GOAT

GOAT: INTERVIEW - IN CONVERSATION AHEAD OF THEIR ONLY UK PERFORMANCE OF 2026 AT SHAMBALA FESTIVAL

27th August 2026

GOAT are one of the most enigmatic bands in the world, performing masked and anonymous since their formation, blending psych rock, world music, and ritual into live shows that have built a devoted following across two decades.

Emerging from the remote northern Swedish village of Korpilombolo, GOAT have spent over a decade blending afrobeat rhythms, Anatolian funk, acid grooves, and hypnotic guitar lines into something that defies easy categorisation. Performing masked and costumed, the collective transform their live shows into trance-like ceremonies that have built a devoted following across the world.

This weekend, they make their Shambala debut in what is their only UK performance of 2026. Ahead of the show, we put some questions to them. In this Q&A, GOAT reflect on anonymity and what it gives them, confirm the Korpilombolo myth once and for all, and hint at a new album that may or may not exist.

Nobody is Watching is built around the idea of making people feel like nobody is watching so they open up. We asked GOAT whether anonymity does the same thing for them, or whether it is more about what it does for the audience.

'It is mostly what it does for us. It makes us feel free both on and off stage.'

The Korpilombolo story, of a remote Swedish village with centuries of voodoo tradition that gave birth to a multi-generational musical collective, has been widely described as myth. GOAT have never confirmed or denied it, but when we asked, they did.

They affirm: 'It has never mattered what is true. The only thing that matters is if you like our music and the universal spirituality we try to express. And for that you only need to trust your ears. But I can confirm here that the myth is true so you don't need to wonder that any more.'

Their most recent self-titled album, which they described as one of their finest and most spiritual works to date, came together unusually smoothly.

'We like the album. We like all of our albums though. They reflect us at a certain time and therefore we like them. But our latest one was a process where everything went so smooth. We just enjoyed it. But not as much as the new one we might, or might not, have in the pipeline. That is the shit! If it exist though...'

On what pulls them back to familiar records rather than seeking out something new:

'I believe it's your soul that searches unconsciously, or consciously, in the direction it needs to find the inspiration and pieces it needs to develop your creativity and go further ahead.'

And on what they listen to when nobody is watching:

'I cry when hearing certain 80s ballads like Time After Time (banger!) and stuff like that. Many people probably do.'

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