Electric Forest is widely considered a festival favorite amongst fans, artists and music industry professionals, and with good reason. From the beautifully illuminated forest filled with wacky and unique performers, intricate stages and psychedelic installations, to the diverse lineup of music and unexpected collaborations across major genre boundaries, there is a little something for everyone here, and it’s likely to be something you won’t find anywhere else.

One of the coolest things about this festival is its ability to unite fans of many different genres across all fronts. From EDM giant Skrillex sitting in with the String Cheese Incident, to SCI’s Michael Kang joining Bassnectar and beyond, Electric Forest proves we can break down genre boundaries and simply come together for a common love of music.

Photos by Patrick Hughes of Faces of Festivals unless otherwise noted. Full gallery at the bottom.

1. Skrillex Shocking Fans By Joining String Cheese Incident On Guitar (photo by Anthony Djuren) (video)

2. Electron (Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits/Mike Greenfield of Lotus/Tom Hamilton of JRAD) Blurring The Line Between Jam And Electronic With An Incredible Set

3. Preservation Hall Jazz Band Adding Legendary Old-School Jazz To The String Cheese Incident

4. EOTO (Jason Hann and Michael Travis of SCI) Bridging The Gap Between Electronic And Jam Bands With A Mind-Blowing All-Improvisational Set

5. Lettuce Surprising Everyone By Covering A Skrillex/Diplo/Bieber Track

6. SCI’s Michael Kang Reuniting With Bassnectar, Years After Helping Him Launch His Career (photo by aLIVE Coverage)

7. The Elaborate Forest Stages That Had Everyone Talking

8. String Cheese Incident Going Over The Top For Old And New Fans With A Space-Themed Spectacle (video)

9. Forest Performers Even Got Down On The Musical Action

10. VIP Late Night Sets Uniting Fans To Dance Through Sunrise Including Sets by Skrillex, Gramatik, Exmag, Electron, and More

11. Adam Deitch And CX Uniting Live Electronic With Hip-Hop

12. Everyone Orchestra’s Diverse Jam/Funk/Electronic-Infused Improv Led By Matt Butler And The Audience

13. People From All Walks of Life Came To Read At This Library Tucked Away In The Forest

14. Beautiful Art Installations Throughout The Forest Were Enjoyed By Hippies And Ravers, Like This Dragon Made Of CDs

15. This Couple Got Married At The Festival!



16. Connecting Through Morning Yoga (photo by Freedom Fill LLC)

17. Teamwork!

18. More Teamwork!

19. Even The Cops Were Friendly. No Joke.

20. This Moshpit Of People Having A Moment Inside Of A Giant Bird’s Nest