Fortnite Festival: Modes, Music Pass and What Epic Cut

Fortnite Festival is a free rhythm game inside Fortnite, built by Harmonix, the studio behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and launched on 9 December 2023. As of 5 November 2026 it has exactly two playlists, Main Stage and Jam Stage. The 16-player Battle Stage was removed on 16 April 2026.

This page covers the current state of the mode: what each playlist does, how songs are bought and kept, why the pass changed names, what it costs, and when the next one arrives.

What Fortnite Festival Is and Who Builds It

Festival arrived with Chapter 5 Season 1, headlined by The Weeknd, as the last of the three new modes Chapter 5 launched, after LEGO Fortnite and Rocket Racing. It runs on every platform Fortnite runs on, from PC and consoles to iOS and Android, and costs nothing to start. Players find it under the “By Epic” row in Discover.

Harmonix is a Cambridge, Massachusetts studio founded in 1995. It made the first two Guitar Hero games, then Rock Band in 2007, and Epic Games bought it in November 2021. Every song in Festival is a Jam Track, a licensed recording that also works as a cosmetic elsewhere in Fortnite.

The Playlists in Fortnite Festival Today

Three playlists have existed since launch. Only two remain, and the table below marks which is which.

Main Stage is the Rock Band-style mode. Notes fall down a highway towards a target line, you hit them on the beat, and your score feeds a leaderboard for that song and instrument. Up to four people can play on one PlayStation or Xbox console since January 2025, though each needs their own Epic account.

Jam Stage is closer to a mashup toy than a score chase. Each player plays one stem of a track, lead, bass, drums or vocals, and the group can shift tempo and key together. Solo Jam arrived on 22 April 2025 so one player could fill all four parts, and the 16 April 2026 update added movement while playing plus Quick Mix, which swaps between three tracks.

What Happened to Battle Stage

Battle Stage was the competitive mode. It launched on 13 June 2024 with Season 4, put 16 players through four random songs, and eliminated the lowest scorers after each one. Overdrive could launch attacks that obscured rivals’ notes, and single-instrument versions followed in January 2025.

Epic announced its removal on 24 March 2026 and it disappeared on 16 April 2026 with update 40.20. Festival itself carried on: the same update brought Pro Drums with cymbals and Karaoke, Season 14 began that day, and Season 15 arrived on 30 July.

How Jam Tracks Are Bought, Kept and Played for Free

The library holds more than 700 Jam Tracks, mixing licensed hits with originals from Epic’s sound team. There are four routes to playing one:

• Buy it for 500 V-Bucks. A purchased Jam Track sits in your Locker permanently, like an outfit. New drops are usually free to play for the first week before they need buying.
• Play the Featured Rotation. Up to 40 tracks are free to play at any time, and the list refreshes daily at 00:00 UTC. You do not own them.
• Borrow a lobby mate’s track. Songs owned by someone in your lobby appear as shared tracks you can play with them.
• Earn it from the Music Pass. Each pass hands out tracks as rewards. Season 15 includes tracks such as Mister Papi, Fancy and Lonely.

Since March 2025 the Item Shop shows a hand-picked selection of tracks rather than the whole library, so a song you want may not be on sale on a given day. That is one reason the free daily rotation matters. If you are buying with a gift card, the walkthrough on redeeming a Fortnite code covers redeeming it, and parents deciding what children can buy can start with Fortnite parental controls. Read how refunds in Fortnite work before assuming a purchase can be returned.

A Jam Track you own is not tied to Festival. Jam Loops work as emotes in Battle Royale, a track can serve as your lobby music since 13 June 2024, and since 30 January 2026 Battle Royale lobbies have had a Jam Track player. Epic describes the same items as usable in Creative, UEFN and LEGO Fortnite as well.

From Festival Pass to Music Pass

The Festival Pass is the original name, and people still search for it. Epic renamed it the Music Pass on 2 November 2024, the day Season 6 began, and the change was more than a label.

Under the old pass you only progressed by playing in Festival. Now the XP bar is shared with every other pass in Fortnite, which means you can finish the Music Pass without playing a single song. Epic has never published a total level count for the pass.

The Music Pass Today and the Next One Due 12 November

The live pass is Season 15, Neon Dreams, headlined by Lil Tecca and running since 30 July 2026. Epic has not named a last day for it. The next Music Pass is due on 12 November 2026, and Epic has said it will be smaller than a regular pass.

The price fell from 1,400 to 1,200 V-Bucks in Epic’s March 2026 pricing change, effective from the first pass after 19 March. The Music Pass is also included with Fortnite Crew, at $11.99 a month. Premium rewards only claim while the subscription is active, though levels you have earned are kept if it lapses. The Crew line-up changes on 5 December 2026, and the Music Pass stays in it.

Epic briefly told players on 29 October that the current pass would run to January, then reversed that on 31 October. It said the extension was not the right move and that future Music and LEGO passes would return to regular size afterwards.

Festival Season Icons Since January 2025

Each Festival season has a headline artist, announced separately from the Battle Royale season. The dates below are Epic’s announcement posts, not the first day of each season.

The festival calendar runs independently of the Battle Royale calendar, which is how Season 15 outlasted the Battle Royale season that ended on 1 November. The Teto pass is in Epic’s November line-up as a Music Mini-Pass, so it is a shorter run than the seasons above.

What Changed in Fortnite Festival Over the Past Year

The changes below all landed between September 2025 and now, listed newest first:

• 1 November 2026, update 43.00: mobile Main Stage became fully portrait and joining Main Stage on PC and console was streamlined. Epic’s patch notes call the update’s quests the first Festival Mini Season, six weeks of quests and rewards.
• 30 July 2026: Season 15 and Lil Tecca began.
• 6 and 25 June 2026: double-bass pedal support for Pro Drums, then Karaoke on mobile.
• 16 April 2026: Season 14 with Laufey, Pro Drums with cymbals, Karaoke, Jam Stage Quick Mix, and Battle Stage removed.
• 19 March 2026: portrait Main Stage on mobile.
• 30 January 2026: the Jam Track player reached Battle Royale lobbies.
• 25 September 2025: Main Stage gained three pre-made setlists, Daily Vibes, Spotlight Setlist and Festival Selects, alongside custom ones.

The pattern is plain. Epic cut the competitive playlist and spent the same months adding ways to play with real instruments and microphones: Pro Drums with a drum kit, double-bass pedals, Karaoke with a mic, and a portrait layout for phones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fortnite Festival shutting down?

No. Epic has said Festival is not ending. Battle Stage was removed on 16 April 2026, but Pro Drums, Karaoke, two new seasons and another Music Pass dated 12 November have followed it.

Do you keep Jam Tracks you buy?

Yes. A Jam Track bought for 500 V-Bucks is a permanent Locker item, and you can use it in Battle Royale as an emote or lobby music as well as in Festival. Tracks in the free daily rotation of up to 40 are not owned and cycle out.

Do you need Fortnite Crew to play?

No. Festival is free, and you can buy the Music Pass directly for 1,200 V-Bucks. Crew includes the pass at $11.99 a month, but premium rewards only claim while the subscription is active.

Is it still called the Festival Pass?

No. The name changed to the Music Pass on 2 November 2024. Festival Pass is the name from Seasons 1 to 5, and the product on sale today is the Music Pass.

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