If there was one word that could sum up the essence of Electric Forest, it would be best described as: unreal. This festival really stands alone with tales of its ethereal art installations, overwhelmingly giving vibes from attendees and staff alike, and out of this world sets that only leave festival goers wishing for more, and this year proved that this experience was no exception. As a new member of the Forest Family, we can truly say that our experiences this year only validated that this is the most magical festival we have ever attended: Electric Forest 2019.
Courtesy of Electric Forest
The Green Movement
One thing that was extremely evident at Electric Forest almost upon immediate arrival, is that this festival is one of the cleanest and most green centered festivals we have ever encountered (despite the typical issues that festivals do have to deal with). Forest did employ staff to work around the clock to pick up trash, keep the restrooms clean and stocked as much as possible, and make sure to keep the aura of the venue alive. This may not seem like this would have that big of an impact on the overall experience, but when spending over 4 days camping at an event, this detail makes all of the difference.
Vendor and Food Options
Electric Forest also offered a variety of different food options for guests. Vegan and vegetarian options were made available as well as typical festival foods like pizza, burgers, etc (make sure to check out the island noodles and made to order smoothies next year, they were beyond delicious). At every stage and at every corner of the venue there was food easily available within just a few steps. Additionally, if the main Electric Forest festival gates were closed, there was a smaller outside marketplace open with food available throughout the closing hours.
Festival Layout
The layout of Electric Forest is incomparable to any festival we have ever attended. While most festivals feature a “main stage” with all of the largest acts performing there, Electric Forest makes sure to spread out the different acts across all of their stages so that attendees can experience a different type of show experience at each one.
Though the average festival goer should be prepared for a huge increase in walking distance between stages (we probably walked over 40+ miles throughout the entire weekend), it was definitely worth it once you reached the destination as the distance eliminated sound blending issues and provided great theme transitions between stages as well.
Sherwood Forest itself
Strolling under the rainbow adorned entrance, the forest immediately feels like a real-life Alice in Wonderland experience right from the beginning. Greeted by a giant wizard right as you walk in, and a foliage peacock to your left, this electric paradise is really the stuff that art goals are made of. Among the installations, festival goers could grab some misinformation at the Misinformation Booth or participate in a tea tasting just a few yards away. We are fully convinced that you could walk around this Forest all four days and still not find everything there is.
Courtesy of Kiah Beehler
From performers to interactive installations, a craft shop, a post office … there is so much packed into this portion of the festival. Our explorations of the Forest included: finding a chapel, a barber shop, a tattoo parlor, and a craft station to name just a few. Not to mention, Foresters absolutely love to leave little gifts and trinkets around, so having a inquisitive attitude will only lead to further discoveries.
When they say to take time to explore the Forest, they really mean it. The amount of detail Electric Forest and Insomniac put into this place is incredible. Even roaming around alone will not allow you to find all the hidden treasures within its trees. The Forest and everything within it is something that simply has to be experienced.
The Brainery
The Brainery was located right in the middle of Main Street, which also hosted a slew of vendors and a plethora of food options. Workshops offered included The Art of Seeking Adventure, Healing Sound Frequency, Aromotherapy and much, much more. Catching these workshops during a morning breakfast run is a perfect way to start your day on the right foot and approach the adventures to come with a fresh mindset. This type of workshop offering is something that we haven’t seen at other festivals and only lends to this event being more unique and special.
Camping
Since it was our first year at forest, we camped in general admission camping, but Electric Forest has multiple options for camping depending on what you’re looking to have as far as amenities throughout your fest. Rough it in a tent in GA camping or go all out in Back 40 in one of the cabins! The options are available to everyone if you’re fast enough with initial ticket sales. Within the campground, Main Street was right there with plenty of food options (as referred to up above) and showers and med tents were extremely identifiable by inflatable lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) for attendees to chill on as needed.
RV Camp/Secret Sets
It’s difficult to classify this portion of the event, but the RV camp/sets were an incredible part of Electric Forest and is literally something you cannot miss. Electric Forest officially started on Wednesday, June 26th – AKA Day 0. Featuring a myriad of secret sets including a banger back-to-back, in this case Wooli B2B Slander, this part of event really sets the tone of the entire weekend and made things a literal nonstop party. RV sets went every morning until 7 am, so if you wanted to bring in the sunrise to the heavy bass, you could.
Overall Experience
Wrapping up this review, our overall thoughts are that the creators at Electric Forest have really brought to fruition something much bigger than just a music festival. There’s no doubt that this was an immersive experience that turns all kinds of people, friends, and strangers alike, into one big family.
There’s only so much you can imagine and you can’t really comprehend the depth of the term #ForestFam until experiencing this gorgeous festival for yourself. There’s an overwhelming feeling that everyone at this fest is undoubtedly looking out for each other and that all individuals attending or hosting are only looking to spread positivity. The themes of love, acceptance, and just pure bliss in the air are something that we have never experienced at any other event.
Electric Forest encourages festival goers to “work on yourself and your own happiness, not your selfie,” and to go on your own journey, not just so that you can have the best social media post. Everyone attending brings so many different backgrounds, nationalities, and life experiences to this event, and every story is appreciated and welcomed into the gates with open arms.
We can truthfully highly encourage each and every one of you to head to Sherwood Forest and create your own adventure at least once in your lifetime. No matter where you come from, the forest will be waiting to change you forever.
If you want to plan your journey to the Forest and find out details for next year, head over to their website here.
What did you think about Electric Forest this year? Let us know in our comments section on Facebook, and Twitter!
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GaryB
July 9, 2019 at 6:49 pm
Awesome review! Your descriptions make me want to attend
next year.