Festival Season 2026: Boho Trends, Military Jackets & Coachella Style
Festival season has officially begun, and all eyes turn to California as Coachella opens its gates this weekend. With headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G taking the stage, the cultural spotlight is once again fixed on Indio not only for the music, but for the fashion that inevitably defines the season. Coachella has long been the birthplace of festival trends, a place where personal style becomes performance, and where the desert sun sets the tone for the summer ahead.
For years, the festival’s unofficial dress code has been rooted in Boho a blend of free‑spirited silhouettes, earthy textures, and effortless sensuality. And while the aesthetic has evolved, it has never truly disappeared. Last year, Kendall Jenner surprised everyone by stepping away from the expected crochet and denim cut‑offs, arriving instead in a yellow 1950s‑inspired dress by Proenza Schouler. It was a moment that signalled a shift: festival dressing was no longer confined to a single narrative. Yet, paradoxically, Boho is more popular than ever for Summer 2026, returning with a renewed sense of authenticity and craftsmanship.
Kate Moss
At Glastonbury Festival 2005
When it comes to festival style, there is always one muse who remains our first point of reference: Kate Moss. Her ability to blend undone glamour with rock‑and‑roll ease continues to shape the festival wardrobe. This season, her influence is felt most strongly in the resurgence of the Napoleon‑style military jacket a piece that has quietly moved from cult favourite to wardrobe essential. Once styled with slip dresses or worn casually with cargo shorts, the jacket has re‑emerged as a festival hero. Its structured silhouette and ornate detailing offer the perfect counterpoint to the relaxed, sun‑bleached energy of festival dressing.
Designers have taken note. At Ann Demeulemeester’s Summer 2026 show, military jackets appeared throughout the collection, reimagined with a poetic, deconstructed edge. The house’s interpretation sharp yet fluid, romantic yet utilitarian captured the exact tension that defines festival style today: a balance between nostalgia and modernity, between the curated and the instinctive.
Slip dresses, too, remain a festival staple, but with a distinctly American twist this season. Think bias‑cut silks paired with cowboy boots, bandanas knotted at the neck, and sun‑worn leather accessories. The look channels a kind of desert sensuality soft, feminine fabrics contrasted with rugged Western elements. It’s a reminder that festival dressing is not just about aesthetics; it’s about storytelling, about weaving together references that feel personal and lived‑in.
And then there is crochet a material that refuses to fade from the summer wardrobe. For 2026, crochet is not only stylish but deeply practical. Its lightweight structure, breathability, and crucially its resistance to creasing make it ideal for long festival days. Whether worn as a dress, a top layered over swimwear, or a skirt paired with boots, crochet adds texture and movement, capturing the carefree spirit that festival fashion celebrates.
What defines festival style in 2026 is not a single trend, but a mood: expressive, nostalgic, and deeply individual. It’s about pieces that can be mixed, matched, repurposed, and reimagined clothing that carries stories, memories, and a sense of freedom. As Coachella begins and festival season unfolds, expect to see a return to Boho roots, a rise in military precision, and a renewed love for the tactile beauty of crochet. The desert, as always, will show us what’s next.
*The products featured here may contain affiliate links.