It’s hard to imagine what New York City would be like without Electric Zoo. 10 years ago, the festival scene in our city was bleak and the only venue that could hold a large, captive audience was Madison Square Garden. We don’t give Electric Zoo, which returns to Randall’s Island August 31 – September 2, nearly enough credit. Without EZoo, we wouldn’t be as flush with festivals as we are today. Governors Ball, Panorama, and The Meadows (among others) owe their success to the trails that EZoo blazed before them. But more on that later.
There are a thousand reasons to attend the Labor Day weekend festival, but here are five very important ones. And if you already know you want to attend (go you!) you can grab your tickets here.
So without further ado…
REASON #1: UNPARALLELED TALENT
Rezz will be returning to EZoo this year. Photo credit: aLIVE Coverage for ElectricZooFestival.com
Dance music lovers – this is your festival. From heavy-hitters (Martin Garrix, Kaskade, and Tiesto), to underground pioneers and local acts, EZoo offers a diverse line-up that appeals to every music lover’s taste. I’m especially excited to see collaborations with Hyte (Chris Liebing, Dubfire, Pete Tong), Anjunabeats (Andrew Bayer, Ilan Bluestone), and All My Friends (Shiba San, Justin Martin). Point is, there are over 110 artists and you’ll be spoiled with options all weekend.
REASON #2: NEXT LEVEL PRODUCTION
The main stage in 2014 featured a Phoenix, representing the festival’s rise from a few troubling years.
In recent years EZoo has made a name for itself with the care and expertise organizers have for production. A few highlights from past years include the Sunday School Spiegeltent in 2014 – a dutch “mirror-tent” that looks more like the inside of a sexy circus than a dance stage; animal themed stages in 2015, marking the dawn of a new era and seriously cool stage setups (including a fitting mainstage Phoenix); and of course 2017’s all-NYC themed “6th borough.”
Speaking of which…
REASON #3: THIS IS NEW YORK CITY’S FESTIVAL
The view of New York City from the festival’s ferry.
And it has been for a while. EZoo was one of the firsts to use what they had available in New York to make something truly great. They changed people’s ideas of what could be done in New York City, and subsequently changed the festival and live music scene for the better. EZoo brought dance music to the mainstream – in New York City and beyond. They showed us how to build a true festival on park grounds. They created insane stage sets based off of the city’s five boroughs.
The festival continues to champion the local scene by including a locals-only stage (The Treehouse) each year, bringing the best food and beverage the five boroughs have to offer and giving back to the Randall’s Island Park Alliance (the festival “Zookeepers” remain on their list of high-tier donors). Plus, there are unequivocal views of NYC – both from the festival and from the ferry. Admittedly this isn’t because of EZoo, but you’ll feel pretty great soaking in that view with everything else local the festival is offering up.
The locals-only Treehouse stage.
REASON #4: BECAUSE TICKETS ARE ALMOST SOLD OUT
If you’re like me or any of the other millions of commitment-phobe New Yorkers, you’ve officially run out of time. Get your tickets now, because this event will sell out (and who wants an inflated second-hand ticket when you can buy yours from the source).
REASON #5: THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO END THE SUMMER
Labor Day Weekend is bittersweet – it marks the end of summer Fridays and reckless warm-weather drinking habits. But you can go out with a bang, and EZoo is the place to do it. Last summer hurrah, or just another chance to get jiggy with your best friends all under the New York skyline.
Seriously though. Get your tickets now.
Photo credit: aLIVE Coverage for ElectricZooFestival.com
