Kings of Leon, Neil Young and The Lumineers have been revealed as the headliners for a new festival coming to Essex next summer.
State Fayre will celebrate "rock, Americana and barbecue" and will be a weekend camping event in Chelmsford.
Other big names revealed include The Black Crowes, Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton, Counting Crows, KT Tunstall, The Coral and more.
Organisers Festival Republic and Live Nation described the camping festival, which will have a capacity of around 30,000 people, as “the UK’s largest music and barbecue festival”.
Good times, great music, and incredible food await at State Fayre - the UK’s biggest rock, Americana, and BBQ festival 🎸🔥🏕️
Come join the fun from 26–28 June at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, for an unforgettable weekend featuring Kings of Leon, Neil Young, and The Lumineers, plus… pic.twitter.com/PCEaaXyiId— ticketmasteruk (@TicketmasterUK) November 21, 2025
Kings of Leon and Neil Young to headline State Fayre Essex
Inspired by American state fairs, State Fayre Festival features a line-up of rock, country and folk music as well as great food.
Live music will be performed across three main stages, and the event will also have food traders, live food talks and demonstrations, rides and activities and bars.
Multi-Grammy and BRIT Award-winning Kings of Leon will headline the first night of the festival.
Debuting in 2003, the band have released nine studio albums, selling more than 20 million albums and nearly 40 million singles worldwide.
They have already headlined prestigious festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury and numerous Lollapaloozas in Berlin, Sao Paulo, Chicago and Santiago.
Night two will see Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts headline.
Led by one of the most iconic and influential songwriters of a generation, the band also features Spooner Oldham (organ), Micah Nelson (guitar and vocals), Corey McCormick (bass and vocals), and Anthony LoGerfo (drums).
The group released their debut album, Talkin To The Trees, earlier this year.
The Lumineers will close out the festival on Sunday evening.
Founded in 2005 by Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano), the popular group blends alternative rock, Americana, and heartfelt storytelling.
The band has achieved 24 number one hits across multiple radio formats, earned more than six billion streams and sold more than 1.5 million albums in the US.
They have released several studio albums, with their most recent being AUTOMATIC.
State Fayre’s organisers Anna-Sophie Mertens and Alex Simmonds of Live Nation said: "We are thrilled to unveil a brand new camping festival that builds on the phenomenal UK growth in Americana, rock and country over the past few years.
"We’re so excited to present this music in an immersive outdoor setting complete with the authentic food, activities and big open skies of an American state fair."
The 10 Biggest UK Music Festivals
Councillor Natacha Dudley, cabinet member for an Active Chelmsford at Chelmsford City Council, said festivals have been a “longstanding feature” at Hylands Park.
Hylands Park hosted V Festival, which was sponsored by Virgin, for 22 years until 2017, and earlier this year, Radio 2 In The Park was held there.
“We’re delighted to confirm another weekend of global music artists coming to the park in 2026,” said Ms Dudley.
“With decades of experience in hosting high-quality music events behind us, we’re looking forward to working with Festival Republic to make this brand-new State Fayre festival another fantastic weekend for Chelmsford.”
When do tickets go on sale for State Fayre in Essex?
A 48-hour PayPal presale is on Wednesday, November 26, with the general presale on Thursday, November 27, both at 9am.
General sale starts 9am on Friday, November 28.
For more information or to sign up for pre-sales, visit the State Fayre website .
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Tickets can be purchased for individual days or for the weekend.
Other travel extras and VIP tickets are available.
There are also glamping options, including Asher's Acres, described as State Fayre's "most luxurious retreat" with "effortless comfort and style".
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