The Strokes and Mumford & Sons to Headline Sea.Hear.Now 2026

The Strokes and Mumford & Sons are set to headline Sea.Hear.Now 2026, bringing two of rock's biggest draws back to the Asbury Park, New Jersey waterfront. It's a pairing that covers a lot of ground — New York garage-rock royalty on one end, arena-filling folk-rock on the other.

Sea.Hear.Now has quietly become one of the East Coast's most distinctive festival experiences since launching in 2018. Tucked along the Jersey Shore with stages practically spilling onto the beach, it's built a reputation for booking lineups that lean guitar-forward without feeling nostalgic or stale. Past headliners have included Stevie Nicks, Green Day, The Killers, and Weezer, so the 2026 bill fits right in the wheelhouse.

For The Strokes, this is another sign that the band remains active and in demand on the festival circuit. Julian Casablancas and company have stayed selectively visible since *The New Abnormal* won the Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2021, and every appearance still feels like an event. Their catalog — from *Is This It* through *Comedown Machine* and beyond — practically demands an outdoor stage at golden hour.

“Mumford & Sons, meanwhile, have been in a different chapter since banjoist Winston Marshall's departure in 2021.”

Mumford & Sons, meanwhile, have been in a different chapter since banjoist Winston Marshall's departure in 2021. The band has continued as a trio, leaning further into the expansive, electrified sound they explored on *Delta* and their 2023 album *Rushmere*. A headlining slot at a beach festival feels like natural territory for a group whose music has always aimed for the wide open.

Asbury Park itself adds a layer to the whole thing. The city's deep musical roots — Springsteen's Stone Pony is literally steps from the festival grounds — give Sea.Hear.Now a sense of place that most festivals can't manufacture. It's not a field off a highway exit. It's a boardwalk with history.

Full lineup details, ticket on-sale dates, and the rest of the 2026 undercard are expected to roll out in the coming weeks. If the headliners are any indication, expect a bill that leans hard into rock with enough range to keep things interesting. Keep your eyes on this one.