REVIEW: Treefort Music Fest 2026
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY CARLY LIGGETT ☆
Photos By Carly Liggett & Justin Labadie
The annual Treefort Music Fest turned Boise into a music haven this spring, and this year felt even bigger and better. The music was everywhere, with over 500 artists taking over 50 venues across downtown, alongside yoga sessions, drag performances, stand-up comedy, a three-day film festival, and Hackfort unfolding in tandem. With so much going on, everything ultimately led back to the heart of the festival: the music. And this year’s lineup delivered: Flipturn, Magdalena Bay, Mother Mother, Geese, and Father John Misty headlined the Main Stage at Julia Davis Park, where thousands of fans gathered from early afternoon into the late hours.
Treefort’s 2026 lineup was packed with unforgettable performances at every level. Blondshell and Samia drew crowds with emotionally charged sets, while The Beaches, INJI, and Hemlock Springs brought infectious, high-energy performances that kept fans dancing from start to finish. Meanwhile, Amber Mark, Yellow Days, and St. Paul and the Broken Bones delivered groovy and soulful sets, highlighting Treefort’s range and diverse sound.
Beyond Julia Davis Park, every block of downtown Boise buzzed. Lines snaked outside clubs and bars for newer, edgier acts you might not have heard of, but stumbling into these sets often meant discovering your next favorite artist. At venues like the Shrine Social Club, you could grab a beer, play pool, and bounce between the ballroom and the basement, getting swept into mosh pits or even stagediving and crowdsurfing to the intensity of garage-punk bands like White Reaper and Wine Lips. Every corner of the city held a performance, and every corner offered a chance to get lost in it.
By the fifth day, the schedule started to blur, but the energetic atmosphere kept everyone afloat. You drifted between stages with newfound friends who felt like summer camp companions, swapping stories and highlights from the previous days. As the sun set over the Main Stage, the crowd came together to listen to the king of baroque folk-pop, Father John Misty, a perfect climax to five days of nonstop music discovery, leaving fans exhausted, exhilarated, and already plotting their return next year.
