We Out Here Festival
Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
20th – 23rd August 2026
Now in its seventh year, We Out Here Festival is once again serving up a diverse line-up full of acts that are truly distinctive in the summer festival merry-go-round. Tom Parry looks forward to this year’s carefully selected offering.
Given how jam-packed the festival schedule has become, it is a credit to We Out Here founder Gilles Peterson that he has managed to find a niche for an event which joins the dots between soul, hip hop, house, afro, electronica, jazz and much more besides.
The first acts announced for the 2026 edition embody its eclectic approach which puts musical pioneers at the forefront rather than focusing on the big names.
At the top of the initial wave is legendary Brazilian composer and singer Arthur Verocai, now 80 years old, best known for his 1972 self-titled debut album. Alongside him on the bill is Ethiopian jazz legend Mulutu Astatke, as well as avant-pop innovators Stereolab. These are not the kind of headliners you would find at many other festivals, except perhaps for WOMAD.
Thereafter, a string of experimental, boundary-pushing and sometimes just euphoric bands, DJs and vocalists fill out the opening announcement, with many more acts still to come. They include the much touted jazz project Corto.Alto, drum ‘n’ bass pioneer Adam F, Little Dragon front woman Yuzimi, and American rapper Mike. It’s a bill that already defies easy categorisation, and carries on the collaborative and celebratory vibe. Combining musical legends with up-and-coming artists has rapidly made We Out Here a fixture for its quick-off-the-mark devotees.
We Out Here, which has now found itself a regular base in the beautiful Dorset countryside, enveloped by towering trees and with a natural amphitheatre at its heart, has sold out five years in a row. Last year’s event was its biggest year yet. This year’s festival is sure to follow that trend.
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