Gov Ball Proves the Power of Lorde

A$AP Rocky Returns Home

A$AP Rocky closed out the final day of Gov Ball 2026, giving the audience a taste of the Don’t Be Dumb tour. Whether that meant getting fans to mosh at a moment’s notice or to swing their T-shirts in the air like a helicopter for the track of the same name, Lord Flacko had the crowd wrapped around his finger. The sheer scale of the show was dumbfounding; between multicolored pyrotechnics, an army of backup dancers (some dressed in SWAT gear, others in pure white), a quirky megaphone cover for Rocky’s mic, and a helicopter looming above the stage, you could call this the Harlem rapper the Michael Bay of festival performances. It was also a family affair; the VIBE cover star’s longtime partner Rihanna was spotted in the crowd alongside co-headliner Jennie, while Rocky also brought out Tokischa to perform “Flackito Jodye” for the very first time. When Rocky performed in front of an American flag (resembling the cover of his debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP) it was a poignant reminder of how far he’s come in the last 15 years. Due to local curfews, the Harlem rapper’s show was unfortunately on the short side, but he proved exactly why he’s one of hip-hop’s biggest 21st-century successes all the same. —Jaeden Pinder

Stray Kids Bring All of the Love and Dreams

Stray Kids delivered a show-stopping set on Saturday, becoming the first K-pop group to headline at Gov Ball. But before they even went onstage, the boy band faced some obstacles: Their set time was cut by 15 minutes due to inclement weather and they were performing as a septet since band member Seungmin was out with an injury. Even so, Stray Kids put on one hell of a show, pulling out all the stops. The group came out in coordinated black, red, and white denim get-ups as they opened with the fiery “Top Line.” By the third song, “Bounce Back,” they were out in the middle of their runway stage, waving pink and red smoke bombs. It was the first of many high-production elements, which also included pyrotechnics and multiple bursts of fireworks. The group also managed to squeeze in an intermission and outfit change into long white robes into their truncated set. These only supplemented Stray Kids’ killer dance moves, sharp vocals, and electric energy — which each member brought in their own unique way. Many fans had camped out at the main stage to see the band’s headlining set, and as Stray Kids mesmerized onstage, it was clear why. —Maya Georgi

Geese Rule Gov Ball, Knicks in 4

A pair of Knicks flags were flying from the top of Gov Ball’s main stage, and the hometown pride was strong as Geese began their set on Sunday afternoon. You could see it in the way a field full of New Yorkers cheered for the shambolic, alluring “Husbands” and the stomping riffs of “Getting Killed”: This band’s success means a lot to the city’s rock & roll fans. Bassist Dominic DiGesu (in a choice “Go New York, Go New York, Go” T-shirt), drummer Max Bassin, guitarist Emily Green, singer-guitarist Cameron Winter, and touring keyboardist Sam Revaz played with gusto, hammering and swinging on their instruments, making the most of their moment. The band made few concessions to festival theatrics — no pyro, no graphics even, beyond the large, rotating, 3D-rendered word “GEESE” on the big screen — but they didn’t need any with an audience this dialed-in. “Taxes” became a joyous singalong; “Trinidad” inspired an enthusiastic circle pit. When Winter strode out on the catwalk to stare down the crowd during a riotous “Bow Down,” the fans went wilder still. —Simon Vozick-Levinson

Jennie Makes Her Case For Main Pop Girl Stardom

K-pop made a huge splash at this year’s Gov Ball, and Jennie’s performance on Sunday was one of the most impressive pop spectacles of the weekend. The BlackPink star’s performance was chock-full of highlights from Ruby, her debut solo album, but the crowd might’ve gone most wild when she performed the sultry R&B song “One of the Girls,” which she recorded alongside the Weeknd for the TV series The Idol. Bolstered by her jaw-dropping dance crew, Jennie coolly strutted between intricate choreography, effortless disco grooves, and enchanting balladry across her hour-long show. As the sun disappeared behind the stage, she closed out her debut appearance at Gov Ball with the phonk banger “Like JENNIE” which had the crowd stomping along with her. Jennie looked like she was having a blast the entire time, and the crowd reciprocated that energy. —J.P.

Baby Keem Brings the California Vibes to New York City

Baby Keem’s set at the first night of Gov Ball 2026 was nothing short of magnetic. The Compton rapper, dressed in an all-red ensemble, performed on a stage that resembled brutalist architecture, standing atop a cube-shaped structure displaying the name of his new album Ca$ino. The crowd reciprocated his energy with fervent enthusiasm, whether that meant rapping along with Keem or meeting his call-and-response cues — “Vent,” from Keem’s 2021 debut, The Melodic Blue, especially galvanized festivalgoers. The G-funk jam “$ex Appeal” from his new album kept the party going even as it reached its close, but the audience went wild for his biggest hit, “Family Ties.” The roars could practically be heard all the way to the other side of the festival grounds. —J.P.

Katseye Get Everybody’s Pinkies Up

Katseye’s Gov Ball set could be described with one single word: gnarly. On Friday, the group delivered one of the standout performances of the entire weekend, drawing a tremendous crowd that extended far beyond the trees in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. When they launched into their first song, “Pinky Up,” the audience followed directives and lifted up their pinky fingers as Daniela, Lara, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae spun around the stage wearing different colored polka-dotted tutus and bodysuits. Fans notably ranged in age, from children squealing atop their parents’ shoulders to adults raving at each dance break. Katseye elevated the performance with wardrobe additions, from the fur-lined leather jackets they donned during “Debut” to the maxi ruffle skirts they incorporated into the complex choreo for “Gabriela.” The group closed things out with the one-two punch of “MIA” and “Gnarly,” as fans screamed every lyric at the top of their lungs. When Katseye delivered their Coachella debut earlier this year, the group promised they would be back for more. At Gov Ball, they echoed that sentiment: “We’re coming back and that’s a promise,” Sophia told New York. —M.G.

Clipse Deliver the Hardest Bars of the Weekend

Some things are timeless, like Pusha T’s ability to move a Gov Ball crowd. Longtime attendees still remember the time he popped up in 2018 as a last-minute addition to the bill at the height of his feud with a certain Canadian artist. This year, he was back with his older brother, Malice, for yet another stop on their ongoing victory lap since reuniting for last year’s Let God Sort Em Out.  (“Still the album of the motherfucking year,” Pusha declared from the stage. “I don’t care what year it is.”) As they showed on Let God and the attendant tour, Pusha and Malice haven’t lost a step since their heyday in the 2000s. The perfectly poised bars of their most recent material slid right into older highlights like “What Happened to That Boy,” adding depth and context to one of rap’s most accomplished catalogs. After bringing the house down with “Grindin,” their breakthrough 2002 hit, they returned to the stage for a string of newer songs (“FICO,” “So Be It,” “Ace Trumpets”) as a reminder that they’re doing some of their best work ever right now. And when they closed with “The Birds Don’t Sing,” they pulled off something even more impressive, making a festival banger out of a song about aging, family, and generational transitions. —S.V.L.

Audrey Hobert Crushes Expectations

Audrey Hobert’s Gov Ball set on Saturday marked her first-ever festival appearance, a fact she shared with the massive crowd that gathered to witness her 2 p.m. performance on the main stage. The singer-songwriter more than rose to the occasion, looking like a pro with eye-catching outfit changes, including the incredibly long trench coat and stilt combo that she’s made her signature, plus lots of infectious energy. As Hobert ripped through songs from her 2025 LP Who’s the Clown, including “Bowling Alley,” fan-favorite “Sex and the City,” and, of course, her smash hit “Sue Me,” she was in total control of the stage. The best part of her whole set was when the singer amped up the buoyancy from “Sue Me” by dragging a trampoline to the middle of the stage and jumping on it. —M.G.

Wet Leg Know You Want a Piece of Them

Wet Leg have been an indie rock favorite since they dropped “Chaise Longue” in 2021, and their Gov Ball set likely converted any skeptics into fanatics. The English rock band opened with the biting “Catch These Fists,” and frontwoman Rhian Teasdale struck some eccentric poses while delivering a zany lyric about inadvertently yakking in her mouth after an unwanted advance from some dude at the pub. The rest of their set followed suit, with guitarist Hester Chambers holding it down with her reliable riffs. Even though Wet Leg’s set was anchored by their more propulsive songs (like “Wet Dream” and “Ur Mum”), they balanced things out by peppering in some of their breezier songs like “Davina McCall.” When they performed their final song, “Mangetout,” which found a surge of popularity after it was featured in the TV series Heated Rivalry, the audience let everything go just to scream along to its lyrics to “get lost forever.” —J.P.

Jane Remover Delivers a Scorching Set

The Grove stage at Gov Ball often attracts artists with localized yet highly passionate fanbases, but the crowd at Jane Remover’s show suggested they were one of the biggest artists on Saturday. Across their 40-minute set, the 22-year-old musician mainly performed tracks from their third album, Revengeseekerz — including the highlight “Professional Vengeance” — but made time to sprinkle in a few songs released under their alias Leroy. Longtime fans packed into the area to get a taste of Jane Remover’s digicore brilliance, and moshed along to every wub, kicking up storm clouds of dust in their wake. It’s not surprising that Jane Remover’s turn toward rage-rap made this performance mirror a Playboi Carti or OsamaSon show. It was abrasive, in your face, and entirely Jane Remover’s own. —J.P.

Japanese Breakfast Surprises and Delights Us All

More recent Japanese Breakfast performances have been dreamier and a little wistful, encompassing the brutal feelings of the band’s last album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women). But on Sunday, their Gov Ball set was a punchier, eclectic mix of past hits from across their discography, jazzed up by an especially energetic Michelle Zauner, who surprised a lot of people in the crowd with a lime-green two-piece that revealed she is pregnant. (At one point, she launched into “Picture Window,” she gave her bandmate and husband Peter Bradley a shoutout, announcing, “This next song is about my baby daddy.”)  The setlist included gems like “Road Head” and “Paprika,” leading up to a finale that felt truly celebratory as the crowd belted out the bright choruses of “Be Sweet” and “Everybody Wants to Love You.” Zauner and co. bounced offstage, leaving everyone rooting for Japanese Breakfast’s exciting next chapter. —J.L.

Pierce the Veil Rock Their First Gov Ball Appearance

Pierce the Veil unleashed all of their unbridled rage during their Gov Ball debut on Friday. The sun was still high, beaming down on the surprisingly large crowd that gathered, when the punk rockers took the Snapchat stage. From the very first note, the band proved that their appearance at the New York festival was a long time coming. Vic Fuentes roared through longtime setlist staples like “Bulls in the Bronx” and “Hell Above” while playing a decked-out Gibson guitar, and even screamed the opening lyrics to “May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight” into a handheld megaphone. Meanwhile, guitarist Tony Perry swung his guitar over his head with its strap for the band’s big finale track, “King for the Day,” the 2012 pop-punk hit. —M.G.

Major Lazer Save the Day

On Saturday, Gov Ball organizers made the tough decision to cut the day’s festivities short due to weather concerns, moving up Major Lazer and Stray Kids’ performances and nixing Blood Orange and Kali Uchis’ sets. (Blood Orange was later rescheduled for Sunday.) Fans who had camped out to see both artists at the Snapchat stage were especially disappointed by the news — until Major Lazer came on. The electronic group, made up of producer Diplo, DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums, and newest member America Foster, immediately lifted spirits with their millennial-coded, party-hard energy. As Major Lazer performed hits like “Lean On,” “Cold Water,” and a killer new remix to Sean Paul’s “Temperature,” dancers flanked the group on all sides; at one point they even waved giant flags with their logo on it. Major Lazer further amped the crowd up even when Diplo unveiled his New York Knicks jersey and asked the crowd, “What are the Knicks going to keep doing?” —M.G.

Dominic Fike Makes Gov Ball His Personal Playground

Part of the allure of Dominic Fike is that despite how great he sounds live, he’s always a little unhinged. On Sunday, the singer-songwriter bounced onstage with tons of jittery energy, launching into razored versions of songs like “How Much Is Weed” and “Misses” before admitting he’d been a little nervous before starting. But he locked in quickly and had the crowd screaming along as he switched guitars and belted out his lyrics with rock-star grace, even premiering a new song called “AI.” Of course, there were some very Dom-ish gags in between — he told everyone he’d been hanging out in New York and encouraged them to “knock him out” if they ran into him — and by the end of the set, he was in full form, closing with the hit “Mama’s Boy” and racing around to high-five the crowd before jumping onstage and stripping down to his underwear. It’s that kind of unpredictable, raucous energy that keeps fans coming back each time. —J.L.

Blood Orange Mesmerizes, and Gets to Perform After All

Dev Hynes was originally set to perform on the second day of the festival, but impending storms led promoters to cancel his set, saddening many longtime fans. But maybe it was fate: The following morning, it was revealed that Hynes’ set would happen after all, and the Gov Ball crowd spilled out onto the concrete outskirts of the stage to catch his set. Bringing along his loyal collaborators Ian Isiah and Eva Tolkin for spellbinding backup vocals, Hynes expertly swapped between piano and guitar while performing his alternative R&B musings. It was an idyllic moment that afternoon, providing a welcome respite after a weekend with volatile weather. —J.P.

Villanelle Rock Out in the Sun

Making their U.S. music festival debut, the British alt-rock band Villanelle ripped the Grove stage Saturday afternoon in front of a simple backdrop of the band’s name. The searing 30-minute set consisted mainly of songs from their new EP, Measly Means. Villanelle opened with the fast-paced, grunge-influenced single “Hinge”, featuring lead singer Gene Gallagher’s birthright snarl. The band, which also includes guitarist Ben Taylor and bassist Jack Schiavo, performed a new song called “Attitude”, along with unreleased songs “Playdough,” “Lazy,” and “Pretty One.” As they played, it was clear that Villanelle are confidently speeding down a lane of their own with an alt-punk sound, plus a captivating live show that invigorated the crowd (including two security guards who were rocking out near the stage). They closed out their set with “Placebo,” with Gallagher getting in the New York spirit and announcing, “This one’s for The Knicks!” –Yaasmiyn Alam