I just returned to Electric Forest for the first time since 2019, and we found both familiar sights and new and exciting elements.
Electric Forest has been a flagship event in the live music scene across several decades now. First starting as the jam-focused Rothbury Music Festival in 2008, the event evolved into a multi-genre event in 2011.
Since then, the Forest has remained relatively consistent. There were some years where it even expanded to two weekends like EDC Las Vegas plans to do next year. Throughout its history, Electric Forest has only become more popular, but it has kept its unique vibe in an impressive way.
Growing up in the Chicago EDM scene, Electric Forest was the first major festival on my list when it came to traveling out of state. An easy drive less than four hours away from the city, Electric Forest 2014 was my first camping festival, and the first time I ever camped at all.
That first year was obviously a struggle. However, the vibes were incredible and something about Forest had me quickly coming back next year, and every year until 2019. An opportunity then arose to attend Electric Forest 2026 on a last minute send. What would it be like to return to my old home in Rothbury, Michigan? I jumped at the opportunity to attend Forest again, and I already want to return soon.
Electric Forest has always been about more than just the music. While the scene and the crowd have changed over the years, the core Forest experience is largely the same. The biggest change was the reshuffling of stages outside of the core three (Ranch Arena, Sherwood Court, and Tripolee). We miss the Forest Stage a lot, but Honeycomb is a solid replacement.
The vibes at Electric Forest were as memorable as ever. Maybe not exactly on the level of when we were attending ten years ago, but honestly, what wasn’t better back then? Some festivals can feel a like a tourist attraction or have a crowd that’s mostly unfamiliar with the music, but that’s just not the case at Forest. Everyone is there for the full experience. I could do without the inflatable couches and overcrowded walkways, but overall, the festival delivered what I expected.
I was nervous that after being gone for so long, the Forest would feel different. Especially considering Live Nation now has a sizable stake in the event and ticket prices have shot through the roof. The cost to attend is on the higher side, but I would say you absolutely get your money’s worth here. There really isn’t anything like the Forest. We used to have other camping festivals in the area like Summer Camp and Summer Set. Those have gone extinct, while Electric Forest is only getting bigger. Maybe the new Beyond Wonderland Midwest can help fill that gap.
Upon walking in the gates on Thursday evening, it didn’t take long to feel at home in the Forest. One thing that I immediately noticed was that Tripolee finally got some much-needed shade structures. The pathway from Tripolee to the Ranch Arena felt familiar, with water stations in the same spots and vendors and merchandise booths along the way. Excision played a career-defining set to close Ranch Arena the first night. He combined the classics with new dubstep sounds to create my favorite set of the weekend.
The vibes continued into Friday. Passion Pit played a nostalgic set at Sherwood Court before Griz performed at Ranch to one of the weekend’s biggest crowds. One complaint of the weekend was when we tried to catch Richard Finger’s closing set at The Observatory. The stage was just way too crowded to even see the show.
Saturday featured the classic String Cheese Incident set as well as an unforgettable live set from Shpongle. Bassrush had a massive crowd all day that was sometimes hard to find a comfortable spot in, but sets from Heyz, Whethan, and DJ Diesel and T-Pain made the experience worth it.
Sunday morning came around way too soon, and unfortunately, a rain delay caused the festival to press pause for several hours. The gates eventually opened again, just in time to end the weekend with LSDream, Lane 8, and an unexpected b2b from Illenium and Wooli. The festival extended until 3 AM on early Monday morning.
While the news that broke following the festival was extremely tragic, it’s hard to imagine Electric Forest going anywhere but forward in the future. When tens of thousands of people gather in one place, anything can happen, and this weekend was no exception. The fact that multiple lives were lost at Electric Forest 2026 is devastating, but not reflective of the weekend or the event as a whole.
In the end, our weekend at Electric Forest was nothing short of magical. It’s a place where music fans and open-minded people come together for an out-of-this-world experience. We plan to return to the Forest for many years to come, and if you still haven’t been, it’s a must-see.
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