Governor's Ball Music Festival is a 3-day event held in New York City at Randall's Island Park. This year the festival is set to take place Friday, June 5th - Sunday, June 7th. It's also Gov Ball's 10th year anniversary and the festival has advertised some major new enhancements such as more water stations, bathroom improvements, new VIP perks, and more! It’s a perfect time to experience this festival that's, "built by New Yorkers for New Yorkers"!
I attended Gov Ball for the first time in 2018 and had such an incredible time. Not only is the lineup always killer, but they have so many beautiful art installations set up to showcase various artists' work including their name and socials to show extra love and support!
New York is my second home, and I truly love the way festivals feel in that city. I have no doubt I’ll be back this year to celebrate their 10 year anniversary and my return of such a fun festival. With a lineup like this year, there’s no way I can miss it.
Okay, let’s break it down. As EDM lovers, we are of course super stoked about the big electronic names on the lineup including Flume, Rüfüs Du Sol, Gryffin, Madeon, etc., but the cool thing about Gov Ball is that it has a more eclectic group of artists. We get some seriously major names in music in general like Missy Elliot, Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, and Alessia Cara. Like, what???
But, beyond the names we see on lineups more frequently, or the names we’ve known as major artists for years, I wanted to give my top 3 artists to see that maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t have thought to check out otherwise.
1. Max
Max is an incredible talent with such an iconic voice. He’s the vocals on so many loved EDM tracks including “Beautiful Creatures” by Illenium, “You Want More” by 3LAU, “Lonely” by Matoma, and more. Even though he is the voice of so many of my favorite songs, I have to admit, I never really knew him as an artist on his own. Until last year at Firefly, I was walking by a stage and heard a familiar song, so I ran over to hear it. Once I made the connection, I stayed for his set, and truthfully he ended up being one of my favorite sets of the entire festival. He is a COMPLETE and TOTAL entertainer through and through. You do NOT want to miss him! Check out his song “Checklist” featuring Chromeo:
2. Sasha Sloan
Sasha Sloan is an artist I came across when searching for new music. Her voice is inviting and her lyrics are captivating. I’ve never had the chance to see her live yet, so I’m very much looking forward to being able to have that experience at Gov Ball. Her song “Older” was the first original song I heard of hers and it really struck me. I haven’t heard anything of her own music that I didn’t like. Beyond her solo stuff, she’s credited for some really unbelievable work including co-writing “Never Be The Same” for Camila Cabello and is featured on “This Town” by Kygo as well as “Falls” by Odesza! Yup, you already know her voice is magic. Check out her song “Smiling When I Die”:
3. Alec Benjamin
To be honest, I discovered Alec Benjamin through PR reaching out about his music, and I’m so glad I checked it out. His voice especially is wonderfully unique. He’s toured with artists of all different genres, including Jon Bellion, (who is also on the Gov Ball lineup!) Matisyahu, and Hoodie Allen. I love that he can fit in with so many genres of music, but also completely stand out on his own in his own lane musically. Although he does do a lot of touring, I’ve never had the chance to see a set yet, so I’m absolutely looking forward to doing so this year at Gov Ball.
Again, Gov Ball will be held on June 5-7, 2020 in New York City. Tickets are on sale NOW. I hope to dance with you there while we all celebrate 10 years of Gov Ball together!
