Festivals see 15% rise in solo female headliners
This year's instalment of the ROSTR x IQ report on Europe's Festival Summer uncovers key trends in gender balance, genre splits, and agency bookings
Feature By IQ | 1 September 2026
Europe’s festival landscape in 2026 shows signs of renewed diversity after a long period of consolidation. For the first time in years, the number of unique headlining acts has grown, reversing a three-year decline.
Gender balance shows uneven but real progress: solo female headliners have surged 15 points in two years, even as headline bands remain overwhelmingly male, revealing that equality gains are concentrated almost entirely among solo artists, rather than groups.
Genre trends favour rock/indie’s continued reign, alongside a dance/EDM…
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