, organizers announced Tuesday. The event, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, marks the second year of the festival’s revival and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the punk movement.
Headlining the 2026 iteration are Morrissey and Patti Smith, alongside a performance by the Sex Pistols featuring Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock with vocalist Frank Carter. The lineup also includes New York-based band Interpol, Bikini Kill, and Mannequin Pussy. The festival aims to bridge the gap between the genre’s originators and its contemporary torchbearers, featuring additional acts such as Sleater-Kinney, Buzzcocks, and Militarie Gun.
“This year’s lineup honors that legacy while celebrating the past, present, and future of punk and alternative music,” said Phil Sandhaus of CBGB. He noted that the festival seeks to answer which artists would be performing at the original iconic club today. The event follows a 2025 inaugural success that featured headliners Iggy Pop and Jack White.
Presale registration is currently open at the festival’s official website. Tickets will be available to the general public starting Friday, April 24, at 10 a.m. ET. The festival continues the legacy of the original CBGB & OMFUG, founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, which served as the launching pad for the Ramones, Blondie, and Talking Heads.
