Two days. Two completely different festivals. That’s the best way to describe Levitate Music Festival 2026, which ran July 18th and 19th at its longtime home at the fairgrounds in Marshfield, MA.
Levitate has built its identity around being a locally focused festival, and that DNA is visible everywhere from the returning acts who have played so many times they feel like staples, to the surf-oriented clothing shops mixed throughout the coastal town’s grounds, to the murals being painted live throughout the weekend. It’s a festival that knows its community and caters specifically to it. This year, though, Saturday offered something different from the usual Levitate playbook, and it was better for it.
Saturday: Rain, Alanis, and more rain
Saturday brought some persistent rain ranging from a steady mist to outright downpours. The crowd responded by pulling on ponchos and largely not caring. The lineup made it pretty easy to ignore the rain. The main stage on Saturday featured an all-female-fronted lineup, a welcome site an any festival which have all been long so heavily featured predominantly nondiverse lineups.
Bebe Stockwell kicked things off and the Boston-based singer-songwriter made a strong case for her place on a stage that size with a voice that sounds surprisingly more rich and soulful than you might have expected. She later surfaced for a pop-up acoustic set in the VIP tent, covering Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes’ “Home” to a considerably more intimate crowd.
Larkin Poe hit the main stage during one of the heavier rain stretches of the day and the crowd, ponchos and all, stood their ground. The Nashville sister duo are as cool as advertised, trading off some impressive guitar solos with an onstage chemistry you only get from playing music with your sibling for most of your life. It was a great set, and the rain only added to the vibes.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Sammy Rae ahead of her set (that full conversation is coming soon) and she spoke thoughtfully about what an all-female main stage lineup means and where the industry still has room to go. On stage, she was everything she always is: one of the best bandleaders working right now, combining just insane vocal ability with an infectious on-stage presence that had everyone fully locked in and dancing throughout.
Alanis Morissette closed Saturday night, and the crowd that gathered was the largest I’ve seen at Levitate. Her voice sounds, somehow, even better live than on record, and the catalog she moved through reminded you just how deep and lasting her impact on music has been. For everyone in the crowd who grew up listening to Jagged Little Pill on cassette in their mom’s Volvo on repeat, this one seemed extra special.
Sunday: Sunshine, New Orleans, and a Cosmic Country Detour
Sunday felt like opposite day. Clear skies, warm temperatures, and a more traditionally Levitate feel. It was the kind of day the festival’s long-running regulars probably picture when they think of the event at its most traditional, and not just because of the weather.
Hans Williams, a Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter who won Levitate’s songwriting competition last year and earned a spot on the songwriter stage, returned this year having graduated to the main stage. The growth was noticeable, and it’s exciting to see where he’ll continue to grow from here. A great local success story.
Trombone Shorty was my personal favorite set of the weekend. The New Orleans jazz, funk, and hip hop legend arrived with a trombone engraved and inlaid with carvings and jewels, and gave a performance that was oozed bravado with music to match. Pure charisma from start to finish, and the kind of set that reminded the crowd what it sounds like when a legendary performer is completely in their element.
Daniel Donato brought his Cosmic Country to the side stage, fusing country with psychedelic elements in a way that the name exactly promises. It was a good detour for anyone exploring beyond the main stage.
Caamp closed the festival, and for anyone coming in without much familiarity, myself included, they were a genuine discovery. The Ohio-born band carries the same warm folksy energy as Mt. Joy, The Lumineers, or Gregory Alan Isakov, and closing out a sunny Sunday in Marshfield with that sound was exactly the right call. Definitely a band worth listening to beyond the festival grounds.
Levitate 2026 was a festival of contrasts. Rainy versus sunny. Experimental versus familiar. Saturday’s main stage was a highlight worth building on. The full weekend reminded you why this festival has stuck around as long as it has.
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Photo Credit: Nathan Smith, Hannah Sender, and Madison Bennett
Nathan Smith is a Providence-based music photographer and journalist focusing on capturing the special moments and unfiltered magic of live performances. Whether he’s shooting established artists at sold-out TD Garden shows or documenting the rise of emerging local bands, his goal is the same: to pull viewers directly into the heart of the moment.
His writing spotlights rising artists and local scenes, with a focus on telling the stories that often get overlooked. A lifelong music fan and musician himself, Nathan approaches interviews and portraits as conversations rather than transactions, building trust with artists so their genuine personalities can shine through. Whether he’s backstage, in the photo pit, or at home in front of the keyboard, he brings the same curiosity and care to every assignment.
Outside of his press work with Juice Box Press, Nathan works regularly as a photographer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous bands in the Boston and Providence area. Nathan also plays violin with a local orchestra, follows Celtics basketball almost religiously, and is an avid fantasy reader.