The magic is set to return to Rothbury, Michigan next summer as Electric Forest takes place once again from June 25th–28th, 2026. With tickets going on sale this week, the festival has unveiled its initial lineup, offering a first look at the artists who will provide the soundtrack to your enchanted journey through the forest.
As the original hosts of the annual summer jam and electronic music celebration, The String Cheese Incident once again take center stage for the weekend, including a special collaborative set with Shpongle for Saturday night billed “Shebongle Shebang.” Anyone who’s been to Forest will tell you just how essential the presence of String Cheese is. The Saturday night Shebang is a yearly must-attend, no questions asked.
This year also marks the more noticeable welcome return of live bands, with acts like Dogs In A Pile, Eggy, The Flints, and Midnight Generation, among others. Fans have been calling for more jam bands and live performers over the past few years, and their presence is truly part of the festival’s DNA. The meeting of the jam and electronica space intertwined in the sprawling, vibrant lights and mysteries of the forest truly is a large part of what makes this festival so special.
Of course, Electric Forest did not forget about the bass heads of the world. Arguably the biggest slice of the lineup, heavy-hitting bass artists stand loud and proud in the bold print of this year’s bill. Excision, ISOxo, DJ Diesel b2b T-Pain (imagine predicting that eight years ago), Illenium, and the long-awaited homecoming of Michigan’s own GRiZ all pack the top of the card. From headliners to undercard, the bass community is eating very well this year, as the trees once again prepare to shake with those rumbling low-end waves across the venue.
This lineup cannot be discussed without mentioning the return of Passion Pit to the Forest. For the first time since 2013, the group will be taking a walk with us through one of the greatest festival grounds that exists. Sending me back to the previous decade with their enchanting melodies and unmistakable vocals, Passion Pit is set to be a can’t-miss set, providing a vibe that truly captures the style of the festival.
A true mainstay of Electric Forest is its depth of embracing weirdness. The lineup will never shy away from this, as you can see acts like LSD Clownsystem. This clown-themed cover band that will be sure to bring some cheer to whoever stumbles into their set this year.
I could go on and on with the depth and genre breakdowns of this rich and diverse lineup, but we only have so much screen space together. I will leave you with a few of my personal undercard favorites worth calling out: Frost Children, Starjunk95, and Rio Kosta. They might not jump off the page at first glance, but the undercard is where some of the best Forest memories are born, and where your next favorite artist is waiting to be found.
No matter the lineup, I always recommend diving deep into what you don’t know and letting go of the pressure of who you “have to” see. The lineup catches your eye every year, but everything else about this festival is what captures your heart and keeps us all coming back.
Happy Forest!
Electric Forest 2026 Initial Lineup:
