Stagecoach 2026: 10 Best Things We Saw

On Saturday afternoon, Willow Avalon brought her whimsical style, airy vocal and gritty, unfiltered brand of songwriting to a packed, passionate crowd at the Music Den stage. She launched her set with the title track to her album Southern Belle, Raisin’ Hell. “Are y’all having a good time? Are you drinking? I”m gonna join you after this set,” she quipped.

Wearing a flowy dress and wielding an acoustic guitar, Avalon issued an incisive takedown of an arrogant ex-lover on her song “Yodelayheewho,” including scarring lyrics about his “too-tight jeans and broke-down car.” She also offered up a scathing rendition of a relatively new song, “Work to Do.”

On Friday afternoon (April 24), bluesy-rocker Marcus King lit up the Palomino Stage as he and his ace band sent their blistering, red-hot sounds sailing off over the Stagecoach grounds. He lent his grainy, full-throttle voice to tunes such as “Levi’s and Goodbyes” and “Goodbye Carolina,” while regularly offering ample time to jam with his band, letting the throng of fans packed in front of the stage soak in the group’s musical sagacity.

He noted that he’s got new music on the way, and then thrilled the crowd by welcoming his wife Briley to share the spotlight with him and offer up some music of her own. For Stagecoach fans who appreciated a devotion to musicality and grizzly, bluesy guitar riffs, King’s set was a must-see.

Cody Johnson spearheaded the Stagecoach Friday night lineup on the Mane Stage, bringing a string of hit songs and of course, many nods to his native Lone Star State right into the heart of Indio, California. He opened with the roaring “That’s Texas,” before offering up early-career fan favorites “Me and My Kind,” “With You I Am” and “Dear Rodeo,” as well as a cover of The Charlie Daniels Band’s 1974 hit “Long Haired Country Boy.” He prowled the stage and promised the crowd that if they gave him all the enthusiasm and passion they’ve got to the music that evening, he’d give it to them right back. Between songs, he spoke with the crowd about the importance of chasing dreams and not giving up — a sentiment that was familiar throughout the first night of Stagecoach, as previous performers that evening such as Bailey Zimmerman had also motivated the crowd to follow their passions.

Although the middle of Johnson’s set at times felt like it included too many slow-tempo songs (though lyrically, songs like “Learning to Be Human” and “The Fall” were among his best), the set picked up steam with songs such as the inspirational “‘Til You Can’t,” and he surprised the crowd by bringing out Boyz II Men to join him in singing a version of the group’s 1994 hit “On Bended Knee,” and in the process reminding the crowd that though Johnson is known for his Texas country sound, he’s got plenty of soulfulness in his voice, too.

Beyond headlining Stagecoach, Johnson is also gearing up to release the new album Banks of the Trinity on June 26.

Hootie & The Blowfish spearheaded the Mustang Stage on Sunday night, inciting a massive audience singalong with their classic hits, including “Hold My Hand” and “Let Her Cry,” all led by lead singer Darius Rucker’s robust voice. The show was further elevated when they brought out Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav and Chuck D for covers of two classic protest anthems: Buffalo Springfield’s ’60s rock staple “For What It’s Worth” (mixed in with PE’s “Worth”-sampling “He Got Game”) and the rap group’s own timeless “Fight the Power.”

Treaty Oak Revival played Saturday afternoon on the new open-air Mustang Stage, after playing last year at the covered Palomino stage. The band has risen from performing at tiny bars to massive arenas, and has forged a reputation for live shows that are known to be unfiltered and at times chaotic. Meanwhile, their unflinching songs touch on themes ranging from heartbreak, to alcohol, to nasty court battles with an ex. At Stagecoach this year, they launched into their 2021 fan favorite “Missed Call,” which quickly got the crowd chanting along.

“After this show, you will all be honorary West Texas degenerates,” said lead singer Sam Canty, leading into the title track of the group’s 2025 album West Texas Degenerate. They roared through “See You in Court,” “Bad State of Mind” and “Ode To Bourbon,” and Canty gave a shoutout to anyone who is trying to stay sober, as the group dropped into their song “Withdrawals.” Though the band did not perform their fan favorite “Boomtown,” that didn’t deter fans from engaging in a TOR show tradition of creating their own “beer shower,” tossing beer cans and water bottles into the air.

Lainey Wilson gave off true headliner energy on Saturday night, bringing her polished and entertaining live show to the Mane Stage and revving up the crowd after her show was delayed by an hour due to the Stagecoach grounds having an emergency evacuation due to high winds. But when she took the stage, the focus was on the music. She sailed through staples like “Hang Tight Honey,” “4x4xU” and “Heart Like a Truck,” and also welcomed to the stage Riley Green (whose set that evening was nixed due to the evacuation) and Little Big Town to perform the Merle Haggard classic “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.” Wilson’s vocals were strong and commanding, while her effervescent charisma was on full display. She once again proved why she’s been named the entertainer of the year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association, among her many accolades.

The Country Music Hall of Fame duo Brooks & Dunn dominated the Mane Stage on Sunday night with a slate of timeless hits. They launched with “Brand New Man,” followed by “She’s Not the Cheatin’ Kind.”

“Y’all been through one haven’t ya? Way to hang in there,” Kix Brooks said, referencing Saturday nights show that was delayed due to an emergency evacuation due to high wind. “You California girls dress up good, too,” he added, before they launched into the duo’s 1996 hit “Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up for Nothing.”

From there, more of the group’s nearly two dozen No. 1 Country Airplay hits followed, including “Ain’t Nothin’ ‘Bout You,” “Red Dirt Road” and “Neon Moon” (with Ronnie Dunn turning in a signature solid, soulful vocal on “Neon Moon”).

Brooks brought one of the evening’s high points with his harmonica work on “Rock My World (Little Country Girl),” as he teamed up with the duo’s ace fiddle player for a memorable musical moment. Later in the evening, the duo honored police officers during “Only in America,” as red, white and blue streamers rained down on the crowd. And of course, “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” had the crowd shimmying and trying out a little boot scootin’ of their own at times, again proving the enduring power of B&D’s songs.

Ella Langley has fast cemented herself as a bona fide leading artist in country music, thanks to her smash hit “Choosin’ Texas,” which has been at the top of the all-genre Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, her album Dandelion became her first to debut at the top of the Billboard 200. Her show at Stagecoach on Friday (April 24) on the Mane Stage began as the sun began to set over the hills and mountains in the distance, which served as an idyllic scene for opening song “Dandelion.” She sailed through more songs from that album, including “Broken” and “Bottom of Your Boots,” while also offering her hit “Choosin’ Texas.” She also surprised the crowd by welcoming Theo Von to join her on a rendition of her hit “You Look Like You Love Me,” which she originally recorded with Riley Green. Overall, the Alabama native proved she has a superstar’s charisma and ability to connect with an audience through heart, song and vulnerability.

Ty Myers drew one of the most passionate crowds to the Palomino stage, as the sun began to set and he stepped onstage for his Stagecoach debut. His nearly hour-long set was a mighty display of his bluesy rock-country style and lead guitar skills, as he was backed an ace band that included a horn section and powerful vocalist Kennadi Rose. The packed crowd overflowed the Palomino area, and hung on to every word he sang, at times nearly overpowering his own strong vocal as they sang fervently to songs including “Valerie,” “Ends of the Earth,” “Stay” and “Leaving Carolina.” Judging by the crowd reaction, fans might expect to see him on the Mane Stage the next time he plays the fest.

Post Malone closed out the 2026 Stagecoach with a massive spectacle of stage and song. His set was regularly punctuated with plenty of pyro and fireworks, while he blended many of his own hits such as “Circles” with numerous country covers and some of his own country hits — and plenty of surprise appearances from his musical friends. He opened the show with a cover of Craig Morgan’s “International Harvester,” and later performed Garth Brooks’ “Rodeo.” He welcomed Jake Worthington to help him put his spin on George Strait’s “Give It Away,” while Braxton Keith also made an appearance to sing Keith’s song “Cozy.” Shaboozey helped Posty close out the evening with a version of “I Had Some Help.” Post Malone’s genuine love for the country genre seemed to shine, and the fans who packed the vast area in front of the Mane Stage seemed to relish singing along to not only Posty’s hits, but an array of country classics.