ROTTERDAM, 2 December 2025 – Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival has announced the first six names for its 2026 edition on Noordplein. The line-up begins with Bridge City Sinners, Truffle Valley Boys, Vandoliers, Cat Clyde, Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra and Cat Lee King & His Cocks.
Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival 2026 (Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival) will return to Noordplein in Rotterdam-Noord with a programme that again moves between bluegrass, roots, country, rhythm and blues and punk influences. The organisation has confirmed six international acts from the United States, Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany as the first wave of artists on the bill.
The announcement is presented as an early preview of the programme, with additional names and practical details to follow in the coming months. Tickets for the 2026 edition are already available through the festival’s ticket shop, giving regular visitors and new listeners the chance to secure entry ahead of summer.
Bridge City Sinners bring dark-edged acoustic energy
Bridge City Sinners from the United States combine acoustic instruments with themes and sounds more often associated with metal and punk. The band’s music blends folk, bluegrass, Depression-era jazz, punk, metal and hardcore into a style that is as much about atmosphere as it is about speed or volume.
Over recent years, the group has developed a dedicated following around this mix of genres. Their performance at Noordplein is expected to draw fans who know the material from recordings and previous tours, as well as visitors who are curious about a heavier interpretation of acoustic roots music in an outdoor setting.
Truffle Valley Boys return with 1950s-style bluegrass
Italian group Truffle Valley Boys are returning to Rotterdam after previous appearances at the festival. Although they come from Italy, their music closely follows the energetic bluegrass of the 1950s, taking inspiration from artists such as Bill Monroe and working within the sound and instrumentation of that period.
The band does not only revisit older material, but also shapes it from their own perspective. Their 2026 visit forms part of the release tour for a new album recorded at Flipsville Records in Sweden, a fully analogue studio equipped with original 1950s gear. That recording approach is intended to keep the sound close to the era that inspires them.
Vandoliers mix country roots with punk
Vandoliers, a band from Texas, bring together country, Tex-Mex, folk and blues with an energetic punk attitude. Their album Life Behind Bars, released in 2025, offers a personal look at the life of frontwoman Jenni (Gin-ee) Rose, including her experiences with addiction and gender dysphoria.
Despite the weight of these themes, the band’s work maintains a forward-looking energy, including in its more melancholic songs. Live shows are known for a sense of shared release and collective mood rather than introspection alone, something that is likely to translate to an open-air stage on Noordplein.
Cat Clyde brings blues and folk from ontario
Singer-songwriter Cat Clyde from rural Ontario in Canada works at the intersection of blues and folk, with a warm, slightly smoky voice that can sound both gentle and rough-edged. Her songs carry echoes of artists such as Patsy Cline, Lead Belly and Karen Dalton, while remaining grounded in her own writing style.
Clyde’s music has a familiar, almost timeless quality, relying on strong melodies and carefully written lyrics. On stage she tends to create an intimate atmosphere, something that may provide a contrast to some of the louder acts on the Noordplein line-up while still fitting within the festival’s broader roots focus.
Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra revisit Noordplein
Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra from Newcastle return to the festival after an earlier appearance in 2015, when their set quickly filled the dancefloor. The band draws on rockabilly, blues, country, swing, soul, doo wop, honky tonk and related styles, combining them into arrangements that leave plenty of space for rhythm and humour.
Their recordings include a cover of a song by Dutch group Blue Grass Boogiemen, a detail that has not gone unnoticed by local bluegrass listeners. With saxophonist and clarinettist Ben Powling now added to the line-up, the group comes to Rotterdam with an expanded sound and the same dry British wit in its lyrics and stage presentation.
Cat Lee King & His Cocks bring rhythm & blues and rock ’n’ roll
Cat Lee King & His Cocks, from Bonn in Germany, focus on authentic 1950s rhythm and blues and rock ’n’ roll. Their repertoire covers both original songs and carefully chosen covers, moving between soulful, slower blues pieces and more driving rhythm and blues numbers.
The band’s live reputation rests on tight playing, strong piano work and a performance style that leans into traditional showmanship without turning into pastiche. For Rotterdam audiences interested in classic rhythm and blues, jump blues and early rock ’n’ roll, their appearance offers a chance to hear that sound presented in a present-day European context.
How to get to Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival
Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival takes place on and around Noordplein in the Oude Noorden district, north of the city centre and just beyond the Noordsingel. The neighbourhood is known for its mix of residential streets, independent cafés and small venues, and the square itself acts as a focal point for markets and outdoor events.
Noordplein can be reached by tram from Rotterdam Centraal via lines that stop at nearby haltes in Rotterdam-Noord, and by bus or bicycle from other parts of the city. Walking from the centre is also possible by crossing the Hofplein area and continuing through the streets of Oude Noorden towards the square.
