Underground Garage Cruise 2027: The Damned, X and Descendents set sail from Miami

Little Steven's third Underground Garage Cruise leaves PortMiami April 24 with 28 acts. Here's who to plan around and who to catch early.

Somewhere between Miami and the Dominican Republic next spring, the Damned, X and Descendents will be on the same ship. Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise sails from the Port of Miami Saturday, April 24, through Wednesday, April 28, 2027, on Norwegian Jewel to Puerto Plata, according to the cruise's own site. It's the third edition, and booking is open through Sixthman; public on-sale began back in June.

The lineup as listed runs to 28 acts, and it is a punk and garage-rock history lesson. The Damned and X were announced as the headliners when the bill was revealed in May, according to coverage of the announcement. Around them: Descendents, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, D Generation, Glen Matlock, The Wildhearts, The Zeros and Texas Headhunters, with Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's listed as a special guest.

The most talked-about item on the bill, though, is The Return of Jackie & Judy: Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker joined by Fred Armisen, as the announcement put it. Armisen also appears on the list in his own right.

Then there's the deep middle, which is where a cruise like this earns its price. Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers and The Undertones on one boat would be a festival on their own, and The Wildhearts, D Generation and Glen Matlock stack it further. And then there is the rest of the bill, the part that gives a cruise with "Garage" in its name its character: The Fleshtones, The Chesterfield Kings, Southern Culture on the Skids, The 5.6.7.8's and The Courettes.

The cruise is still young. Last year's sailing was built around Social Distortion, Rival Sons and Redd Kross. For year three, the headline slots go to The Damned and X, with Descendents right behind them.

For Miami, the payoff is simple. The festival happens at sea, but it starts and ends at PortMiami. Locals can skip the flight and the hotel the night before, which matters when everyone else on board is coming from somewhere else. And it says something about the port that a lineup this deep in punk history now starts here.

It's five days, 28 acts and no reason to sleep much. Bring earplugs, and pace yourself on the first night.

Sources: Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise: The Experience (undergroundgaragecruise.com); Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise: Festival (undergroundgaragecruise.com); Sixthman: Underground Garage Cruise 2027 booking (sixthman.net); antiMusic: The Damned and X lead Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise 3 lineup (musicpressbox.antimusic.com); mxdwn: Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise announces 2026 lineup (music.mxdwn.com); JamBase festival listing: Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise 2027 (jambase.com); Wikimedia Commons: "Freedom of the Seas" - Miami, 2006.jpg (commons.wikimedia.org)