Prog For Peart Festival Returns in 2026

Prog For Peart Festival Returns to Oxfordshire for Sixth Year

A festival with heart — and a reason for it. Promised is a place that brings boutique prog and prog metal fans together. A quality that can probably be attributed to many events, but Prog For Peart truly means it and now heads into the sixth round.

You heard it here: Readers of Prog Magazine have voted and crowned the festival Event of the Year. The fans have spoken — and anyone responding with a shrug will have to miss out on headliners Magenta and Mostly Autumn, joined by a dozen more acts across the weekend:

1. Karmamoi (Italy)

2. Red Bazar

3. Also Eden

4. Jump

5. The Gift

6. Forgotten Gods

7. Long Earth

8. The Room

9. Hamasaari (France)

10. Kindred Spirit Band

11. King of Sweden (Finland)

12. Mother Black Cap

 

When? A free-to-attend pre-festival party night takes place on the evening of Thursday 16th July. The main two festival days are Friday 17th July and Saturday 18th July, with the first bands starting at midday and music running through until midnight.

Where? Abingdon United FC in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

So why can the event be described as having heart? Its founding in 2020 is based on a tragic moment — the death of legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart. In his honour, Mark Cunningham created the two-day gathering and ensured that all profits from the event are donated every year to a cancer charity funding research into Glioblastoma Multiforme, the type of brain cancer that claimed Peart.

For Mark Cunningham, it’s a cause close to his heart:

When Neil died and the cause of his death became known, I was gripped by the determination to do something, something to try and contribute to the fight against brain cancer. Being a musician and a music promoter, it swiftly became obvious I should use those skills. So, I decided to create a prog music festival. Since I started down this road it’s always been about the music & creating a fun, joyous atmosphere. I’m delighted that Prog For Peart has been voted one of the events of the year again because it means I must be doing something right if all these people are having a great time and keep coming back.

A celebration of life, music, and the quiet solidarity that comes with both. A gathering with intention — and refreshingly humble promises.

If this sounds like your kind of weekend, tickets and further information can be found here.