It’s officially mid-March. The last of the winter storms has (hopefully) passed us by, the green leaves and cherry blossoms are soon to begin their ascent towards sun and warmth, we’ve pushed our clocks forward an hour and embraced the extra daylight, and maybe even ventured outside in nothing more than a light jean jacket. Spring is finally here, and for the most avid festival-goer among us, with spring comes thoughts of summer music festivals.

If you find yourself in NYC this summer, ready to dance away those warm summer nights, here are the top music festivals you won’t want to miss:

Kicking off the summer season in less than three months is one of the most-awaited festivals of the year: The Governor’s Ball. Held on Randall’s Island, this year’s 3-day long fan favorite features some of the music industry’s biggest names, including Eminem, Jack White, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Halsey, and Galantis – and that’s just scraping the surface.

Start your summer off right (before the intense NYC heat rolls in) and set the tone for an epic festival season.

 

Panorama Music Festival: July 27-29

 

There’s something for everyone at Panorama 2018, including a “Killer” lineup headlined by The Killers, Janet Jackson, and The Weeknd.

 

Hop on the ferry, take the shuttle, or cross the footbridge to make your way to Randall’s Island for a mid-summer weekend of great food, music, and revelry.

 

Electric Zoo: August 31-September 2

 

My personal favorite NYC festival, Electric Zoo is going to be celebrating its tenth anniversary this year – and as such, is sure to put on a spectacle unlike ever before.

 

 

A magical mix of lights, color, and EDM beats bound to get your feet moving, E-Zoo always manages to create a judgement-free, carefree atmosphere by bringing in EDM’s best of the best, including Zedd, Armin Van Buuren, Galantis, 3LAU,and Steve Aoki.

 

 

Details for this year are still TBD, but you can snag your 3-Day passes now and join the rest of your rave fam for what will inevitably be an epic lineup.

 

The Meadows Music & Arts: TBD

 

A relative new-comer to the festival scene, The Meadows began in 2016 and continues to go strong, drawing in a diverse festival crowd due to its varying array of artists across genres. Last year’s lineup featured The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Big Boi, LL Cool J, and Bassnectar, to name just a few of the artists present. Well-worth the trek out to the Mets’ Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, this late-summer festival season closeout also brings in some of the city’s most unique vendors, and last year featured amazing food booths like edible cookie dough from DŌ, wood-fired Italian pizza from San Matteo, Smorgasburg’s epic mozzarella sticks from Big Mozz, and unicorn float slushies from Taiyaki.