Shaky Knees 2026: Wu-Tang, Gorillaz performing on Day 3 at Piedmont Park

Shaky Knees is officially over.

After scorching heat, severe storms, an evacuation and a lot of musical talent across rock, alternative, pop and rap, the three-day event concluded Sunday around 10:30 p.m. The 13th iteration of the beloved Atlanta music festival drew headliners the Strokes, Twenty One Pilots and Gorillaz to Piedmont Park. 

Click here to check out our Day 3 gallery from the festival.

And take a look at our Day 2 and Day 1 galleries.

To conclude this year's Shaky Knees, Gorillaz performed a thrilling set with special guests — and political messages.

Lead singer Damon Albarn energized the crowd, opening the band's set with "Casablanca, "Last Living Souls" and "On Melancholy Hill," often going into the audience to greet screaming fans. 

"You're very warm," Albarn said. "Well, I know you're warm, but emotionally as well." 

Then, Albarn gave a more serious message.

"What happens in America affects everyone, so we need you to be really responsible and go and vote," he said, referencing the upcoming midterm election.  

As the performance continued, a string of special guests joined the band: folk singer Kara Jackson for "The Hardest Thing," Atlanta rapper/singer 6lack for "The Pink Phantom," DRAM for "Andromeda" and Atlanta rap duo EarthGang for "Opium." 

Gorillaz ended the set with crowd pleasers "Feel Good Inc," "Dirty Harry" and "Clint Eastwood", officially closing the festival at 10:25 p.m. 

LCD Soundsystem turned the Piedmont stage into a jukebox that paid homage to its musical lineage.

Frontman James Murphy opened the band’s 75-minute set for a massive audience around 7:47 p.m. with their Grammy-winning dance number “Tonite” with vocals reminiscent of David Bowie or David Byrne. He channeled synth pop Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan on “Tribulations” before experimenting with disco grooves on “Time to Get Away” and “Pow Pow.”

The band was backed by production designs including pixelated images of the band onstage, multicolored strobe lights and a large spinning disco ball, and kept the momentum going with “Home,” “Someone Great,” “North American Scum” and “Somebody’s Calling Me.”

After Saturday night's downpour forced a nearly three-hour delay — and multiple cancellations — weather warnings were the last thing festivalgoers wanted to see tonight.

Unfortunately, the now-familiar warnings started popping up around 7:30 p.m. Crowds were holding tight and hoping for the best, and they seemed to get it, as the rain held off. 

Now with just two hours to go, the night sky is lit up by distant lightning. 

Here's hoping our luck holds tonight. Gorillaz is expected to play until 10:30 p.m.

Wu-Tang had all of Shaky Knees throwing up their signature hand sign Sunday night. The legendary rap group, who'll be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year, delivered a set full of rap nostalgia on the Peachtree stage. 

Led by the almighty RZA, the New York collective brought their infectious, rowdy energy to Atlanta, as fans pranced around and waved in solidarity. Wu-Tang Clan opened with songs like "Bring Da Ruckus" and "Method Man," the latter prompting the arrival of the man himself. 

Thirty minutes into their set, turquoise "Weather in Area" signs flashed on the screen, triggering some déjà vu after Saturday's chaotic weather. Luckily, rain didn't come and the signs were taken down after 10 minutes. Wu-Tang persisted, performing their hit "CREAM" and giving tributes to former member Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004, and Mobb Deep member Prodigy, who died in 2017. 

Wu-Tang is forever. 

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony gave the audience at the Ponce de Leon Stage a flashback to their unprecedented style of hip-hop spanning more than three decades.

The Cleveland group, famous for their speedy rhyme schemes, multi-syllable verses and melodic hooks years before Atlanta hip-hop acts Migos and Young Thug, hit the stage with their 1994 breakout single “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” before going into “East 1999,” “1st of Tha Month” and “Resurrection (Paper, Paper).” Rippling images and fluorescent skulls were projected behind them.

Members Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Wish Bone and Flesh-N-Bone (minus Bizzy Bone) paid tribute to their hip-hop mentor, N.W.A founding member Eazy-E on “Foe Tha Love of $,” peers The Notorious B.I.G. on “Notorious Thugs” and 2Pac on “Thug Luv.” They closed their hourlong performance with their Grammy-winning, chart-topping hit “Tha Crossroads.”

For Modest Mouse lead singer Isaac Brock, Sunday's 90-degree weather appeared to be his biggest fan — and hater. 

Throughout the group's hourlong set on the Piedmont stage, Brock did everything he could to prevent the sun from shining on his face, even attempting to wear a blindfold over his eyes several times.

"Well, that's not gonna work," he said, clearly annoyed.

The ’90s band performed songs like "Dashboard," "Speak 'N Spell (Or Not)" and "Picking Dragons' Pockets," which prompted the audience to sing along. Despite the heat, Modest Mouse drew a giant crowd.

Santigold turned distortion into beauty on the Peachtree stage.

The iconoclastic singer and songwriter from Philadelphia walked on in all-white and long braids, 11 minutes after her scheduled time. Still, she kept the euphoric audience with her with animated video sequences and music that fused reggae, hip-hop, garage rock, alternative and new wave.

Santigold’s opening bluesy guitar riffs later turned into “L.E.S. Artistes.” She went through “GO!,” “Lights Out” and “Say Aha” and started yodeling. She brought audience members onstage for a dance contest during the elastic, Drake-assisted “Unstoppable” and kept the pace with “Shove It” and “Shake.” 

Shaky Knees is no stranger to fashion, with attendees wearing everything from merch from their favorite acts to any combination of black cut-out tights, boots, crop tops and booty shorts. Below are some of the best-dressed festivalgoers from day 3: 

A geisha-inspired moment 

Name: Aizahn Brightwell

Age: 15 

Hometown: Decatur 

Outfit: Denim shorts over jeans, a black T-shirt over a white button-down shirt, a red bandana around his neck and white face paint "based on geisha makeup from China and Japan."

Most excited to see: Gorillaz, Wu-Tang Clan 

Purple pride 

Name: Violet Rose 

Age: 23

Hometown: Cocoa Beach, Florida

Outfit: Purple wig with leopard crop top and a frilly purple skirt with leopard boots; adorned with purple and gold eyeshadow 

Most excited to see: OK Go, Gorillaz: "I like how they have everything here, from rock to alternative"

Cosplay corner

Name: Alice Benson 

Age: 27

Hometown: Atlanta 

Outfit: "Sailor Moon"-inspired fit with a blue-and-white top and skirt, white gym shoes and a pink bobbed wig: "I think there's something very fun in bringing cosplay outside of places where it's usually considered ... this is something that I'd usually wear to Dragon Con." 

Most excited to see:  OK Go, Santigold, LCD Soundsystem