Kilby Block Party Was One PAR-TAY!

Nestled between the snow-capped mountains in Salt Lake City, nearly 90,000 people gathered over three days for Kilby Block Party 2026. Somehow, despite the massive crowds, every stage and every set still managed to feel intimate, welcoming, and deeply connected.

That’s what makes Kilby different.

Part of Kilby’s magic has always been its ability to balance massive artists with discovery. One moment you’re watching a headliner perform in front of thousands of people, and the next you’re standing in a smaller crowd watching an artist who will probably headline festivals themselves in a few years.

The bar was set high from the very beginning of Friday, and somehow every artist continued to raise it throughout the night.

Early sets from Gonk, Dad Bod, and Gelli Haha immediately established the energy for the weekend. Each artist brought something completely different, but all three made it clear that Kilby wasn’t easing into things this year.

One of the biggest surprises of the day came from Die Spitz, an all-girls punk band from Austin, Texas, that completely took over the crowd. Before this festival, they weren’t even on my radar, but after their set, it was impossible not to become a fan. Their crowd control was unreal. Within minutes, people were crowd surfing, moshing, and throwing themselves into the chaos.

That same energy carried directly into Show Me the Body, where the mosh pits somehow got even more intense. Meanwhile, artists like Snail Mail, Kevin Morby, and Father John Misty brought a more melodic energy to the evening while still keeping the crowd fully engaged. Everywhere you looked, people were swaying, singing along, and completely locked into the music.

Japanese Breakfast absolutely rocked their set, while Sports and Modest Mouse kept the crowd energized, leading into one of the most anticipated performances of the weekend: Turnstile.

After talking with countless people throughout the festival, one thing became very clear: Turnstile may have been the highlight of the entire weekend.

The energy during their set was unlike anything else all weekend. At one point, there were probably seven mosh pits happening at the same time. Shoes were flying off, people were losing their voices, bruising ribs, twisting ankles, and somehow smiling through all of it.

If you didn’t leave Turnstile sweaty, exhausted, and slightly injured, did you even go?

Somewhere in the middle of the chaos, I found myself headbanging with complete strangers, screaming lyrics at the top of my lungs, and fully letting loose. That’s the kind of set that reminds you why live music matters. Thousands of people jumping together, singing together, and forgetting everything else for an hour.

Saturday proved that people came early and stayed all day long.

The day started with several local Salt Lake City bands helping kick things off before Feeble Little Horse brought a grungy, chaotic energy that immediately woke the crowd up. Headbanging started early, and with the recent release of their new album, fans showed up ready to scream every lyric back at them.

Lyn Lapid shifted the atmosphere into something softer and more intimate. Her set felt personal and effortless, with constant interaction between her and the crowd making the entire performance feel warm and connected.

By the time Jane Remover took the stage, the crowd had completely filled in. People were dancing, jumping, and matching the energy from the very first song. At one point, even Jane Remover stopped to acknowledge the massive turnout, saying they didn’t expect that many people to show up that early in the day.

That seemed to be the theme of Kilby this year. No matter the time slot, people showed up.

Ben Kweller’s set brought a fun, nostalgic energy to the afternoon. Fans packed in shoulder to shoulder while the band kept things light and energetic. One of the standout moments was spotting Christopher Mintz-Plasse, better known as McLovin from Superbad, playing bass with bright pink hair, which somehow felt perfectly on brand for Kilby.

Briston Maroney’s set felt deeply genuine. You could feel how grateful he was to be on that stage and be part of the festival. There was this constant sense of excitement and appreciation coming from him that the crowd immediately mirrored back. He just looked genuinely happy to be there, and the audience fed off that energy the entire set.

The Last Dinner Party brought theatricality to the stage in the best way possible. They fully utilized every inch of the stage, dancing between instruments and constantly interacting with one another in a way that made the performance feel alive from every angle.

Lucy Dacus slowed things down with one of the most melodic and emotional sets of the weekend. One of the standout moments came when she brought Romy Madley Croft of The xx on stage to perform “Bullseye.” The two sat together on a couch and sang the acoustic duet softly and intimately, completely silencing the crowd for a few minutes.

Then came The xx closing out day two.

The bass could be felt through your entire body while the crowd stood completely locked into the performance. At certain moments, the audience almost fell silent, fully mesmerized by the music and atmosphere surrounding the stage.

There was something surreal about finally seeing The xx live. Thirteen-year-old me would have been absolutely ecstatic knowing I’d one day stand in a crowd at Kilby Block Party watching them close out a festival night beneath the mountains of Salt Lake City.

Day three brought the rain, but that didn’t stop anyone.

If anything, the weather somehow made the energy even better. People continued moshing straight through the final day of the festival, dancing in the rain, running between stages, and fully embracing the chaos of the weekend. One of the best parts of Kilby was watching complete strangers dance together like they’d known each other forever.

The rock-heavy energy carried into Sunday with Freak Slug, a band from the UK that quickly became one of my favorite sets of the day. Their lead singer and guitarist completely ripped through the set while somehow making it all look effortless.

The Magdalena Bay fans absolutely showed up. Everywhere you looked, people had recreated Mica Tenenbaum’s iconic blue smoky eye makeup stretched dramatically across their faces. Their set leaned heavily into the dreamy, whimsical world they’ve built around the project. Between the costume changes, theatrical visuals, and surreal stage design, the entire performance felt hypnotic.

KennyHoopla kept the high energy going immediately afterward. By that point in the weekend, the rain almost added to the atmosphere. Everything felt grungier, louder, and somehow even more alive. At one point, KennyHoopla jumped directly into the crowd and crowd surfed over fans while continuing the set, sending the audience into complete chaos.

One of the biggest moments of the day came during American Football’s set when they brought out Hayley Williams to perform “Uncomfortably Numb.” The crowd immediately erupted.

Hayley Williams later returned for her own set and proved exactly why she remains one of the most captivating performers of her generation. Her voice sounded powerful, gritty, and emotional all at once. Between the bleach blonde hair, bangs, dramatic red contour, and effortlessly cool stage presence, every moment of the set felt iconic.

Then, almost perfectly timed, the rain stopped just before Blood Orange took the stage.

For a brief moment, the clouds opened up, the sun peeked through, and the sky turned soft shades of orange just in time for “Champagne Coast.” The entire crowd swayed together in unison while Blood Orange transformed the festival grounds into something dreamy and almost weightless.

But the rain returned just in time for Lorde.

And oh, did Lorde have everyone completely captivated.

At one point, Lorde reflected on how long it had been since her last major tour, promising the crowd she would never wait 13 years to perform again. The reaction was immediate. Every single word from every era of her music echoed back at her as thousands of fans sang along, proving just how much her music has meant to people over the years.

The set felt emotional, nostalgic, chaotic, and deeply personal all at once. It genuinely felt like a moment for the girls. Everyone around me screamed every lyric like it had been living inside them for years.

As the rain poured harder, Lorde leaned fully into the moment. At one point, she ripped off her pants and danced barefoot through puddles on stage while whipping her soaking wet hair back and forth, water flying everywhere under the lights.

Then, for her final song, “Ribs,” she stepped directly into the crowd.

By the end of the night, nobody felt like a stranger anymore. Everyone was singing together, soaking wet, exhausted, emotional, and holding onto the last moments of the weekend like they didn’t want it to end.

For three days, a small field in Salt Lake City became the center of the indie music world.

All photos HERE!