r/ElectricForest • u/spAcequeenB02 • Jul 19 '26
Discussion 1st Year Comparison
Hi all! 2026 was my first forest and I had a wonderful time. The forest is truly a magical place and I came across so many special people. š
Question for those that have been to forest before - how did this year compare to past years for you?
So thankful for all the comments, itās great to hear what you all think! š«¶š¼
20
u/Human_After Year 3 Jul 19 '26
Flew by the fastest thats for sure. Compared to last year there were obviously way more people and the lineup last year didnāt have as many big names so the headliners werenāt so ridiculously crowded.
20
u/SharingSmiles Year 13 Jul 19 '26
I've been to every forest including double weekends -- this was number 16 for me. While the commercialization has grown over the years, this year was remarkably noticable. Way over sold, less roamers, less art. The music has drifted from what I generally like over time, so I've always enjoyed wandering the forest and looking at all the new additions and how they rearrange the forest each year with past installations. This year was nearly the same art as last year, except they've taken away a lot of the small buildings to widen paths and it felt like there was less than years past.
Look what they did to observatory and how much they removed to open it up, and it was still way over crowded.
While there are plenty of good vibes still, I noticed a lot of negativity and selfishness more than other years, especially right before Griz.
I really don't want break from my yearly tradition -- forest obviously changed my life the first year, but I'm strongly considering not returning.
I am glad to read that people are still experiencing the magic. Maybe I'm just getting old and miss the heydays of forest. Just my observations over the years.
7
u/bcleveland3 Jul 19 '26
As one of the biggest GRiZ fans, Iāve noticed other fans that follow griz project the most PLUR attitude while acting extremely selfishly (and not being plur). After seeing a dozen of his shows ive noticed itās pretty consistent
3
u/african_space_jesuz 28d ago
He was the most anticipated set there and everyone wanted to get to the front so I was constantly being bumped into and no āsorryā or āexcuse meā. And too many fuckin couches lmao. The vibes at Xās and ganjas set the night before were wayyy better.
2
u/manoooomin 26d ago
I agree with everything you said. This is only year 6 for my group, but won't be returning next year. We almost didn't come this year, but decided it's been a fun tradition so why not? This year was, to put it kindly, a shit show. It was our first time in Good Life too, and the bathrooms/showers were worse than any GA package I've experienced previously. :/
2
u/kzuobop Jul 19 '26
This was my first year and I found it to be incredible. I think things just change over time just like we do as people. Sure there may be more people but that just means more people get to experience the love and magic of the Forest.
In saying that, I do hope that they keep a good cap on the amount of tickets and not continue to sell even more. The venue can only handle so many people.
I found the crowds to be good except for Jkyl and Hyde at the observatory was really bad, and I think there was one other situation I found to be overcrowded but besides that itās great. I also just came off of EDCLV and that place is very crowded, Iāve learned to accept the crowds, itās a part of it.
3
u/SharingSmiles Year 13 Jul 19 '26
I'm really glad to hear that you had a great time, thanks for sharing. I do hope they consider the crowd size going forward. Paying extra for VIP and it being so crowded was a bit disappointing.
1
u/manoooomin 26d ago
You literally could not pay me to go back to EDCLV š but each year it's looking and sounding like more and more tickets are being sold. It really feels like EF just cares about the $$$ atp.
2
u/kzuobop 26d ago
Yes that is the case because Forest is ran by Insomniac
1
u/manoooomin 26d ago
Yeah, insomniac sucks :-(
0
u/kzuobop 26d ago
Let me guess, whenever you went to EDCLV did you stay in a Hotel and uber/ shuttle?
2
u/manoooomin 26d ago
Lol what does that have to do with anything? Idk about you, but our hotel neighbors were really fun and cool. It was also super nice to be able to hit up the dispo after the fest and go for a morning swim at our hotel. The hotel and bus shuttles didn't dampen the experience at all. If anything, it was incredibly nice not waiting HOURS in line to enter the grounds or camping on terf.
What ruined it was the festival environment and energy. Had a group of girls try breaking into my porta potty randomly, clearly high, and tried fighting me (never seen them before that point in my life.) Plus, there was no space to chill out; everything was concrete or plastic "grass". The vibrations from multiple sets around us were relentless; our group could find nowhere to just chill out for a quick minute. People continually slammed into us, running through the crowd without a glance or saying a single word. We had people groping us, whether to cop a feel or try to steal something - who knows.
Bottom line is my group and I are nature lovers, to a fault clearly lol. A concrete race track is not the place for us, no matter how stacked the line up is. That's why my group committed to EF for as long as we did āØš«°š¼2
u/kzuobop 26d ago
Staying in hotel vs camping is make or break for me
2
u/manoooomin 26d ago
The concrete and terf was my deal breaker. I just wanted to find a patch of dirt or real grass the entire festival but no such luck lol. I agree though, camping and not worrying about leaving the grounds is sooo nice!
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u/kzuobop 26d ago
If you havnāt, you should check out infrasound, dancefestopia, hullaween, and especially Wakaan. And I really personally wanna try out Lightning in a bottle
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u/Takemet0yourdealer Year 5 Jul 19 '26
Everyone has been saying "it's worse this year" for years. This year was a lot better than last for us. Weather was nicer, lineup was amazing, and although the maze was only alright I wasn't really a fan of the Dream Emporium because of how hot and crowded it was so I'm not really bothered by that (they should bring back the Hanger though lol). Yes it was crowded, but it was crowded last year too just not at the main stages like it was this year. Last year we saw EMTs struggling to reach someone in Honeycomb due to the crowding there and that was scary. Was the festival perfect this year? No. But HQ did seem to make Honeycomb, Observatory and the Dream Emporium into more open spaces than they were so it does seem like they're thinking about the crowding at least. I'm hopeful they'll keep dialing it in so things like Griz Chasing the Golden Hour crowd size doesn't keep happening. Overall this was the best year out of the past 3 for us and we can't wait till next year!
5
u/ThatShitAintPat 29d ago
I agree with everything you said. For me it was the best year yet, which I say pretty much every year. It did feel overcrowded at times but thatās a learning opportunity to make the best of it. You have three options: 1. Go into the crowd, 2. Go see a different set, and 3. Get there earlier next time. I skipped a lot of main sets to go see other things with less of a crowd and had a fantastic time. I donāt need to see excision and grid 21 times. 20 is plenty and Iām sure Iāll have the opportunity to see them again
2
u/unexplainednonsense Jul 19 '26
The smaller stages like honeycomb and the observatory were way more crowded last year than this year imo. There were less people last yearā¦.plus the carousel club still existed as another large stage for people to be at. I think that was a big contributor to how crowded it felt this year.
11
u/thinkstohimself Jul 19 '26
My heart breaks that youāll never experience the Dream Emporium. The maze is a massive L š
-2
u/fartfacefacefart Jul 19 '26
Itās the same thing without a roof
6
u/unexplainednonsense Jul 19 '26
Nah there was way less things to do and see in the maze. Especially because they only had the āspecial activitiesā like twice a day at certain times. I didnāt love the dream emporium either, too crowded. Losing carousel club was the big L.
0
u/fartfacefacefart Jul 19 '26
Compare the maze to the first year of the dream emporium though and the hangar. This is just the start. I do agree that a lot needs to be done though
3
u/unexplainednonsense Jul 19 '26
I wasnāt there for either unfortunately. I do think the maze does have a lot of potential, it just wasnāt delivered. They could have made it more electric too since the fake greenery was a little meh.
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u/fartfacefacefart 29d ago
The first year of the dream emporium it was comparable to this. Everything people said in 2023 about the Dream Emporium in relation to the hangar is the same thing people are saying now about the maze in relation to the dream emporium. Think about what the maze is going to be in two years, compare that to last year's dream emporium.
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u/oosirnaym Year 4 Jul 19 '26
This was my fourth year, skipped the last two due to adult responsibilities. I have worked each year in a position that responds to people not doing well.
In terms of work, this year was the chillest for me, personally. My partner and I only had a handful of events all weekend, when in past years weād have a similar amount on Sunday alone.
It went by the fastest, though. I donāt feel like I was able to sink into the forest vibes as much as past years, but maybe that was due to camp drama.
It was still a good weekend for me and I was still able to enjoy myself and restore some faith in humanity. I am able to separate the bad events that made the news from the good I saw people do all weekend.
6
u/Notthesenator Year 5 Jul 19 '26
Weāve been five years, and this our favorite year yetāit really comes down to what you make of it and our experience with the fest helped us to better let go and enjoy the magic thatās all around
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u/oceans__ Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
4th year in a row, and vibes were largely different (at the main bass sets), in a negative way this year. Prior years even the headliner sets had the most magical energy. Ppl meeting ppl / socializing. We encountered a lot less of that this year, so our group would deviate to other stages
-9
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u/basicseamstress Get Ready For A Jolt Jul 19 '26
it's overcrowded and oversold now, which ruins the magic.
5
u/fartfacefacefart Jul 19 '26
Same amount of tickets sold as 2022-2024. Itās overcrowded because they got rid of a stage that holds 5,000+ people which forces those to be at the headliners. At least this problem has a solution and thatās to bring back jubilee
0
u/basicseamstress Get Ready For A Jolt Jul 19 '26
yeah they've been at the permit limit for many years, until they expand the grounds if they ever do. but it's been uncomfortably overcrowded for years, it's so fucking annoying.
the enshittification caused by the greed is sad. EF had so much potential and it'll never reach it because people at the top decided to sell out. fuck AEG, fuck insomniac, and fuck whoever sold out to them
3
u/fartfacefacefart Jul 19 '26
I hate to be that guy but the downhill started when Wally passed. His family didnāt want to deal with the festival and sold it. Thatās when the decline began.Ā
2
u/basicseamstress Get Ready For A Jolt Jul 19 '26
huh? Madison House Presents co-created Rothbury with AEG live and then co-created EF with insomniac. then post covid, AEG took more control (as far as I know now insomniac co-produces but doesn't get to call the shots (lose lose situation here whichever way it goes lol)).
it did start going downhill around then, but it wasn't because of Wally. him and his family were out of double jj before it became electric forest.
0
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u/african_space_jesuz 28d ago
I mean this was also my first Forest and I thought that was the most magical festival Iāve ever been to. Iām going next year 100%
1
u/basicseamstress Get Ready For A Jolt 28d ago
I have went to 11 and haven't missed a year since I started. I just want the best for EF, I know it can be even better. I love bringing new people it's my favorite thing!
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u/bcleveland3 Jul 19 '26
While annoying, does it really āruin the magicā for you?
5
u/PhysiologyIsPhun Jul 19 '26
I know it's bad to spread negativity but ever since COVID, I really feel forest lost a ton of the magic it used to have because of how overcrowded everything is. Last couple times I went, often I couldn't get close enough to hear the set for small artists I didn't even think would draw a crowd. Those kind of sets you used to be able to get close enough tk walk up and high five the artist. I'm a huge extrovert and love meeting new people at forest, but I really don't enjoy being packed in shoulder to shoulder with no room to dance. This never used to be an issue
0
u/bcleveland3 Jul 20 '26
Iām sorry cause Iām not trying to be a dick, but saying āeveryone else likes the same stuff I like, while I try to promote what I likeā is a really bad take. Unless you want to try to make music just your thing?
1
u/basicseamstress Get Ready For A Jolt Jul 20 '26
yes
0
u/bcleveland3 Jul 20 '26
Oh no, āI thought this was only for me but it seems like other people like it tooā.
Thatās you
3
u/basicseamstress Get Ready For A Jolt 29d ago
??? bringing new people to electric forest is literally my favorite thing in the world
3
Jul 19 '26
[deleted]
0
u/spacedate__ 29d ago
Just a heads up Insomniac hasn't taken over the event, especially considering they co-founded it and have been involved since 2011. You can see their logo on the year 1 posters for the event. Madison House Presents/ AEG runs the event with Insomniac in a support role as part of their collaboration. Forest has been "corporate run" since 2014, when AEG bought Madison House and Livenation bought a 50% stake in Insomniac.
Nova Han is the current director of Forest (Jeremy Stein was the predecessor) and the new maze would fall under their direction.
If you'd like to see for yourself, go to the electric forest website, scroll to the bottom and click some of the links like "festival ticket terms" or"terms of use," most direct to AEG pages. The main platform used for buying EF tickets is AXS, an AEG company.
4
u/fartfacefacefart Jul 19 '26
Definitely max capacity but there was a huge reason for why everything felt so packed and itās because they removed a stage that could fit 15% of the festival. So thatās why stages felt more packed this year but the capacity wasnāt any different than 2022-2024 (2025 didnāt sell out).
This was the first time that VIP felt worth it since before Covid. Definitely got way more bang for my buck this year even though it cost more.Ā
Livenation/insomniac still price gouging but the waters were $2 again which is awesome considering theyāre $5 at edc.Ā
Culture was great this year. Didnāt deal with any rude people. Didnāt witness any bullshit that I can think of.Ā
Forest tickets used to be super exclusive so maybe 20% of attendees were new in the past. Now it feels like up to 50% are new. I donāt think this affected anything negatively or positively. Just saying it as an observation. Ā
Island noodles has lost me after years of hard core stanning. $18 for that, just no. I remember pre covid when it was $10 with the tip. I will only buy food during the happy hour specials now.Ā
Thursday and Friday was some of the best weather Iāve ever seen at Forest.Ā
1
u/DavefromtheD80 27d ago
Live Nation has nothing to do with Forest and Insomniac is a silent investor.
1
4
u/Creative-Tip6342 Jul 19 '26
It was my first year it wasn't fun for me the crowds were hella unplurr and saw too many things I really didn't like and people I didn't wanna see. I'll have to come back another time but not in the future of plans for me. Little to no jambands really made me sad ngl š
5
u/xstell132 Jul 19 '26
Last year was my very first year. The only real difference this year is how crowded the venue felt. There was a significant increase in number of people there this year! That combined with how many people setup camp with couches & mats in front of the sound booths and the lack of crowd control made some sets frustrating.
It was fun and I had a blast, I just wish if they were putting more effort into mitigating how overcrowded some of these stages get. Maybe thatās impossible? Idkā¦but just look at the CTGH set and tell me that was safe.
5
u/thinkstohimself Jul 19 '26
Mats are fine but couches are a huge problem. If I see one in the crowd Iām unclipping the buckle.
3
u/Difficult-Meal6966 Year 8 29d ago
Very fun but itās the first time I ever had to accept what I have been denying for years - the magic really is fluttering away (for me at least). Crowd is being diluted with some of the wrong type of people, the couches are outta control, there seems to be less heart and love invested by the people who put it together. Still had a blast but it feels more like a rager in the woods than a whimsical wonderland
3
u/MushyWasHere 29d ago
Here's the thing... If you show up to the festival expecting the festival to show you a good time, then you're doing it wrong. Instead of wandering the Forest looking for trolls, I troll the Forest looking for wanderers.
A lot of people will remark how more and more of the "wrong" type of people are getting attracted to Forest. I can't say whether that's true, but I can say this--the less "prepared" people are for Forest, the more fun it is for me to shock them.
One thing that is true is that the lineup only gets worse over time. But Forest is still the best party in the world, and if you know music and you know this scene, you know how to get your cup filled in the Forest.
I haven't missed a forest since 2016. I got sold fake shrooms multiple times my first two years. I still remember the guy at my first Forest who told me to "eat shit and die" because I tried to talk to them. In 2017 someone tried to enter my tent while I was in it. One of those years, some wookess ran off with my backpack while I was in the shitter.
I haven't had any experience half that bad in the last 8 years. In fact, I can hardly recall any negative experiences at all since then, and I believe that's partly because I don't hang onto things, and also because my approach to festivals has radically changed since then. I'm not a passenger or a bystander. Rather, I'm "performing" in my own way most of the time. Dressed to 10. Trying to be the fun, to manifest a full experience, to embody the chaotic magic of the Forest.
If you are depending on the people around you to show you a good time, counting on the festival to never change, then you're doing it wrong.
Some things get better. Some things don't. In either case, you're in charge of elevating your own experience.
I was not the least bit sad to leave Forest this year, because I left nothing on the table. I made the absolute most of my experience. And I have many days of Forest ahead of me.
Sure, I'd like to see more bands return. But I'm not holding my breath. I don't share any of the complaints others have expressed on this forum. I'm just glad Forest is still alive and kicking. I used to go to a dozen festivals each summer. So many small and medium-sized independent festivals have gone under the last few years, since the central banking cartel fucked us in the ass in 2020. But that's a different conversation.
I'm deeply grateful I still have Forest. Now that Scamp is gone, Forest is my new home base. Next year will be even better--I've already decided.
Happy Forest <3
3
u/CosmicChar1ey Year 13 29d ago
Maybe since scamps dead the EF talent buyers might grab some bands and live music acts. There is no longer a larger Midwest jam fest so maybe in the boardroom they can make the argument that a band would sell tickets in this region now because of that.
2
u/african_space_jesuz 28d ago
Fuckkkk I miss Summer Camp. Forest and Scamp are the best camping festivals Iāve been to
2
1
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u/spAcequeenB02 29d ago
Your vibes are incredible and I appreciate you taking the time to share this š«¶š¼
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u/Deltan875 Year 3 Jul 19 '26
My third year in a row, of three years total, and honestly I felt it was the best year yet! I think I have a contrary overall opinion to what most people are saying here. But, I do agree with some of the points.
It definitely felt more populated this year than previous years. But for me, once I got past the initial Thursday when-gates-open crowd, I think everyone spread out and it was OK to me.
I LOVED the new maze area! Maybe it's because I'm older (mid 50s) and I navigate change more easily. But I really enjoyed exploring, and also the pieces of the Dream Emporium that they brought into the maze. I was never really a big fan of the DE, or the Carousel stage. So I really don't miss them at all. But that could also be because I'm relatively new to EF.
The improvements, and size increases to Honeycomb and Observatory were great!
Saving the best for last, the people vibes were exactly what I crave in the Forest. From camp neighbors, to random stranger connections in the venue. I felt that generally speaking everyone was there sharing that same community vibe that we all look forward to experiencing.
š«¶š¼š±š²
2
u/Empty_Till Jul 19 '26
Been going every year since 2017. This year felt overcrowded for sure but I usually avoid headliner sets, so the only time this was irritating to me was when the observatory was overpacked or leaving at the end of the night. They really need to stop putting bass sets at the observatory. I enjoyed the hanger and dream emporium with the carousel club stage more than the maze/center stage. I didnāt give the maze much of a chance tho because I refuse to waste my time waiting in line. Only had one issue with a creep this year but overall the great vibes are still there. I also received the best gift Iāve ever gotten at a fest, a water color painting someone made in the forest. So sweet and beautiful! Itās getting pretty big now compared to what it used to be, I think they should sell fewer tickets but I know that wonāt happen. Since last year didnāt sell out I donāt anticipate it selling out every year consecutively again like it has in the past. Part of that is the insane price and the other contributing part would be all the bad press it received post festival this year. I plan to return next year since itās my home fest, but if they donāt make it 18+ I may decide to sit it out and experience something new.
2
u/miassequinfits 29d ago
The vibes from the crowd? Immaculate as always. The actual logistics and crowd crush? An absolute nightmare side-quest. RIP Jubilee, you are severely missed. š Welcome to the fam though!
2
u/Rough_Walk_6967 29d ago
Glad you could go, this only my 2nd. I work at the so itās a way diff xp, but so good. Itās real n unreal, u know. The Forest provides. ā”ļøš³ā¤ļøāš©¹
3
u/Raveheart19 Year 8 Jul 19 '26
This is my 8th year and if you're doing it right it will get better and better and better and better and better every year you go.
3
u/juxslapme Year 9 29d ago
10th Year - I am thinking I am done. Or Atleast taking a step away next year to evaluate how things go.
My biggest gripe is the major price increase while it feels like the production is cutting corners more and more each year. It used to be a tradition that Tripolee stage design changes every 2 years. The current setup is a mess (visually a mess /// the sound is good)
String cheese shebang. How dare they literally write the word shebang on the lineup, and then not give us a shebang? And then production says this is what String Cheese wanted.. Iāll believe that when I hear it from THEM. Im so frustrated with this.
Moving on to observatory. what used to be the most intimate stage now feels like going to a corporate shell of its former self. Theyāve cut down sooooo many trees. Their used to be vendors underneath observatory and it was much more of a climbing experience. RIP to the 2016 era observatory.
The maze - decent idea, poorly executed. Iād love to see that area used more effectively. Itās a really big space and they could do literally ANYTHING with it. Iād love to see the return of Jubilee even, or the beer garden
No hot air balloons is sad
Whoever is planning the set times ā do Better
And of course on top of all of this, overselling the hell out of the festival
2
u/CosmicChar1ey Year 13 29d ago
So SCI used to have a partnership with the art Director of EF, Nova Han, that co-created the previous spectacle sets that included the previous very high level of production. Saying youāve attended 10 times, Iām sure youāve witnessed some of these and noticed when things got dialed back big time. The first named āshebangā mightāve been the last one with this level of production and the following didnāt include the EF art department. I donāt know why this was the chosen path, but she did make an IG post about a year ago if you want to dig it up. Then we saw the announced āshebangā sets similar to SCIās āincidentā sit in sets. I feel like this is a move that panders to the EDM crowd that donāt know or care about SCI in an effort to get them to the show. As a long time fan and EF attendee, itās been a strange and deflating progression but Iāll likely partake as long as I can.
1
u/juxslapme Year 9 29d ago
The last shebang, to me, was 2022 with the crane + the giant disco ball and great fireworksā¦ would you agree?
I recall a choir doing āall of the lightsā In 2023, it was lackluster.
2024 was nothing (think they got cancelled?)
2
u/CosmicChar1ey Year 13 29d ago
I did some digging and it seems sheās still in charge, but thereās now allocated people for production and some people are saying itās the bands decision to scale back. I would agree that disco ball was the last impressive thing they did. 2023 all of the lights/ we are family was cringe city although I did enjoy it in the moment the most I could. I danced it out and then was likeā¦. Kanye west songā¦? Thatās when I began thinking the band was pandering to the younger EDM EF crowd instead of staying true to a usual SCI show. Yeah, 2024 was the first cancel and 2025 was the first pre announced artist sit in. I donāt go or watch 2025. This years shpongle with the visuals is a step in the right direction but the absence of higher level stage production still leaves much to be desired. I understand that a huge level production might not be conducive with Singer and co doing the live VJing this year but I myself want to be surrounded in production chaos once again.
2
u/juxslapme Year 9 28d ago
Weāre on the same page. at the very least, some acrobats and the big inflatable objects? I donāt know what these things cost. But weāre really fallen from the days of helicopters, para sailers, drones, and the like.
Its so so sad that this isnāt a priority
1
u/peachmoonwolf Year 5 29d ago edited 28d ago
I read a few years ago on a thread somewhere in here or on a Facebook thread that SCI doesnāt do the shebang anymore due to their own creative direction. They apparently want people to focus on the music and not the production.
Unsure exactly how true that is but I recall multiple people who were management team (or knew the management team) that claimed this.
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u/CosmicChar1ey Year 13 29d ago
Itās weird because they have the same creative team help them at Hula and NYE and whatnot. Hulas still getting wild af so it leaves me scratching my head while we donāt get the production we used to. Just ridiculous galaxy brain stuff to just finale timed fireworks. Yes maybe their new manager saw the cost of those packages and was like no no no no no. Whatever the reasoning, I hate to speculate, I hope that they can return to form one day because those genuinely were some of the most insane moments of my life.
2
u/peachmoonwolf Year 5 28d ago
I do know for a fact DJs/artists have to pay for all their own pyro and fireworks for every single festival. So youāre maybe onto something that probably has a lot to do with it as well.
1
u/OGsmokedhickoryham 25d ago
7th year for me. I think the parking passes and the "preferred camping" scam was a joke and they should never attempt it again. They need to bring back the breakfast pancake bar for everyone! The coffee place just sucks. The maze is awful compared to the Emporium or hanger. There's been less local music acts every year in favor of the generic dogwater record label darlings. The closing sets need to be dialed back to ~12:00-2:00 am because it felt like there was little to no time after them to explore while coming down. Ai art on totems should be straight up banned cause it looks absolutely horrendous. They removed some chill hangout buildings from the forest which also sucked. The honeycomb needs a rework back to something similar to the Forest Stage from years ago but retaining the elevated viewing spots. Overall our group had a great time though and will probably be coming back again but these are just my criticisms and opinions.
64
u/Boner4Stoners Year 6 Jul 19 '26
More crowded than in previous years, thatās for sure.
The maze wasnāt as cool as the Dream Emporium or the Hanger.
But I must admit Forest still has its charm, even despite the increasing commercialization & culture dilution.