Governors Ball NYC Guide: Expert Tips, What to Bring & Transportation

Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City is a phenomenal three-day music, food, and art experience. While it’s smaller-scale than some major festivals, it boasts an amazing location, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, simple transportation options, and a strong lineup every single year.

In this no-nonsense guide, we’ll cover the vital topics for a successful Gov Ball experience, including:

• Brief history of the music festival
• What to bring/wear to Governors Ball
• Getting to & from the festival
• Expert tips for safety, experience, and the best viewing

Let’s do it. 👇

Quick Links:

• Buy tickets to Gov Ball
• See schedule & set times
• Follow Gov Ball on Instagram for updates

Note: This article was written by a real human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸

Gov Ball Guide Podcast Episode

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Brief History of Governors Ball NYC

Governors Ball Music Festival held its first iteration in 2011 on Governors Island. Since then, it has changed locations multiple times. It moved to Randall’s Island, then to Citi Field’s parking lot, and now to its current home in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

This music festival is a three-day experience featuring dozens of artists spanning hip-hop, rock, pop, and alternative, with a focus on local acts that often perform earlier in the day. Each year, roughly 150,000 people attend the festival, which typically takes place the first weekend in June.

While Governors Ball is smaller than some festivals, it still draws large headliners like Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, The Killers, Eminem, and many, many more.

We have attended multiple music festivals dozens of different times, and Governors Ball continues to be one of our favorites because of its wide variety of acts, spacious festival grounds, and ease of transportation to and from the festival.

Another great thing about Governors Ball is that you can buy single-day tickets and don’t have to commit to the entire festival.

What to Bring & Wear to Gov Ball

There are some important items that everyone should bring to the Governors Ball Music Festival. While there are others that we’ll cover that are helpful in certain cases, the following are non-negotiables to bring:

• Sunscreen
• Chapstick (we love Burt’s Bees)
• Sunglasses, the more fun the better
• Hat, for shade + style
• Comfortable shoes

While many people like to prioritize fashion over function at music festivals, which is totally understandable, we have seen many people who end up taking their shoes off or in severe pain because they opted against comfortable shoes. You will do a lot of walking and be on your feet for hours and hours for three days in a row. So prioritize comfortable shoes.

Other helpful items that we usually bring to Gov Ball include:

• Portable charger
• Hand sanitizer, especially since the bathrooms usually run out
• Ibuprofen, you can thank us later 😜
• Earplugs, people LOVE the Loop earplugs
• Extra toilet paper or tissues, since the porta-potties often run out

What to Wear to Gov Ball

There really is no right or wrong answer for what to wear to Governors Ball, but know that it will be quite warm, so prioritize comfortable, breathable clothing.

Additionally, New York City summers are notorious for torrential downpours. Each year we’ve gone to Gov Ball, on at least one day we’ve faced 30 to 60 minutes of very heavy rain. 🌧️

So each day, check the weather forecast, and if you see rain coming, it may be worth bringing a jacket to keep you from getting completely soaked.

Of course, it is a music festival, so it’s a great opportunity to try outfits that are a little more unique or outside your comfort zone, since many people are doing the same. Above all, wear clothing and shoes that allow you to dance, move, and have a great time!

A Note on NYC Weather

To drive the point home even further, New York City summers are often the rainiest months of the year in the city, so plan accordingly. Things that you can bring to stay dry:

• Light rain ponchos
• Emergency blankets
• Light jackets or rain jackets
• Anything to keep you from getting drenched

Additionally, if you’re someone who gets cold easily, the weather can drop to chilly temperatures in the evening. So again, check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. Most daytime experiences at Governor’s Ball will be warm and humid. 🥵

Getting To & From Gov Ball

One of the best parts about Governors Ball is how easy it is to get to and from the music festival. You do not need to drive a car, take a taxi, or use an Uber or Lyft. Instead, you can take the subway via the 7 train to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

It will depend on where you are staying in the city, but most places will connect to the 7 train either at Times Square or somewhere else in Queens along the way to the music festival. If you’re coming from Long Island, the Long Island Railroad has a stop right at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park area.

Taxis, Lyft, or Uber will be VERY expensive and take much longer than the trains…

If you’re feeling unsure or overwhelmed about getting around New York City, including to Governors Ball, be sure to download our completely free New York City Transportation Guide. It covers everything from getting to and from the airports, hailing taxis, and navigating the subway to maximize your time in the city.

Get it for free (seriously) here. 👈

You’ll Have to Check It Out – White Bear

White Bear is the textbook definition of a hole-in-the-wall, family-run delicious food joint in Queens. It’s located in Flushing, which is home to one of the largest Chinese populations outside China.

Most people recommend getting the #6, which is pork wontons, with hot sauce/chili oil, and it is delicious.

Know that there’s nowhere to eat or sit at the restaurant, so it’s something you can take and walk out with. It’s a perfect pre-Governors Ball spot, as it’s only one stop away from Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Cash is their only accepted form of payment.

Check out White Bear in Flushing here.

Governors Ball Expert Tips for Safety, Experience & Best Viewing

We’ve been to dozens of music festivals, and we’ve compiled some of our most important tips for making the best festival experience.

General Safety

While I’ve always had positive experiences at Governors Ball, know that it is a crowded music festival with lots of people. Be aware of pickpockets, people who might be trying to start trouble, and your surroundings in general.

Cell Phone Reception & Meet-Up Spots

Cell phone reception is often quite spotty at the festival, so pick a meetup spot for your group at the end of the night in case you get split up.

Another trick we’ve found is that, in a group chat with your friends, when you send a message, include a timestamp of when you actually sent it. The reason for doing this is that sometimes it can take 15 to 30 minutes for your message to be sent or received by your friend.

So if you are saying, “Hey, I’m heading to the Gov Ball sign,” and you include the timestamp of 3:45 PM in your message, in case your friend doesn’t actually receive it until 4:15 or 4:30, they know you may not actually be there at that point.

Navigating Stages

Since there are multiple stages at the music festival, spread out to avoid music overlapping, it will take roughly 5-10 minutes to get from one stage to another. So, as you plan out your day and the people that you want to see at different stages, be sure to allot time to navigate the crowds and get to your next stage.

Once you’re at a stage, know that even when the main middle area looks crowded, there’s often a lot of space on the sides. So we’ll often wrap all the way around the back and onto the side, then come in from the side, where you’ll often get towards the front, and there will be way more space than in the back middle areas.

Free Stuff!

GovBall is notorious for free items, treats, and samples almost every year. There have been free food samples, free electrolyte drinks, and our favorite, free Dunkin’ Donuts coffee samples.

These free samples will let you come back as many times as you want, so make your plans accordingly and stay hydrated and caffeinated.

Allowed Vs Not Allowed Items

There is a complete list of what is and isn’t allowed at Governors Ball Music Festival.

While we won’t say anything specific, just know that some items, like food and protein bars, can be brought in if you are strategic about how you do it.

We’ll just say that. 😄

Governors Ball Guide Recap + Next Steps

We’ve attended multiple Governors Ball festivals and had an amazing time at each one. Each year, we make amazing experiences and memories with our friends and return year after year.

The new location at Flushing Meadows Corona Park has loads of grass and trees, the spacing is very easy to navigate, and the transportation is extremely efficient and simple.

We hope you get to enjoy Governors Ball this year, as we will! 🪩

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