Electric Forest

Electric Forest is not a music festival with a forest in it. It IS the forest. Sherwood Forest — the actual wooded area at the heart of Double JJ Ranch — is the main character. Walk into it during the day to get your bearings. Then go back at night. It transforms completely after dark — lit up with art installations, secret stages, hidden bars, and surprises around every corner. The music is incredible. The forest is why people come back every year.

Explore the forest with zero agenda. The best Electric Forest moments are unplanned — stumbling into a secret burlesque show, finding the hidden speakeasy in The Hangar, discovering a miniature fairy house tucked into the trees. There's a scavenger hunt that runs all weekend — complete it and it unlocks the Dream Emporium as your reward. Let it guide you to places you'd never find otherwise. The forest rewards wandering. Don't over-schedule.

GA campgrounds open Tuesday — get a Tuesday arrival pass if you want a site close to the forest entrance. Blueberry camp is the veteran GA favorite — close to Sherwood and less chaotic than the front lots. Bring a shade canopy. Michigan in June means mid-50s at night and 90°F in the afternoon. Your tent becomes a greenhouse by 10am — open all the vents, bring a portable fan, and plan to nap in the shade inside the forest itself (hammocks are perfect here). Pack two outfits a day: something light for daytime, something more creative for night.

Establish a meeting spot in Sherwood Forest before you split up — cell service is spotty in the trees and texts won't come through in real time. Pick a landmark ("meet at the giant hands at midnight") and commit to it. Secret sets happen at the Honeycomb stage, The Observatory, and The Grand Artique — check Reddit and Twitter day-of for rumors. The Ranch Arena has massive video screens and fireworks. Sherwood Court is nestled at the tree line with insane light displays. Tripolee is the rave oasis with lasers — if you're into electronic, you'll end up here.

Michigan weather is unpredictable. It will likely rain at least once. Pack a rain jacket or poncho, extra socks, and shoes you don't mind getting muddy. Bring Ziploc bags for your electronics. The Carousel Club stage is a covered tunnel — perfect for shelter during a shower without missing the music. When it rains at Electric Forest, the vibe gets better, not worse. Lean into it.

2026 highlights: ILLENIUM and Excision headline the big stages. GRiZ plays twice including a rare "Chasing The Golden Hour" set — don't miss it. The String Cheese Incident returns as house band with multiple sets including a special Shebongle Shebang with Shpongle's Simon Posford live. The DJ Diesel (Shaq) B2B T-Pain bass set is the wildcard booking everyone's talking about. Going solo? Camp Wayfinder is a community camp specifically designed for solo travelers — a Forest Family tradition.