MINNEAPOLIS — Even as it relocates to a more central site in its namesake city, Justin Vernon’s Eaux Claires festival will be all over the map musically in its 2026 comeback.

Experimental R&B singer Dijon, ‘80s hitmaker-turned-acclaimed-songwriter Aimee Mann, Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty, Louisiana music vets Jon Cleary and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas and Minnesota-rooted fuzz-rock band Hotline TNT top off the eclectic list of names so far confirmed for Eaux Claires 2026. The initial lineup was revealed at a Feb. 11 party at the 410 Bar in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Vernon’s hometown.

The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter of Bon Iver fame, Vernon is bringing the festival back from an eight-year hiatus July 24 and 25 and moving it to a new location, Eau Claire’s riverside Carson Park.

Vernon is also part of the festival roster, but not for a performance by his Bon Iver band, which has been on hiatus. Instead, he is listed as host of an all-star tribute to fellow Upper Midwest songwriting hero Bob Dylan, who performed in Eau Claire for the first time last April with Vernon in attendance.

Fans can also likely expect to see Vernon take the stage with Dijon, who enlisted the Wisconsin indie-rock vet to perform in his band on “Saturday Night Live” and at his sold-out show at the Fillmore in Minneapolis in December. They’re good buds.

Other names revealed on the lineup for Eaux Claires’ comeback year include: Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner’s cover band BSCBR (Black Sabbath Cover Band Rehearsal); the chamber-folk duo Mary Lattimore and Juliana Barwick; Toronto neo-soul singer Daniel Caesar; longtime Vernon cohort Phil Cook and his band the Union; ex-Phox singer Monica Marton, plus a “very special guest” yet to be announced.

Pop star Gracie Abrams — who recently recorded a charity single with Vernon — came up on one of the pull tabs that were coyly used to reveal the names at the unveiling party. However, she is not officially confirmed as part of the lineup.

At least two Twin Cities acts are also on the bill: Michael Bland’s Revelation, led by the Soul Asylum and former Prince drummer Bland; and grungy road hounds Gully Boys.

Akin to when Vernon asked the Indigo Girls to play their “Swamp Opelia” album in full at Eaux Claires’ 2015 inaugural year, Mann is booked to perform her acclaimed 2000 LP, “Bachelor No. 2, or the Last Remains of the Dodo.”

Not exactly a roster of mega-stars — Eaux Claires always eschewed the norms of other summer music fests — the lineup clearly marks an adventurous alternative to the many nostalgic, radio-hits-driven festivals already on tap for 2026, including St. Paul’s Minnesota Yacht Club (happening the weekend before Eaux Claires with Matchbox 20, the Lumineers and the Strokes).

Eaux Claires first took place at a campground on the outskirts of Eau Claire in 2015, under the direction of Vernon and the National’s Aaron Dessner. Over the next three summers, it drew thousands of music fans from the Twin Cities (90 minutes away) and from all over with lineups featuring Paul Simon, Chance the Rapper, Wilco, Mavis Staples, Spoon, Erykah Badu, Feist and then-newcomers Phoebe Bridgers and Sturgill Simpson, plus Bon Iver and the National.

Tickets for this year’s fest will go on sale Feb. 13 for fans who sign up for a presale access code via eauxclaires.com. There will be an in-person presale option for locals on Feb. 12 at various locations in Eau Claire, including the Joynt, Revival Records and Leona’s Pizzeria. Prices have not yet been revealed, but two-day passes are expected to start around $150.

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