Electric Castle festival organisers announced that the 2026 edition of the festival will take place between 16 and 19 July in Bontida, with Twenty One Pilots and The Cure confirmed as headliners.

'In the history of rock music, it's hard to find a band that transitions as naturally between psychedelic tracks like Caterpillar, alt-rock hits like Just Like Heaven, post-punk anthems such as A Forest, or pop-leaning songs like Friday I'm in Love. The Cure is simply The Cure: instantly recognisable from the first guitar chord of any track and unique in their career path, having quietly acknowledged awards and chart success without giving them too much attention. Since their formation in 1978, The Cure have alternated between prolific periods and long hiatuses, including a nearly 16-year gap between albums. Their discography now includes 14 albums, with the most recent, Songs of a Lost World, receiving critical acclaim and featuring on many ‘best of 2024' lists. In an age of fast content and summer-only hits, The Cure chose to return with complex, lengthy tracks with lyrics that verge on pure poetry. Originally created for their loyal fanbase, the new material has surprisingly caught the attention of a new generation, thanks in part to younger stars like Yungblud, Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams, who have all publicly expressed their admiration for the ‘veterans' inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019,' the organisers said in a press release on Tuesday.

According to the release, Twenty One Pilots already know everything about the Electric Castle crowd: they create an incredible atmosphere, sing from the first minute, and dance until the final encore, just as they did in 2022 during their first show in Bontida, the echoes of which still resonate strongly.

'Twenty One Pilots have evolved from an indie project into global superstars, thanks to their fluid musical style blending alternative rock, hip-hop, and pop. They were the first band in history to have all the tracks from two separate albums (Blurryface and Vessel) RIAA Gold certified, a Guinness World Record. With Grammy Awards, AMAs, MTV accolades and twelve No. 1 tracks on the Alternative Airplay chart, the band's biography is so impressive that it's easy to believe the American duo have found a formula for success,' the organisers added.

According to the same source, the Twenty One Pilots concert at Bontida will be one of their final shows in Europe before the band continues its tour across other continents, until 2029. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marius Septimiu Avram; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)