Long Island’s largest and most beloved summer music gathering is getting ready for another massive year. The Great South Bay Music Festival will return July 23–26, 2026, taking over the scenic waterfront at Shorefront Park in Patchogue Village, New York. Now entering its 18th year, the four-day event continues to evolve while staying true to what made it a regional staple in the first place: a genre-spanning lineup, a relaxed coastal atmosphere and a crowd that ranges from longtime jam-band devotees to younger fans discovering their next favorite act.

 

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Closing out the weekend will be My Morning Jacket. Frontman Jim James and company have spent more than two decades crafting expansive rock that drifts between psychedelia, country warmth and exploratory jams. Their marathon Sunday night is set to stretch over two and a half hours and is expected to lean into that free-form energy, the kind of performance where songs morph, stretch and take on entirely new life in front of an audience.

Friday night belongs to Sublime, whose music remains a cornerstone of the ska-punk and reggae-rock explosion of the 1990s. The band’s return is especially notable because it features Jakob Nowell stepping into the spotlight, carrying forward the legacy of his father, Bradley Nowell, alongside original members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh. With classics that still dominate summer playlists decades later, their set should feel right at home overlooking the bay.

The festival opens Thursday with a heavy dose of nostalgia thanks to The Used, one of the most defining bands of the early-2000s emo boom. Known for their emotionally raw vocals and explosive live energy, the group’s appearance anchors a throwback night celebrating the alternative, pop-punk and emo sounds that shaped an entire generation of fans.

Saturday leans fully into improvisational territory. Gov’t Mule will headline the day, bringing the guitar mastery of Warren Haynes and the band’s blues-soaked, jam-heavy sound to the waterfront stage. Few bands balance technical musicianship and loose, exploratory performance quite like Mule, making them a natural fit for the festival’s longtime jam-focused Saturday tradition.

Supporting that evening is piano virtuoso Bruce Hornsby, whose work has always lived comfortably between rock, jazz and Americana. Meanwhile, Southern rock legends Little Feat will appear as part of their farewell tour, giving fans a rare chance to catch the influential group one more time.

Elsewhere on the lineup, Common Kings bring their laid-back island-influenced reggae-rock, while bluegrass standout Sierra Hull adds a technical, roots-driven edge to the weekend. Additional performances from Koyo, Cartel, NY Ska Jazz, Deadlands, The Ries Brothers and LaMP round out the lineup, with dozens more artists expected to join the bill. With three stages, over 55 performers, artisan vendors, food courts and waterfront sunsets, the 2026 edition of the Great South Bay Music Festival looks ready to deliver one of its most memorable summers yet.

photo credit: Sharon Alagna