Four Chord Music Festival Returns to Pittsburgh With Knocked Loose and Pierce the Veil

Four Chord Music Festival just dropped the lineup for 2026, and it's easily the most diverse bill this festival has ever put together. Knocked Loose and Pierce the Veil are headlining two nights in Pittsburgh this September, and the undercard is stacked from top to bottom.

The festival, presented by Smartpunk, is celebrating its 12th year by returning home to F.N.B. Stadium on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26. If you're not familiar, Four Chord has been Pittsburgh's homegrown punk and emo festival since 2014, founded by Rishi Bahl. What started as a small club show has grown into a legitimate multi-day, multi-stage event. Past lineups have featured Blink-182, All Time Low, Yellowcard, Taking Back Sunday, AFI, and A Day to Remember. This year feels like a big step forward though.

Friday Brings the Heavy Hitters

Day one is built around Knocked Loose, and honestly, they're one of the most exciting live bands in heavy music right now. Their third album, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, came out in May 2024 on Pure Noise Records and absolutely dominated. It topped the UK Hard Rock & Metal chart, and the single "Suffocate" featuring Poppy earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. They even performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live in November 2024. Then in February 2026, they dropped "Hive Mind" featuring Denzel Curry. These guys just keep pushing boundaries.

The rest of Friday's bill reads like a metalcore and post-hardcore dream lineup. Underoath, Kublai Khan TX, We Came As Romans, Saosin, Superheaven, Counterparts, Haywire, and Militarie Gun are all on the Friday card. This is a massive departure from what Four Chord has traditionally offered, and I think it's going to pay off in a big way. Bahl himself said they wanted to "expand the festival's reach by offering a day of bands that have never played Four Chord before." Mission accomplished.

Saturday Is Pure Pop-Punk and Emo

Saturday is more in Four Chord's traditional wheelhouse, and it's going to be a massive day. Pierce the Veil headlines, and they've been on a serious tear. Their fifth album, The Jaws of Life, dropped in February 2023, and the single "So Far So Fake" became a sleeper hit in 2025. Their 2026 calendar is absolutely loaded. They're playing Sonic Temple, Governors Ball, Louder Than Life, Shaky Knees, and Aftershock, plus opening for My Chemical Romance and Guns N' Roses, and headlining Petco Park in their hometown of San Diego in September. Catching them at Four Chord is going to be special.

The Saturday undercard brings out Mayday Parade, Boys Like Girls, Motion City Soundtrack, Mom Jeans, Cartel, Hit the Lights, and more. That's a lineup that covers basically every era of pop-punk, from mid-2000s staples to newer acts keeping the genre alive.

State Champs Playing Around the World and Back in Full

I'll be real, this might be the thing I'm most excited about on the entire lineup. State Champs will be performing their second album, Around the World and Back, in its entirety. The album originally came out in October 2015, so this is essentially an 11th anniversary celebration of a record that meant a lot to a lot of people in the pop-punk world. State Champs released their self-titled fifth album in November 2024, but hearing Around the World and Back front to back is going to hit different.

The Venue Is a Full-Circle Moment

F.N.B. Stadium sits near the confluence of Pittsburgh's three downtown rivers, which sounds like an incredible backdrop for a festival. Bahl has a personal connection to the space too. He said his first ever Warped Tour was in that same location, and bringing Four Chord back there is a full-circle moment. The festival is returning to Pittsburgh for the first time in years, which makes this feel like a homecoming in the truest sense.

Tickets and How to Get Them

Early bird tickets are on sale right now through the official Four Chord Music Festival website. General public on-sale starts Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m. EST. General Admission, GA+, and VIP options are all available, and there's also a hotel bundle through partner Jampack at F.N.B. Stadium at Station Square if you're coming from out of town.

I think this is the strongest Four Chord lineup to date. The split between Friday's heavier bill and Saturday's pop-punk and emo focus gives the festival a range it hasn't had before. Whether you're there for Knocked Loose pits or Mayday Parade singalongs, there's genuinely something for everyone. Don't sleep on those early bird prices.

Cover photo courtesy of Ticketmaster