The Radio Dept. to play first live show in almost a decade at Pitchfork London

The Radio Dept. emerged in the early 2000s and became central to the revival of shoegaze and dream pop with a blend of fuzzy, effects-laden guitars, synthesisers, drum machines, and soft, buried vocals. The band gained a significantly larger international audience when director Sofia Coppola featured three of their songs on the soundtrack for the 2006 film Marie Antoinette.

Famously belligerent about playing by industry rules, their label boss at Stockholm’s Labrador Records once said of them, "There’s been fights and threats regarding contracts. They’ve cancelled more interviews than all the other bands I’ve worked with altogether. They are unworldly time optimists (they can miss a deadline by three years). They’ve demanded – and received – so much advances that we haven’t been able to pay our bills. I’ve had to bribe them with drugs to persuade them to talk to selected parts of the press. They’ve been soundly pissed off when a colour of their artwork didn’t turn out exactly the shade they intended … the story goes on."

The band - made up of Johan Duncanson, Martin Larsson and Daniel Tjäder – will headline KOKO in Camden on Tuesday 3 November. The festival runs from 2 November to 8 November across multiple London venues including the Roundhouse, Royal Festival Hall, KOKO, ICA, Village Underground, Hackney Church, EartH and The Cause.

Elsewhere, on the lineup,Noname takes the Roundhouse stage on the Saturday of the festival, joined by nu-jazz and soul singer Georgia Anne Muldrow, Cleo Reed and rising rapper Kaicrewsade. Brit Award winner and Mercury Prize nominee Jacob Alon performs an intimate show at Hackney Empire on Wednesday 4 November. Cult post-rock band Tortoise headline Hackney Church on the bill completed by Bill Orcutt and Dagmar Zuniga, wrhile Oslo hosts MGNA Crrrta and daine.

Other highlights include British electronic artist Actress debuting a new show and record titled Radical Frame; US duo ear take over south London’s Cause; jazz artist aja monet performs from her album The Color of Rain; and winners of Pitchfork’s 2025 album of the year, Los Thuthanaka, play an in-the-round event at EartH.

The festival’s Dalston Takeover returns, granting one wristband access to six east London venues – that bill is topped by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Mandy, Indiana and Working Men’s Club. A week-long Pitchfork London Selects takeover at MOTH Club will also run in honour of the weekly playlist.

More artists are to be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets go on general sale on Friday 12 June at 10am BST. Last year’s fifth anniversary edition drew 20,000 attendees across the week, with performances from Laurie Anderson, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Oklou and Nicolas Jaar & Ali Sethi.

Pitchfork London 2026 lineup

60 juno / A Good Year / Actress presents Radical Frame / aja monet / Alien Boy / AMORE / Ana Roxanne / Asher White / Bill Orcutt / Bleary Eyed / bloodsports / Cleo Reed / Colin Miller / cootie catcher / Cutouts / Dagmar Zuniga / daine / Ear / Elijah Wolf / FAUZIA / Flawed Mangoes / Flooding / Freak Slug / Georgia Anne Muldrow / Greg Mendez / h.pruz / Hammok / Hania Rani / Hiding Places / Horse Jumper Of Love / ideasforconversations / Jacob Alon / Jawdropped / Jordan Patterson / Joshua Chuquimia Crampton / Joy Guidry / Kaicrewsade / keiyaA / Kiwi jr. / KMRU / Lido Pimienta / Los Thuthanaka (in the round) / lots of hands / Mandy, Indiana / Maria BC / MGNA Crrrta / Midwife / Momoko Gill / Ms Ray / MX LONELY / Noname (10 years of Telefone) / Olof Dreijer / Paulie Swan / Psychedelic Porn Crumpets / Robber Robber / SELL EVERYTHING / Superfan / sundots / Swapmeet / The Avalanches & friends / The Radio Dept. / Told Slant / Tortoise / TURNSPIT / Victoryland / villagerrr / Working Men's Club