Today, Electric Forest (EF) officially announced the initial artist lineup for its’ eighth annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan on June 21–June 24 and June 28–July 1, 2018. View the complete list of announced artists set to perform the First Weekend and Second Weekend HERE.
For the 8th year in a row, Electric Forest welcomes back fan favorite The String Cheese Incident, performing two shows each weekend with the return of the SCI Sound Lab Live set featuring surprises and collaborations on the First Weekend, and EF’s famed SCI Saturday Night Shebang hosted on the Second Weekend. Also topping the bill on both weekends – BASSNECTAR, GRiZ Live Band, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and ZHU. Heavyweight Galantis will perform exclusively on the First Weekend. Marshmello will appear on the Second Weekend. Additional artists are still to be announced.
Other acts announced today include Lil Dicky, Jauz, Green Velvet, Washed Out, Keys N Krates on the First Weekend and Testpilot, REZZ, Datsik, SuperDuperKyle, and Get Real on the Second Weekend.
Chromeo, Bonobo (Live), The Glitch Mob, Louis The Child, and Xavier Rudd are among additional artists who will be performing both weekends, promising unique shows so that no two experiences are alike. Fans can expect to hear some of the acts unplugged, with unusual collaborations and sit-ins, performing on special themed sets, and more.
The first round of EF Curated Events were also announced today. Bassrush, This Ain’t Bristol, Mr. Carmack presents Forward Thinkers, Green Velvet presents La La Land and other to be announced will host EF stages on the First Weekend. Bassrush returns for the Second Weekend, along with Mau5trap, Rüfüs & Friends, Desert Hearts and Soulection.
In addition to memorable musical performances, both weekends of EF2018 will celebrate what truly makes The Forest magic. Electric Forest’s Plug-In Program features opportunities for the community to participate in shaping the EF experience, including The Wish Machine, Electricology, Her Forest, and more. The Silent Disco, workshops and speakers, daily yoga, live art and immersive theater experiences throughout both weekends will offer adventure, exploration, and opportunities to connect deeper with the unique energy of the Electric Forest and its community.
Today’s announcement comes after rumors of the festival’s 2018 artist lineup began to leak during an “Official 2018 Electric Forest Meet Up” event hosted at Necto Nightclub in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 12. Hints on social media to the Forest Family, including the first ever EF event page other than the festival itself and a boots-on-the-ground scavenger hunt to “Follow the Elephant. Find the Intergalactic Deity,” led curious and adventurous fans to Necto. There, EF’s beloved art installation “Ellie” the elephant rested outside, far from its home in Rothbury, Michigan. Inside the venue, the free event offered a secret set by Space Jesus, and throughout the night, Forest character actors performed skits, comedy, and drag shows, while clever hints revealed artists on EF’s 2018 lineup. Mock concert posters hung inside the venue revealed Noname, Spag Heddy, Xavier Rudd and others. Bar menu specialty drinks “Vodka SoDown” revealed SoDown, while “Sexy Socialite” referenced a Chromeo song. Phone numbers painted in lipstick on the bathroom mirror directed callers to a voice message by 2018 performers RÜFÜS DU SOL and CloZee. On the toilet paper, a word scramble revealed Manic Focus. A projection mapping on the side of the venue displayed a word search that, when examined, revealed G Jones, Cookie Monsta, BUKU, Louis The Child, and more. In all – 24 of Electric Forest’s 160+ artists performing one or both weekends were leaked to attending fans who spread the word on social media to their friends, followers, and fellow Forest Family. See the social media chatter on Facebook and Reddit and watch the event recap video HERE.
The “Official 2018 Electric Forest Meet Up” event continues EF’s ongoing commitment to building and nurturing community by creating opportunities for Forest Family be part of the festival and to help shape the EF experience. In another demonstration of this spirit, the festival’s new fan participation initiative – The EF Wish Machine – encourages the Forest Family to spread positivity by granting wishes to Forest Family members in exchange for an act of human kindness. Follow the EF Wish Machine HERE.
About Electric Forest
Each summer, just as anticipation for the sold-out Electric Forest reaches fever pitch, tens of thousands of fans – traveling from all parts of the country, and the world, gather at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan for the music & camping adventure of a lifetime.
Entering its eighth year, Electric Forest is known for bringing together a passionate group of fans whose shared community spirit makes the festival a truly unique experience. The festival incorporates the natural beauty of the venue into carefully crafted art pieces and creatively themed environments, while colorful interactive characters and storylines blend with eclectic performing artists and musicians.
With its astonishing and unparalleled integration of music, art, and community, Electric Forest delivers “The ultimate festival experience.” From the carefully curated musical lineup to the jaw-dropping Sherwood Forest, to the festival’s unprecedented participatory spirit, to the site’s incomparable features and amenities – Electric Forest creates a vibe so thick with “camaraderie and freedom…it must be experienced to be appreciated.”
Electric Forest’s GOOD LIFE VIP experience offers unrivaled amenities and perks – from camping and RV spots, to log cabins and homes, to resort hotel-style suites – all located directly on the festival grounds. In addition, patrons can take advantage of the property’s many amenities including a 60,000 square foot indoor water park, an 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pools, horseback riding, and more.
At the heart of Electric Forest is the beloved Sherwood Forest. By day, fans collect among hundreds of hammocks that drape between the clustered trees. Intricate and earthy artful touches pop from the Forest’s myriad of installations and gathering spaces. At night, Sherwood Forest turns electric, showered with state-of-the-art, jaw-dropping light displays, impromptu “secret” parties, other-worldly characters, and surprises around every turn. “With no exaggeration at all, [Sherwood Forest is] the most well produced and artistically inspired area…ever seen at a music festival.”
Known for fully embracing the possibilities of an engaged festival community, Electric Forest’s Plug-In Program deliberately blurs the line between event organizers and attendees. With this truly unique “open source” fan engagement platform, Electric Forest harnesses the creativity and passion of its community members, offering real and tangible ways for fans to participate in and ultimately help shape the Electric Forest experience. This is a big deal, since for Electric Forest – experience trumps all.
Hailed as “an amazing example of how music and festivals can change one’s outlook on life,” it’s widely understood that “one of the most important lessons [to be] learned in the Forest is that we are all together,” and this sense of community is truly “cherished [within the community] like the incredibly rare find it is.”
Ticket Info
Info on Wristband and Lodging Packages, including expanded 2018 Good Life Camping and Lodging options, can be found HERE.
Loyalty Program On Sale begins December 7 at 2 pm EST at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets
Read more about the EF Loyalty Program – including the debut of Six In The Forest Loyalty tier, Four In The Forest Loyalty, Good Life Loyalty and GA Loyalty, HERE.
EF General On-Sale begins December 15 at 2 pm EST at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets.
Also on sale, December 15 are Official Electric Forest Shuttle Passes departing from major cities around the festival and the Muskegon Airport, the Grand Rapids Airport, and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Special Group Camping, including the Her Forest Women’s Camp, Electric Forces Veterans Camp, and Camp Traction Sober Camp, will also be available for purchase.
Information on Layaway Plans for all Wristband and Lodging Packages can be found HERE.
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.
FestPop Staff Writer, Azita Lotfi