Yeehaw season just levelled up.
Global country‑pop force Maren Morris has been announced as the Sunday night headliner for The Long Road Festival 2026, locking in a UK‑exclusive performance that’ll have Stetsons flying and voices loudly giving out by the final chorus.
Returning for its seventh year, the UK’s favourite immersive country festival takes over the rolling grounds of Stanford Hall, Leicestershire, across the August Bank Holiday weekend (27–30 August 2026) — and this year’s line‑up is already shaping up to be one of its boldest yet.
Morris arrives armed with an era‑defining catalogue and serious chart clout. A GRAMMY®, ACM, CMA and Billboard Award‑winning artist with billions of streams to her name, she’s spent the last decade tearing down genre walls and rebuilding country‑pop in her own image. Along the way she’s collaborated with everyone from Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks to Hozier, Sheryl Crow, Zedd and Teddy Swims, while selling out headline tours across multiple continents.
This summer, she brings it all to The Long Road for her only UK show of 2026.
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Festival co‑founder Baylen Leonard said: “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the fearless and peerless Maren Morris to TLR this year. She’s a storyteller, a mould‑breaker and an authentic powerhouse, with a catalogue stacked full of smash hits and scream‑along anthems. I’m fully expecting to be on someone’s shoulders absolutely losing it to My Church.”
As ever, The Long Road isn’t just about the headliners — it’s about depth, discovery and dust‑on‑your‑boots energy across the weekend.
Friday additions include British country royalty and CMA winners The Shires, soul‑baring next‑gen talent Stella Prince, Harleymoon Kemp, Nashville‑honed Harper O’Neill, and the gloriously fearless Chanel Yates aka Cowgirl Polly Pocket.
Saturday brings gritty country‑rocker Shaylen, London singer‑songwriter Simon Howard, Aussie breakout Hayley Jensen, classic crooner Chandler Walters, First Time Flyers, folk‑leaning favourite Emily Scott Robinson, bluegrass collective Susto Stringband, acclaimed songwriter Lizzie No, UK standout Twinnie, and rising talent Dawson Anderson.
Sunday keeps the momentum rolling with blues icon Errol Linton, dark‑country duo Knucklehead, Canadian Juno nominee Luca Fogale, acoustic two‑piece Outpost Drive, rock dynamo Dan Byrne, genre‑blender Riley Downing, breakout duo Ryan & Rory, and Jonny Morgan & The Moral Support.
Across the weekend, high‑octane label takeovers from Loose Music, Snakefarm Records, and Oh Boy! Records will turn stages into all‑out showcases.
Previously announced highlights already read like a love letter to country’s past, present and future. Bailey Zimmerman headlines Saturday night, marking his first UK performance in over two years. Emmylou Harris, a 14‑time GRAMMY® winner, will bring timeless grace as part of her European Farewell Tour, while Steve Earle joins for a special solo acoustic set. Also on the bill: The 502s, Josh Ross, Jim Lauderdale, Shakey Graves, The Felice Brothers, Uncle Lucius, Striking Matches, Oliver Hazard, plus rising stars Zandi Holup and Jason Scott & The High Heat, making their UK debut.
True to form, The Long Road also champions homegrown talent, with Kezia Gill, The Hanging Stars, Rose Betts, Trevor Moss & Hannah‑Lou, and Liam Price — winner of the festival’s inaugural Homegrown Talent Contest — all set to appear. Applications for the 2026 contest open soon.
Music aside, the festival experience goes full Americana. Red Dog Saloon makes its debut with Austin‑style BBQ, smokers and all, while the site bursts with Stateside street food, craft beers, line dancing, vintage fairground rides, country‑oke, and the ever‑popular Lucky Dice Car & Bike Show.
With six stages tracing the journey of country music — from front porches to dive bars to rhinestone‑ready big breaks — The Long Road remains one of the UK’s most lovingly curated festival experiences.
Tickets — including Day, Weekend, VIP, Family & Group options, camping, live‑in vehicles and glamping — are on sale now.
Get yours HERE
