Day two of High Water Festival came with clouds and cooler weather, and honestly, it was a relief. While the rain threatened to fall at any moment, the air still felt lighter, people stayed out instead of hiding in the shade and it gave the whole day a different kind of energy without slowing anything down. An afternoon of indie favorites awaited the final day of the festival and fans soaked up every moment for a beautiful Sunday on the riverfront.
Alice Phoebe Lou opened the afternoon and had people paying attention right away. Her voice carries in a way that feels effortless, and the way she performs doesn’t feel overworked or forced. It’s simple, direct, and it lands. You could feel people ease into the day with her.
Penny & Sparrow followed with a set that felt personal without trying too hard. They mixed humor in between songs, kept things light, then dropped right back into harmonies that pulled everything back together. It felt natural, like they were letting people in on it rather than performing at them.
Hey, Nothing brought a bit more edge into the afternoon. Their set felt loose and a little unpredictable, which worked in their favor. It gave the day a shift without throwing it off, and you could feel people getting more engaged as it went on.
Richy Mitch & The Coalminers stepped in and filled the space easily. Their sound just fits in a setting like this, wide but still grounded. When Taylor from Caamp came out for “Evergreen,” it didn’t feel like a big planned moment. It just felt right and the crowd was grateful to witness it.
John Vincent III slowed things down in a way that worked. His voice has a warmth that carries without needing much behind it, and people stayed locked in for it. It felt calm, but not forgettable, more like a moment to settle in. His bright red jacket made him easy to spot perusing the food options later, and a few lucky festival-goers got the opportunity to meet him.
Jesse Welles brought something more pointed. His set had a clear perspective, and people responded to it. Later, Sheryl Crow gave him a shoutout during her set, saying artists like him give her hope for the future.
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers brought a sense of history to the day without feeling stuck in it. His piano-led set moved easily between styles, with songs like “The Way It Is” and “Mandolin Rain” landing just as strong live. You could see longtime fans singing along throughout, adding another layer to the set without taking anything away from the moment.
Sheryl Crow walked into one of those moments you can’t plan. Right as her set picked up, the sun broke through and washed everything in that late golden light, and she just rode it. She moved through her catalog with total ease, playing songs people have known forever in a way that still felt fresh. The entire set was hit after hit, with “If It Makes You Happy” landing right at the peak of sunset.
Peach Pit stepped in as the day started to wind down and felt completely in their element. Their live show balances clean, polished sound with a loose, easygoing energy, letting songs breathe while still keeping people locked in. It was the perfect lead-in to the final set of High Water Festival 2026.
Caamp closed the weekend in a way that felt genuinely shared. Their live show has a warmth to it that’s hard to fake, built around simple, honest songwriting and a sound that carries easily across a field. It never feels rushed or overdone, just steady and real, and people meet them right where they are. Taylor came out with Alice Phoebe Lou for a stripped-back cover of “Harvest Moon,” just the two of them, and everything got quiet in a way you don’t always see. Later, he stepped forward alone and asked everyone to be present, and people actually listened, phones down, nearly silent. Mitch from Richy Mitch & The Coalminers joined them for another song, tying back to one of the earlier moments from the day in a way that felt natural. By the end, all of that turned into something bigger, with everyone dancing and singing along to “All The Debts I Owe” before dispersing into the night.
The setting kept showing up all day without needing to call attention to itself. Artists could see the water from the stage, people wandered down to the dock between sets, and just beyond that, locals sat out on their boats watching from the edges. Even with the cooler weather, King of Pops was seen in hands across the festival grounds all day long.
High Water just works. It feels intentional without feeling overdone, and without overlapping sets it gives artists the space to actually connect. By the end of the weekend, it’s not something you feel done with. It’s something you’d come back for and something you can tell the artists feel too.
