Upcoming Electric Forest dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
What Electric Forest is
Electric Forest is a four-day music and camping festival held each June at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. It blends two scenes that rarely share a bill: electronic music and jam bands. Most fans camp on site from Thursday through Sunday, so buying a ticket really means choosing two things at once, a festival tier and a place to sleep.
The festival is produced by Insomniac and Madison House Presents. An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people attended in 2025. The festival places itself in Sherwood Forest, the wooded part of the resort grounds, and that setting is central to its identity: programming such as stage takeovers, a silent disco and roaming performers fills the time between headline sets.
When and where it happens
Electric Forest is a late-June event, running Thursday through Sunday. The 2026 edition, the 14th, ran June 25 to 28. In 2017 and 2018 the festival ran two weekends, then returned to a single weekend in 2019, the format it has kept since.
Rothbury sits just off US-31, and the site is reached by car. Entry depends on your pass:
- General admission and Lucky Lake camping: the South Toll entry from US-31 Exit 136 (Winston Road).
- RV and enhanced camping: the North Toll entry from Exit 140 (Stony Lake Road).
- Good Life packages: a dedicated Good Life toll entry from Exit 136.
For 2026, Will Call moved to Winston Speedway in Rothbury, and anyone picking up wristbands there had to do so before driving to the toll entrances. Check the current year's arrival instructions, because these logistics shift from year to year.
Lineup history: from Rothbury to the Forest
The event began as the Rothbury Festival in 2008, a jam-heavy weekend that drew 30,202 people in its first year and featured members of Phish, the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band. After a second Rothbury in 2009 and a hiatus in 2010, Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella and Madison House chief Jeremy Stein relaunched it as Electric Forest in 2011. The String Cheese Incident served as host band from 2011 through 2016, playing three sets each year. The festival sold out for the first time in 2014, and it was not held in 2020 or 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Headliners by era
- Early years (2011–2013): Tiesto, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Skrillex, Passion Pit, Above & Beyond and Empire of the Sun.
- Mid-2010s: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Flying Lotus and Umphrey's McGee in 2014; Skrillex, Kaskade, Flume, ODESZA and Carl Cox in 2015; a live Porter Robinson set and Major Lazer in 2016.
- Two-weekend years and after: My Morning Jacket, Illenium and ODESZA in 2017; ODESZA, T-Pain and STS9 in 2019.
- Since the return: Disclosure, GRiZ and Big Wild in 2022; the String Cheese Incident, Nelly Furtado, Ludacris, Pretty Lights, Excision and Charlotte de Witte in 2024.
The pattern is consistent: bass and electronic headliners at night, jam and funk bands across the weekend, and occasional left-field bookings that cross both audiences.
Pass tiers: General Admission vs. Good Life
Every Electric Forest pass is a four-day pass, and the festival sells two main tiers. Both include campground access when paired with a lodging pass or package.
- General Admission (GA): festival entry for all four days, with access to restrooms, showers, food vendors, artisan shops and workshops. GA lodging ranges from basic car camping (bring your own tent) to preferred car camping with Wednesday early arrival, RV and powered RV spots, pre-set tents and lakeside camping packages at Lucky Lake.
- Good Life: the upgraded tier, with dedicated entrances, in-venue lounges, dedicated stage viewing areas, complimentary restrooms and showers, and its own food vendors. Good Life lodging includes tent and car camping areas, powered and pre-set RVs, air-conditioned tent and bungalow packages, and the Back 40 camping area.
Choosing between them
GA is the right call for most first-timers who plan to car camp with friends. Good Life earns its premium if shorter lines, cleaner restrooms and a calmer place to regroup matter to you, or if you want Wednesday arrival without buying a separate add-on. Group camping is available for GA buyers who want neighboring sites.
How demand behaves
The festival runs a loyalty program with an early presale, then a general on-sale; for 2024, loyalty tickets went on sale December 4, 2023 and public tickets on December 8. Payment plans spread the cost over time. Because lodging packages are limited, the scarcest items are usually specific camping types rather than festival admission itself, and buyers on the resale market should make sure a listing includes the camping they need. Every GoodSeats order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
Arrival, camping and getting around
Arrival day is set by your pass. Standard GA campers can enter the campgrounds starting at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Thursday. Wednesday arrival starts at 12:01 a.m. for holders of Wednesday arrival add-ons, group camping, preferred car camping and GA RV passes, and Good Life holders get complimentary Wednesday arrival from 8 a.m. The campgrounds close at 4 p.m. Eastern on Monday.
- Arrive early on your first eligible day if campsite location matters to you; earlier arrival generally means more choice.
- Plan for a line at the tolls. Every vehicle passes through a toll entry before reaching camp, so build extra time into your drive.
- Hotel stays are possible but less common. For 2026 the festival ran hotel shuttles Thursday through Sunday from near the South Entry tolls, with departures to the festival in the afternoon and evening and returns after midnight.
Camp alcohol rules are specific. As of 2026, campers could bring beer and wine only, limited to one case of beer and one box of wine per person in sealed containers. Kegs and hard liquor were not allowed, and alcohol cannot be carried from the campgrounds into the festival venue. You must be 21 or older to drink.
What to bring and festival rules
Electric Forest runs rain or shine, and late June in Michigan can swing from hot afternoons to cool nights. The festival recommends sun hats, sunscreen, sweaters, raincoats and sturdy shoes. Reusable water bottles and hydration packs are allowed if they are empty at entry.
- Not allowed in campgrounds or venue (as of 2026): fireworks, grills, generators, glass, kegs, drones, weapons, bicycles and large speakers.
- Not allowed in the venue: outside food and drinks other than one sealed water bottle, chairs, tents, professional cameras and frisbees.
- Kids: all children 3 and older need a wristband; children 2 and under do not.
Check the official Electric Forest festival info page for the current year's policies before you pack, because item lists and camping rules are revised annually.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is Electric Forest held?
Electric Forest takes place in late June, Thursday through Sunday, at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. The 2026 edition ran June 25 to 28.
What is the difference between GA and Good Life at Electric Forest?
GA covers four days of festival entry and pairs with standard camping options. Good Life adds dedicated entrances, lounges, stage viewing areas, complimentary showers and restrooms, its own camping areas and Wednesday early arrival.
Is Electric Forest all ages?
Children can attend; everyone age 3 and older needs a wristband, and children 2 and under are free. You must be 21 or older to drink alcohol.
Can I bring alcohol to my Electric Forest campsite?
As of 2026, beer and wine only, limited to one case of beer and one box of wine per person in sealed containers. Hard liquor and kegs are not allowed, and alcohol cannot be brought from camp into the venue.
When can I arrive at Electric Forest?
Standard GA campers can enter starting Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Eastern. Wednesday arrival is included with Good Life and with certain GA add-ons such as preferred car camping and RV passes.