We have not even fully stepped out of winter yet, and already the anticipation for festival season is creeping in. In London, attention is already shifting towards September and the return of the Waterworks Festival to Gunnersbury Park.
For its sixth edition, the festival expands to two full days, taking place on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September. What began as a focused alternative to headline-driven programming has grown steadily without losing its point of view. As co-founder Dave Harvey explains, “Waterworks was started to put the focus on the underground artists at the heart of UK club culture. Now in our sixth year, we’re proud to have been able to grow alongside and continue to support a scene that’s going from strength to strength.”
The 2026 lineup reflects that ethos. Saturday brings together Bradley Zero b2b Erol Alkan, Christian AB b2b Craig Richards, Eris Drew, Midland, Modeselektor, Leon Vynehall, and Raresh b2b Sonja Moonear, among many others, alongside live performances from Octo Octa, Decius, Alex Kassian, and Reptant. The mix of established names and forward-thinking selectors feels intentional, with the focus placed firmly on quality and coherence.
Sunday broadens the scope through collaborations with Outlook Festival, Keep Hush, ec2a, Rupture, and DaMetalMessiah. The focus leans into the foundations of UK soundsystem and bass culture, with LTJ Bukem, DJ Storm, Djrum, Ruff Sqwad, Tim Reaper, and Special Request b2b Sully sharing the bill with Call Super b2b Objekt and Ross From Friends.
Resident Advisor will also mark its twenty-fifth anniversary by hosting the Siren stage across both days, reinforcing Waterworks’ connection to the platforms that have documented and supported club culture for decades.
The move to two days feels like a logical step at this point in the festival’s trajectory. It creates room for longer sets and a broader range of artists but also for a different rhythm across the weekend, where the programme can unfold more gradually and without rush. In a city that rarely slows down, that extra time might be what allows the music and the communities around it to settle in properly before the season comes to a close.
