Gov Ball 2026 Recap: WRSU’s Favorite Sets of the Weekend

Through Rain and Sun, Gov Ball Reminded Us Why We Love Festivals

New York City may be all about the Knicks right now, but for those in Flushing Meadows Corona Park last weekend, it was all about Gov Ball. 

The East Coast’s premier music festival returned for a scorching hot and rainy weekend for music’s biggest names in pop, rap, and rock. Even when temperatures exceeded 90 degrees, New York showed out, filling the lawn for artists like Audrey Hobert, 2Hollis, and every artist under the K-pop umbrella. 

Former Music Director Jake Falkenstein and I made the short trek to Queens to catch some of our favorite artists and find the next bands to spin on air. Outside of watching the festival’s best sets, we interviewed a few favored artists at WRSU, which will be available on our Instagram. Now, read below for my favorite sets at Gov Ball 2026.

Audrey Hobert

The resounding sentiment leading up to Audrey Hobert’s set was “Why is she playing this early?” Although Hobert wasn’t given enough credit with a 2 PM slot, she capitalized on her music festival debut. Entering on stilts and an oversized raincoat so big she could have been sneaking into a movie on someone’s shoulders, she broke the festival open with “I like to touch people.” Sun baking in early, but the crowd didn’t mind; the main stage grounds filled the way a sub headliner would. Before performing her hit “Sue Me,” Hobert had two friends playfully throw roses at her, with her exclaiming, “I think I just had my ‘I made it’ moment.” If pop music questioned if there’s a new star, Audrey Hobert’s Gov Ball set answered it.

The Dare

The Dare’s set was the hottest party of June (and the month just started). Right as temperatures hit their peak on Friday, The Dare, in his unavoidable suit and shades, appeared through the heavy fog machines. A wall-of-sound-type setup surrounded him. I’ve never seen him live before, but I was well aware of the LCD Soundsystem comparisons, and yeah, he’s doing an LCD thing. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel cheesy. The Dare adds enough of his polished spunk to revive indie sleaze, at least momentarily.

The Beths

I want to see The Beths on the beach. Or at least take a quick dip after their set because that’s how the Kiwi quartet looked in Queens. Short-shorts and summertime tees, The Beths felt right at home on the Grove Stage. Playing through cuts from their new album Straight Line Was A Lie, the group brought Gov Ball back to its roots—an indie festival where fans could find the next Vampire Weekend or The Strokes. While The Beths aren’t trying to be either of those bands, and Gov Ball has grown into a more rap and pop-centric festival, their set was a refreshing spin on the usual major festival lineups. Plus, they were one of WRSU’s favorite college radio bands of 2025.

Baby Keem

The first time I saw Baby Keem at Gov Ball was during his surprise appearance at Kendrick Lamar’s 2023 headlining set. He came out just as the “Family Ties” trumpets kicked in. The entirety of Corona Park was jumping. That being said, the stakes were high for Keem’s return. Meshing cuts from his new album Casino with Gen-Z classics like “Vent” and “Honest,” it didn’t take long for Keem to find a groove. Plenty of the crowd obviously only knew the hits; however, that didn’t stop those waiting for “16” and “Moshpit.” During the new material, Keem was at his most comfortable state and dominated. Regardless of whether Casino reached The Melodic Blue levels, people still care about Keem, and he’s a welcome set at any festival.

Lorde

Closing night one was the incomparable, the inconceivable, the improbable, Lorde. Returning to Gov Ball nine years after hitting the stage with Melodrama material, she made her headline debut with a set full of classics, sing-alongs, and tears. One of her earliest tracks, “Royals,” opened the show–my favorite Lorde song. As a long-time Lorde appreciator but never a die-hard fan, the “Royals” opening is exactly what I needed to give in to Lorde’s set. Her newest record, Virgin, dominated the first half of the set. Around the midway point, she said, “This is the most nervous for a show I’ve been in a while, partly because we’ve never done this show before. Partly because I’m obsessed with you.” The obsessed feeling was mutual. If Lorde entered with nerves about her new set approach, the crowd had no idea. The majority of the crowd sang every lyric, and the final few songs, including “Supercut,” “Green Light,” and “Ribs,” were the perfect close to a hot Friday night in NYC. 

2hollis

All I really knew about 2hollis before his Gov Ball debut was that people called him the White Tiger and that his mom is a professor at UCLA. I also understood that his fans LOVE him. Seconds into his set, the latter was confirmed. 2hollis came out in a red masquerade mask to “sidekick.” The crowd handled the vocals as much as Hollis did; rather than singing every lyric, he spent the majority of his entrance shouting and rocking his arms while dancing around Stray Kid’s catwalk. After he removed his mask, he revealed cascading mascara like Robert Pattinson’s Batman. On the screen, foggy illustrations of black-and-white animals. His stage presence didn’t come off as cocky, but rather as someone who knows exactly what their fans want. People came to see the 2hollis character, and he delivered.

Geese

I had a lot to say about Geese, maybe too much. Check out my full thoughts here.

Dominic Fike

Going into the weekend, I wasn’t sure what Dominic Fike’s set would deliver. Performing this late in the day on the main stage seemed a bit odd for someone whose last album, Rocket, came and went without much notice. Earlier in his set, Fike even joked about his placement, saying, “It’s nice to play between asap rocky and Geese. Next year, Geese is gonna knock me off the bill.” Even though Fike has stayed under the radar recently, he’s one of Gen-Z’s favorite artists, and that means he’s exactly what a Gov Ball crowd is looking for. Along with material from Rocket and an unreleased track titled “AI,” Fike played bedroom pop anthems “Babydoll” and “Why.” To end his set, Fike ran across the catwalk, stripping down until he was in his boxers halfway off the stage.

A$AP Rocky

There are two types of headliners. Those who have a headline following. And those who have that same following and understand the art of the spectacle. A$AP Rocky’s weekend closing set was the latter. I’ve seen dozens of headlining sets that drew me in and had me singing every word; however, that doesn’t make them a spectacle. During Flacko’s set, I often paused and held back from going bar for bar, just to capture the entire scene. What felt like one hundred dancers littered the stage and catwalk, either adorned in a SWAT uniform or a white tee and ski mask. Enough pyro to fuel every Fourth of July barbecue this year. And after starting the set with material from his new record, Don’t Be Dumb, Rocky went hit after hit. “Sundress,” “Praise the Lord,” and “A$AP Forever.” Everything you hoped he’d play, he did. I planned on leaving Rocky’s set a bit earlier to beat the crowds, but I couldn’t. Now I know, I’d happily risk an extra hour of commuting home for 10 more minutes of A$AP. For all the NY love in the air last weekend, there was no one better to bring Gov Ball home.

The Governors Ball Festival is held every June in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Find more information about the festival here.