Oak Lawn has never moved to just one beat, and neither will Oak Lawn Live.
On Saturday, September 19, three stages will fill Cedar Springs Road with pop, hip-hop, country, electronic music and sounds that are much harder to place in a single category. Leading the festival is Grammy-winning pop artist Daya, joined by Cure for Paranoia, Cain Culto and The Cowgays.
Together, these four artists reflect what Oak Lawn Live is all about: bringing major names, rising talent and distinctly queer voices to the heart of the Dallas Gayborhood.
Daya
Chances are, you have already heard Daya’s voice on the radio, a playlist or a packed dance floor.
Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Daya first captured international attention with the breakout songs “Hide Away” and “Sit Still, Look Pretty,” while her collaboration with The Chainsmokers on “Don’t Let Me Down” earned a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
Since those early hits, Daya has continued to develop a sound and perspective that feel increasingly her own. Her latest album, Til Every Petal Drops, keeps the electronic energy that first drew listeners to her music while showing a more personal and self-assured side of the artist.
Daya has spoken openly about her bisexual identity and used her platform to support LGBTQ+ visibility. At Oak Lawn Live, audiences will experience the festival’s headliner, an artist whose music has filled radios, playlists and dance floors around the world.
Dallas’ own Cure for Paranoia arrives at Oak Lawn Live in the middle of a breakthrough year.
Listen to Daya.
The Cowgays
The Cowgays are carving out more room for queer stories, voices and personalities in country music.
Brooke Eden, Chris Housman and Adam Mac were already creating their own paths in Nashville when friendship and a late-night Linda Ronstadt singalong sparked the idea for the group. The idea may have started as a little late-night fun, but it quickly grew into a trio that celebrates country music while challenging assumptions about who belongs at its center.
The three performers bring experience from the Grand Ole Opry, NBC’s Today, The Kelly Clarkson Show and the ACM Awards. When they perform together, the result is part honky-tonk, part queer rodeo and completely their own.
Songs including “Good Hoedown,” “Kids Like Us” and “Been Done Did That” give audiences plenty of reasons to sing along.
Cure for Paranoia
Cure for Paranoia was founded by frontman Cameron McCloud with producers Tomahawk Jonez and Jay Analog. The collective blends alternative hip-hop, rap and soul into music that is deeply personal without losing its energy.
McCloud began writing as a way to work through his experiences with mental health. What started as a personal outlet grew into a group with a larger purpose: using music to quiet the noise and help listeners feel less alone.
That mission reached a national audience when Cure for Paranoia won NPR Music’s 2026 Tiny Desk Contest with “No Brainer.” Selected from more than 6,000 entries, the group earned its own Tiny Desk performance and a national tour.
Performing at Oak Lawn Live brings the group’s breakthrough year back home to Dallas.
Cain Culto
Singer, rapper, violinist and visual artist Cain Culto does not stay within the boundaries of any one musical genre. His music draws from his Colombian and Nicaraguan heritage, his Kentucky upbringing and his journey away from the evangelical church.
His songs combine bluegrass and Latin folk with hip-hop, pop and dark electronic music. Through bilingual lyrics, expressive violin and bold visual storytelling, he explores queerness, religion, politics, mythology and personal freedom.
His newest EP, occulto 002, gives listeners a first taste of his upcoming debut album, CULTO. In Culto’s music, expressive violin and club-ready beats can share the same stage. Tradition, experimentation, serious ideas and pure spectacle are all part of the experience.
One Full Day of Music on Cedar Springs
Together, Daya, Cure for Paranoia, Cain Culto and The Cowgays give Oak Lawn Live a sound that moves from radio-ready pop and alternative hip-hop to genre-bending experimentation and queer country.
And the music does not stop there. The full lineup also includes Dan Slater, Kameron Ross, Dezi 5 & the Tailgaters, Drew G, EMSKI, DJ Memoz, Anton Shaw & the Bad Habits Oak Lawn Band, Women’s Chorus of Dallas and more. Stay tuned for Part Two, when we take a closer look at more artists bringing even more music, personality and hometown energy to Cedar Springs.
Oak Lawn Live takes place Saturday, September 19, 2026, from noon to 10 p.m. across four blocks of Cedar Springs Road. The festival is open to guests 18 and older. A suggested $20 donation per person is encouraged, with separately ticketed VIP experiences available.
Learn more at oaklawnlive.org.