Governors Ball 2026 Day 1

Through the miasma of one of the first Proper Summer Days in New York, the subways swelled with eager masses en route to The Governor’s Ball in the heart of Queens for day one of the annual music festival. In a way, the three-day festival marks somewhat of a kickoff to summer in New York and consistently platforms both rising artists and established stars. Now in its 15th year (!!!), GovBall returns with a lineup as strong as the sweltering June sun.

Day one featured a diverse array of artists: from Lorde to Katseye and Del Water Gap to Baby Keem. The Beths, for my money, were an early standout. Their infectious blend of hyper-infectious indie rock buried an earworm deep inside my brain. The New Zealand four-piece dazzled the crowd (any myself) with a high-energy performance that set the mood for the rest of the evening. In the name of transparency, their 2025 record, Straight Line Was A Lie, was one of my favorite albums of last year.

Next, I jogged over to the main stage for Katseye. One could see a mass of fans migrating from the conclusion of the Pierce the Veil set for this one. Through the clouds of dust kicked up, I could see waving flags protruding from the crowd like a standing army. Katseye, formed only a few years ago, the six-piece pop group stepped onto the main stage to a thunderous applause. Their choreography was meticulously planned and their performance felt ready-made for a stage like this.

Katseye – @okaynicolita

Late on in the evening, the Vegas-based rapper Baby Keem delivered a riling performance of tracks from his newest record, Casino. His presence was enigmatic as he seemed to float along the stage, commanding the crowd with effortlessness that made for an energetic performance.

To close out the night, Lorde took the main stage for the first time since 2017. Nevermind that 2017 was nine years ago, Lorde’s return was captivating and intimate (or as intimate as a headlining show can be). She invited the crowd into her world through a mix of close range camera angles and a heart rate monitor that broadcast her vitals to the masses. Her synthesizer-heavy and borderline electro-clash intro combined with a very minimal set design felt more otherworldly than anything. Her set (beginning, really, with “Royals”) was cathartic and transcendent. From her performance, what cuts through is that this is an artist reveling in her own growth both as an artist and as a person. Her joy in performing songs such as “Green Light,’ “The Louvre” and “Supercut” was euphoric to witness, and the GovBall crowd returned it back to her in spades. For her finale, she strolled out to the far edges of the crowd and crawled atop a small stage to perform “Ribs” in a performance that will not easily be forgotten in the history of the festival.

Lorde – Anna Downs