The forest can teach you things, you just have to be ready to learn.
Electric Forest, Michigan is not a festival you take lightly. It’s notΒ a festival that you spend your entire time drunk at. Electric Forest is about learning, accepting and growing. The 2016 edition is here and it’s time to talk about the incredible impact this festival has had on every single attendee.
So, here we discuss all the things about the festival that most definitely will change your life.
1. The dazzling forest
(Credits: electricforest.com)
A festival in any forest can be beautiful. But when you have a festival in the breathtaking Sherwood Forest, you can expect something otherworldly.Β If the lineup doesnβt rope you in, the experience of being in the forest guarantees that most people will be buying a ticket. The Double JJ ranch is beautiful and at some points the trees just seem to shoot straight up like street lights and the fields are all covered in soft green grass making it a great destination for a camping festival such as this.
2. The music
(Credits: electricforest.com)
It is, after all, a music festival. The music is the factor that binds all the lost souls in a solid bond here. The festival has specially curated lineups, with music that enhances the surreal feel of the festival. This year, the festival has artists such as Bassnectar, Flosstradamus, The String Cheese Incident and Tchami, all of them more than experienced in creating the perfect vibe for you to let go in. Previous performers here have included people like Skrillex, Flume and 12th Planet.
3. The people
(Credits: electricforest.com)
Ask anyone who’s been to electric forest how the festival is and the answer you’ll get will be something along the lines of ‘You have to be there to understand it’. Even though it sounds like garbled hippie lingo, this is absolutely true. It can be your first timeΒ or your tenth, you will be welcomed with the same love, kindness and empathy every time. You can also meet some of the most brilliant people here. The festival attracts an array of artists, performers and visionaries, all of whom are the friendliest people. The kind of people you can have a conversation with about world politics while on your way to a class of kundalini yoga.
4. All the different kinds of art
(Credits: www.electricforestfestival.com)
The festival is an epicentre of some seriously creative energy. You can spend hours watching various people create art and it still won’t feel like enough. Nothing is conventional here and don’t expect the art to be either. Whether it may be body painting, dance or making music, everyone here takes all different kinds of approaches to express themselves and that is exactly what makes Electric Forest one of the most beautiful festivals you will ever be to.
5. Freedom to be who you are
(Credits: Matt Urban)
If you’ve attended enough festivals, you’ll start to notice a certain kind of monotony in the people. The way they dress, the way they talk, the kind of things they talk about tend to get a little repetitive and that leaves your starving for variety. Well, not so much at Electric Forest. Everyone here is their own master. Everyone is different and they celebrate this diversity in the most beautiful manner. You can see it in everywhere, whether it is the music or the fashion. Everyone comes as they are here.
6. Nights that you won’t forget
(Credits: www.youredm.com)
Living in a forest has its perks, but the most underrated one has to be the nights. Electric Forest is a calm, serene atmosphere during the day but as the sunlight begins to recede, a different energy begins to take over the festival. There is an edge in the air you didn’t know you wanted and the brilliant LED decorations turn the forest into a fantasyland. The venue completely transforms and all you have to do is give in to it.
7. It’s the kindest place on earth
(Credits: Matt Urban)
It’s probably the beautiful forest or the incredible music or the serenity, we aren’t really sure. But something about this place sure makes you kind. People here make an effort to take care of complete strangers they have never met before and it’s wonderful. Attendees carry hammocks from home just so they can give them to other people who might need one. You can hear all kinds of amazing stories about the humble souls here that include lost wallets, phones and people giving away food for free. There’s a Giving Tree here,Β a place where people leave items behind, and sometimes take something else in return.
8. It changes you
(Credits: Matt Urban)
When you have been around that kind of love, peace and hope, don’t be surprised if something in you changes. This is why you shouldn’t be surprised when someone can’t explain how going to the festival feels. The forest teaches you things about society, humanity and most importantly, about yourself that nothing else can.Β Itβs a judgment-free zone, filled with positive vibes, amazing natural and artistic visual experiences, and a great sense of community that is the perfect venue for great music. What more can we ask for?
What more can we ask for?