Double Decker Arts Festival is one of the most anticipated events in Oxford where students, community members and visitors come together to enjoy music, art and local culture. This year, University of Mississippi students have found mixed feelings about the 2026 lineup.
Jillian Badeaux, a senior psychology major from New Orleans, said she was happy with the lineup because it features her favorite band.
“I love it this year a lot because I’m a really big Wilco fan, and I did not expect them to headline because I think they are a much bigger band than we usually get,” Badeaux said.
Seeing Wilco on the lineup makes the festival feel more personal because it gives her a rare opportunity to see them live.
“I’ve never seen them, and they don’t tour very often because they are kind of an older band. They had their heyday a long time ago, so that’s why I’m excited,” Badeaux said.
Badeaux acknowledged that Wilco’s appeal may be more limited among students.
“Honestly, I do not think there’s a large Wilco community at Ole Miss,” Badeaux said. “All my friends I texted about this were like, ‘Oh, okay, I will start listening to them.’”
Despite Wilco’s limited popularity among students, Badeaux believes that having a well-known headliner still adds value to a small-town festival like Double Decker.
“I think the magnitude of Wilco is much bigger than previous headliners,” Badeaux said. “If anyone can even recognize the band’s name, they are more likely to want to go versus seeing a list of random bands.”
Lee Ann Stubbs has served as coordinator for Double Decker since 2015. She works with planning and shaping the festival, more specifically with the music and overall experience.
“I’m really excited about this year’s lineup,” Stubbs said. “It reflects where Double Decker is right now — creative, intentional and focused on quality performances. The artists bring a mix of styles and sounds that work well together and fit the energy of the festival.”
Stubbs finds the musical aspect of the festival to be extremely important, finding a way to connect the Ole Miss and Oxford community..
“Ole Miss students and the Oxford community value authenticity and live music experiences, and this lineup speaks to that,” Stubbs said. “It’s designed to appeal to a wide range of people while still feeling current and relevant to students.”
According to Stubbs, the festival has always aimed to host a variety of bands with different fanbases and popularity levels. She emphasized that the festival always looks for artists on the rise.
“What makes 2026 stand out is the balance,” Stubbs said. “We have emerging artists alongside major acts like Wilco, who has a massive and dedicated following and has received a lot of positive feedback since we announced the lineup on Tuesday; and Shane Smith and the Saints, who bring an incredible live presence and have been steadily building a loyal fan base. That mix really represents what Double Decker has always aimed to be.”
For students who are newer to the festival, name recognition plays an even larger role in shaping expectations. Molly Harris, a sophomore secondary education major, said the 2026 lineup did not meet what she had hoped for.
“It’s not as exciting as I was hoping for,” Harris said. “I’ve listened to a little bit of Penelope Road, so it will be nice to hear more. I always like listening to new music, but I was hoping to see a more familiar name on the lineup.”
Many students compare this year’s lineup to past festivals that featured more recognizable performers.
“I think last year’s lineup was a lot better than this year,” Harris said. “I was really upset I wasn’t able to go because I love Houndmouth and Ole 60, and (for) most of the other artists performing, I knew at least one of their songs.”
Since community is central to the festival, choosing artists that appeal to a broad audience remains important.
“I think name recognition and discovering new artists are equally important,” Harris said. “The familiar names build anticipation and draw people to the festival, but discovering new artists is always part of the fun. As someone who loves all types of music and going to concerts, one of my favorite parts of a festival is leaving with new artists that I want to listen to more. But the reason I came to the festival in the first place is usually because I recognized the headliners.”
While Harris values both discovering new music and seeing familiar names, she said the lack of recognizable headliners has affected the overall excitement on campus.
“At the university, I’ve heard people aren’t as excited as they were last year,” Harris said. “I think it’s going to be a good weekend, but I don’t think there is as much excitement as there could have been.”
Despite lower excitement among students, Harris said the diverse lineup still offers something for a wide range of listeners.
“I don’t think (Double Decker) catered specifically to the Ole Miss community,” Harris said. “They have a mix of artists from all over and a few different genres. However, I like that because it means everyone will probably find something they like.”
Concerns about name recognition were echoed by other students, including graduate students. Cecylia Williams, an environmental engineering graduate student, said she was unfamiliar with most of the lineup but remained open to discovering new artists.
“I think that name recognition tends to draw a larger crowd,” Williams said. “I think that there might be a smaller crowd this year if the artists aren’t as well known, but that might just be because I don’t know them. Maybe they’re more popular in other people’s rotations.”
