Governors Ball 2018: Tickets, How To Get There, Weather Forecast

RANDALL'S ISLAND, NY – Summer has officially arrived as the first of New York City's big outdoor festivals launches this weekend. Randall’s Island will be filled with swarms of music lovers this weekend for the annual Governors Ball Music Fest, though it looks like the weather could put a damper on things.

The expected showers likely won’t stop the beat for more than 50,000 expected fans who will dance away the day — and night — rain or shine. If you plan to brave the forecasted storms for some festival fun this weekend, here is what you need to know.

Getting there

Randall’s Island is located in the middle of the East River between Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, but getting there can be tricky. Festival organizers strongly discourage arrival by car — Uber, taxi or otherwise — as high traffic in the area is likely and there is no parking on Randall’s Island.

Those who wish to travel by subway can take the 4, 5 or 6 train to 125th Street and walk or bike over the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to the festival entrance from Manhattan’s east side.

Pedestrians can also reach Randall’s Island via the 103rd Street footbridge. Follow signs for the festival or for the adjacent Icahn Stadium to find your point of entry.

If you’d prefer to continue your journey via bus, hop on a special event shuttle — the X80 — near the 125th Street 4, 5, 6 subway station. Make you sure your Metrocard is loaded with at least $6.50 to cover bus fare, and another $5.50 for round-trip subway fare.

Governors Ball will run its own shuttles to and from the festival grounds each day, with pickups at Brooklyn Bowl on Wythe Avenue between North 11th and 12th streets in Williamsburg. Shuttle tickets are limited, so purchase yours as soon as possible.

If you feel like spending some time on the water, take the Manhattan ferry from 35th Street and FDR Drive directly to the festival gates. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Schedule breakdown/lineup

Governors Ball will open its gates even earlier to festival goers this year, giving them more time to catch the start of their favorite early sets once the doors open. The fest now runs from 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. from Friday, June 1 to Sunday, June 3. Music starts at 12:15 p.m.

Want to start organizing your weekend schedule? Check out the full list of set times here.

At the top of the lineup this year are headliners Jack White and Travis Scott, with a rare live performance from Eminem on Sunday.

Shawn Mendes, who gained his claim to fame on the now-defunct video sharing app Vine, will also appear for a special Friday performance. Among the other 65 artists on the docket this year are Pusha T, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Post Malone, Halsey, Silk City (a Diplo and Mark Ronson collaboration), N.E.R.D and Khalid.

The locations of three of the festival’s four stages—including the tent stage—have been moved this year, so be sure to check out the updated festival map for more information.

Another new addition is a change in the location of the liquor garden, which is now even closer to the Main Stage than ever before.

Weather: Be Wary

Along with a good pair of dancing shoes, festival goers may also want to pack an umbrella for this year’s Governors Ball — and maybe even a light jacket. Rain is in the forecast for the entire weekend so far, according to Weather.com, and temperatures are predicted to decline as the weekend wears on.

Thunderstorms in the forecast for Friday and Saturday could mean cancellations this weekend due to lightning, but that is likely to remain unknown until the music has already begun. Scattered thunderstorms with a 50 percent chance of rain are predicted for Friday, with a high around 80 degrees, according to Weather.com.

That 50 percent chance turns to 80 on Saturday, according to Weather.com., with highs declining to 74 degrees. No thunderstorms are in the forecast for Sunday, when event cooler temperatures are expected along with showers. The anticipated high for Saturday is only 66 degrees, Weather.com forecasts say, so be sure to bring a jacket.

A Note on Hydration

Free water will be offered at several hydration stations throughout the festival grounds. Attendees can also bring two factory-sealed bottles of water with them into the festival as long as the bottles are plastic. Consider bringing a reusable bottle so you can refill regularly.

For more information about what to bring, click here. To stay updated on news and weather for this year’s Governors Ball, click here.

Lead image from Governors Ball 2017 by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images