The lineup is here for iHeart Radio’s 2026 ALTer EGO show and it is stacked. Featuring Green Day, Twenty One Pilots, Cage The Elephant, Sublime, Good Charlotte, Myles Smith, Gigi Perez and Almost Monday, the show will take place January 17 at the Forum in L.A. and will be broadcast live on iHeart rock and alternative stations and iHeartRadio.com.
Capital One is presenting the show, so, according to a press release, “Eligible CapIital One cardholders get early access to high demand tickets through a Capital One Cardholder presale which begins Tuesday, October 21 at 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET and runs through Thursday, October 23 at 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET, or while presale supplies last. Cardholders can also add a Capital One Access Pass to presale ticket purchases to attend an exclusive event before the show including a private soundcheck performance by Cage The Elephant, complimentary food and drinks, and more. Presale tickets and exclusive cardholder offers will be available at iHeartRadio.com/capitalone.
Listeners will then have access to a limited number of tickets through ALT 98.7, LA’s New Alternative radio station, 24-hour VIP-Sale. Fans can become an ALT VIP at www.alt987fm.com to access tickets beginning Thursday, October 23 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET through Friday, October 24 at 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET or while supplies last. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 24 at 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m. ET via TicketMaster.com.”
I spoke with Lisa Worden , Program Director for ALT 98.7 and Senior Vice President of Rock and Alternative for iHeartMedia, about bringing together this festival-worthy lineup and what it says about the power of radio.
Steve Baltin: Both Green Day and Twenty One Pilots are massive headliners in their own right. So, to have them both on the show is huge.
Lisa Worden: I'm just blown away, honestly. Steve, you've been to all of these. And I have to say the lineup for this coming January feels special. I'm very proud of it. And these aren't easy to put together. They're bands that have their own tour schedules, and there's lots of festivals these days, and lots to navigate around. And the fact that like you said, Green Day and Twenty One Pilots are able to do this. It's huge.
Baltin: You say there are so many festivals. This feels like a festival.
Worden: We honestly treat it as a festival, and we try to be reflective of the artists and songs that are most popular with the audience. Myles Smith has had an amazing year and Gigi Perez had a really huge song for us with “Sailor's Song” and Almost Monday, these are the up-and-comers on the bill. They've all had really big years.
Baltin: What do you look for in the people you were booking this year?
Worden: I’m obviously trying to project early on what's still going to be hot with the audience. We have to book these kind of far out. And that's what you're aiming for, what songs and artists are still going to be hot in October and through to next January. That's really what we're looking for is what's going to be hot at that time. I think we struck gold with those three artists that we just talked about with Myles, Gigi and Almost Monday.
Baltin: It is so packed we haven’t even discussed Sublime on there. They are so iconic to so many people.
Worden: Jacob Nowell was in here the other day, and we were even talking about it. I feel like his dad is just smiling down so proud. Jacob is a total rock star and I'm like, I'm even proud like their new song, “Ensenada,” has now been number one for four weeks and that's huge. That's him as a co-writer with Bud [Gaugh] and Eric [Wilson] and then Zane [Vandevort], who's the new guitar player. I think this new incarnation of Sublime is so special and sweet. And Jacob is the best. He's just like his dad. I don't know, it's really cool. honestly, I am thankful, I am honored that these artists have said yes.
Baltin: How did you start this bill?
Worden: Artists like Green Day and Twenty One Pilots, the fact that they said yes, that they would do this, it's such a testament to how much they believe and support radio and this medium. That they still care like this is huge. Then we just talked about Sublime. Cage have been great partners from day one and they always have valued radio. Cliff [Burnstein] and Peter [Mensch] at Q Prime always valued radio. Good Charlotte, I love those guys. I've known Benji and Joel [Madden] from when I lived in DC and that was going on 20 years ago. This will be their first show in LA in 10 years. So, the fact we have them, I'm pumped. This is one of our best lineups ever. I'm really proud of it. Again, I'm humbled and thankful that these artists said yes.
Baltin: I just talked to Benji and Joel and the bigger artists now are in a place where they choose to do this if they want. So, it makes a difference in their approach. They are there for fun.
Worden: Yes, you're right. Green Day doesn't need to do this. And I'm well aware of that. So again, that's why I'm humbled and thankful that they did say yes. Again, it's a testament to the fact that they value still being heard on the radio. There are some artists, especially newer ones, that don't get it. Green Day's grown up being on the radio, they do get t. Twenty One Pilots, they have the number one album at rock and alternative and they're bigger than ever. I'm getting so excited about the actual night of just talking out loud about it.