After canceling in 2020 and delaying the party this year by nearly four months, the Governors Ball music festival finally kicked off its tenth iteration on Friday, with Billie Eilish headlining a stacked lineup that included Rufus du Sol, 24kGoldn, Kehlani, Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist, EarthGang, Portugal. The Man, and Future Islands,
The move to Citi Field's parking lot this year seemed like a shrewd one after Thursday night's downpour; Gov Ball's usual home on Randall's Island would have been a muddy disaster after all that rain, but only a few large puddles hindered the action out on the asphalt and astroturf in Queens.
As for the setup, four stages with varying capacities sit in the center of the vast expanse, blasting out into four different directions to virtually eliminate sound bleed. And there are never more than two performers playing at once, so you don’t have to make too many painful decisions about who to see.
Map of the festival grounds.
The food scene has become an increasingly important part of the Gov Ball experience, and the 2021 menu includes such festival heavyweights as Destination Dumplings, Roberta's Pizza, Taqueria Diana, Sweet Chick, Big Mozz, Gotham Burger Social Club, Milk and Cream, La Newyorkina, and John's Juice. All sorts of alcohol is available as well.
Only problem is, the lines for everything are long as hell. The wait was an hour or more once the place filled up by early evening. The new Grubhub Refueling Station, where you can order from select vendors on your phone, and then pick up your food from little lockers when notified, seems like a beautiful hack, but cell service was so bad later in the day that it was impossible to load the app.
Pandemic protocols are familiar at this point, with all attendees required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Masking is encouraged but not required and, as you can see from the photos (and like at all big outdoor gatherings these days), the vast majority of revelers decided to opt-out.
Billie Eilish above the crowd.
Gov Ball continues all weekend, with performances (starting around 12:45 p.m. daily) from the likes of A$AP Rocky, Megan Thee Stallion, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, J. Balvin, Carly Rae Jepson, Jamie XX, Young Thug, and Post Malone. Get there early, eat and drink your fill when the lines are manageable, then dance like crazy.
