Ciara, The Smashing Pumpkins and Stella Lefty have been added to the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup, expanding the two-night event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The September festival now includes established and emerging performers across pop, rock, country, hip-hop, electronic and K-pop.
Key Takeaways
- Ciara, The Smashing Pumpkins and Stella Lefty were added to the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup.
- The festival is scheduled for September 18 and 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- Stella Lefty will appear in a special performance as part of the expanded lineup.
- The bill includes artists representing pop, rock, country, hip-hop, electronic and K-pop.
- Previously announced performers include BTS, Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, Muse and Weezer.
Ciara and Smashing Pumpkins Join the Festival Lineup
The additions bring Ciara and The Smashing Pumpkins into the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival alongside a previously announced group of performers. Stella Lefty has also been added for a special performance, giving the festival three additional acts for its September schedule.
Ciara adds a pop and R&B presence to the lineup. The singer is known for music including “Goodies” and “1, 2 Step,” both associated with her emergence as a major recording artist in the mid-2000s. Her inclusion places an established R&B and pop performer alongside artists working in several other genres.
The Smashing Pumpkins add an alternative rock component to the event. The band, led by Billy Corgan, is associated with songs including “1979,” “Today,” “Tonight, Tonight” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.” Its catalog connects the festival lineup to the alternative rock scene.
The band has also appeared in other festival coverage, including a report on The Smashing Pumpkins at Lollapalooza, where the group was listed among the performers at the 2026 Chicago festival.
Ciara brings R&B and pop, while The Smashing Pumpkins provide an alternative rock presence. Their additions expand the range of artists scheduled for the two-night event.
The announcement also adds Stella Lefty, whose appearance is designated as a special performance. Her inclusion gives the lineup an emerging singer-songwriter alongside established performers with longer recording histories.
Stella Lefty Added Alongside Established Music Acts
Stella Lefty is the newest name among the three additions announced for the festival. The Illinois-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter gained attention in 2026 with “Boston,” a genre-blurring single that reached the Billboard Hot 100.
Her upcoming debut album, Long Way Home, adds a new release to the context surrounding her festival appearance. The special performance places her on the same event lineup as artists with established careers across multiple areas of popular music.
Lefty’s special performance is separate from the standard artist listings in the lineup. Her appearance is included alongside the festival’s other scheduled performers, giving the emerging artist a place within an event featuring internationally recognized acts.
The lineup includes artists at different stages of their careers, a structure also seen in recent festival lineup coverage involving established performers and emerging musicians.
2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival Returns to Las Vegas
The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival is scheduled for Friday, September 18, and Saturday, September 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event is presented by Capital One and will take place across two nights.
The Las Vegas venue will host the festival’s performances across the two-day schedule. The location gives the event a single arena setting for a lineup that includes performers from several areas of popular music.
The festival’s schedule separates performers across the two nights. Friday’s lineup includes BTS, Cardi B, Goo Goo Dolls, Kenny Chesney, Weezer and Zara Larsson.
BTS’s inclusion follows the group’s return to large-scale live performances in 2026, including its ARIRANG World Tour stop at MetLife Stadium earlier in August.
Saturday’s lineup includes Benson Boone, Ciara, Lainey Wilson, LE SSERAFIM, Major Lazer, Muse, Snoop Dogg and The Smashing Pumpkins, along with a special performance by Stella Lefty.
The two-night structure allows the expanded lineup to be distributed across separate performance schedules. Ciara, The Smashing Pumpkins and Stella Lefty are therefore part of the Saturday lineup.
Ryan Seacrest is also set to return as host. The festival’s announced format includes performances from the listed artists as well as collaborations and surprise performances.
The addition of three acts does not change the announced September 18 and 19 dates or the T-Mobile Arena location. Instead, it expands the group of performers scheduled for the existing two-night event.
Two-Night Schedule Features Multiple Music Genres
The expanded 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup covers a wide range of musical styles. The announced artists include performers associated with K-pop, country, hip-hop, alternative rock, dance, pop and R&B.
BTS and LE SSERAFIM represent the K-pop portion of the bill. Kenny Chesney and Lainey Wilson bring country music to the lineup, while Cardi B and Snoop Dogg represent hip-hop.
Muse, The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and Goo Goo Dolls add rock-oriented acts to the schedule. Major Lazer contributes a dance-focused presence, while Benson Boone, Zara Larsson and Ciara add pop-oriented performances.
The combination of genres means the festival is not centered on one musical style. Instead, its announced schedule places artists from different parts of the contemporary music scene across the same two-night event.
The newly announced performers strengthen that range in specific ways. Ciara expands the R&B and pop side of the lineup, The Smashing Pumpkins add alternative rock, and Stella Lefty brings an emerging singer-songwriter to the bill.
The lineup also includes performers with different career histories. Established names such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Ciara appear alongside newer performers such as Stella Lefty and Benson Boone.
The announced schedule gives each night a mixture of musical identities rather than limiting the performances to a single genre. Friday includes BTS, Cardi B, Goo Goo Dolls, Kenny Chesney, Weezer and Zara Larsson, while Saturday combines the newly added acts with Benson Boone, Lainey Wilson, LE SSERAFIM, Major Lazer, Muse and Snoop Dogg.
Festival Lineup Expands With Additional Performances
With the latest additions, the full announced 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup includes BTS, Benson Boone, Cardi B, Ciara, Goo Goo Dolls, Kenny Chesney, Lainey Wilson, LE SSERAFIM, Major Lazer, Muse, Snoop Dogg, The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and Zara Larsson, plus a special performance by Stella Lefty.
Ciara is scheduled for Saturday, joining a group that includes Benson Boone, Lainey Wilson, LE SSERAFIM, Major Lazer, Muse and Snoop Dogg. The Smashing Pumpkins are also scheduled for Saturday, as is Lefty’s special performance.
Friday’s schedule includes BTS, Cardi B, Goo Goo Dolls, Kenny Chesney, Weezer and Zara Larsson. The division gives the festival six listed performers on Friday and a larger Saturday schedule that includes the newly added artists.
The additions therefore affect the composition of the second night rather than introducing another festival date. The event remains a two-night performance schedule at T-Mobile Arena on September 18 and 19.
The lineup also brings together artists whose catalogs span different periods of popular music. Ciara’s recording career is represented through songs such as “Goodies” and “1, 2 Step,” while The Smashing Pumpkins are associated with alternative rock songs including “1979,” “Today,” “Tonight, Tonight” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.”
Stella Lefty enters the lineup with a more recent recording profile. Her 2026 single “Boston” preceded her announced debut album, Long Way Home, and her festival appearance is listed as a special performance.
The expanded schedule gives the event three additional performers while retaining the previously announced two-night structure. The September performances will bring the complete lineup to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the 2026 festival.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival?
The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival is scheduled for September 18 and 19, 2026. The two-night event will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Where is the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival being held?
The festival will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The venue will host both nights of the September 2026 event.
Which artists were added to the iHeartRadio Festival lineup?
Ciara, The Smashing Pumpkins and Stella Lefty were added to the lineup. Lefty is scheduled for a special performance.
Are Ciara and The Smashing Pumpkins performing at the 2026 festival?
Yes. Ciara and The Smashing Pumpkins are both scheduled to perform on Saturday, September 19. Stella Lefty is also scheduled for a special performance that night.
Who else is performing at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival?
The announced lineup includes BTS, Benson Boone, Cardi B, Goo Goo Dolls, Kenny Chesney, Lainey Wilson, LE SSERAFIM, Major Lazer, Muse, Snoop Dogg, Weezer and Zara Larsson, along with the newly added acts.
