10 Must-See Sets At Electric Forest 2018

Electric Forest is one of the most magical festivals to attend, which is why iEDM has named it #1 on our list of favorite festivals of 2017. This year, this awe-inspiring camping festival is back for another 2 weekends in one of the most breathtaking settings, the Sherwood Forest at JJ Double Ranch in Michigan.

As usual, Forest announced two all-star lineups for both weekends along with special curated stage take overs from some of the top-tiered talent in the electronic music scene including Desert Hearts, Green Velvet and Mr. Carmack. (Check out the rest of the curated stages HERE.)

Electric Forest has over 6 stages of music with epic production. Some are deep in the Forest as a beautiful setting to dance to your favorite artists. The main stages have massive production, giving you and 40,000 soon to be friends the best music experience possible. 

The brain powers of Insomniac and Madison House come together curating quality line ups that include every genre from bluegrass to dubstep. Choosing which sets are a must can be hard since so many acts unfortunately overlap. Here are iEDM's 10 must-see sets at Electric Forest 2018. 

Weekend 1: 

1. Fisher

Fisher is one of the fastest rising acts in the house music scene. His albums have been released on Dirtybird, and he has quickly caught the attention of Dirtybird fans, ShipFam, and all the future bass house beat lovers. His hit track "Crowd Control" can be heard on main stages across the world. He just recently closed out EDC Vegas 2017 with a special b2b set with Chris Lake as one of the best performances of the weekend. We can't wait to see what he brings to Electric Forest weekend 1. 

2. Tsuruda 

Tsuruda is an up and coming artist who pushes the boundaries of heavy bass and hip-hop beats. This West Coast artist hasn't made it to the Midwest often, so this is a must-see performance. We can thank Mr. Carmack, because he will be part of the Mr. Carmack Presents Forward Thinkers takeover on June 22. His West Coast bass style is complex and unique. This rising star will have all your friends impressed with your music knowledge. 

Both Weekends:

3. Griz Live Band 

Griz is finally back to the Forest and this year is bringing his live band experience. He sold out 2 nights at Red Rocks last year, one night featuring the live band, and it was one of the most epic Griz performances to date. Griz is a Forest favorite because he is known for playing secret late night sets on top of RVs. We are obviously crossing our fingers to run across that. 

4. Zhu 

Zhu came out as a mysterious act who had us guessing the real name of the musical genius behind the curtain. Today, we know his true identity is Steven Zhu and we have grown to love his unique style of synthesizers, sexy vocals paired with house vibes. He's had hit collaborations with Skrillex, Tame Impala, Aluna George more. This is his first year at Forest, and his headlining set both weekends is not to be missed. 

5. String Cheese Incident 

Last year, we got to sit down and talk with 2 members from String Cheese, Jason Hann (percussion) and Kyle Hollingsworth (piano) for an inclusive interview. They told us about their role in curating Electric Forest. This year, they will be back for 2 sets both weekends, and their usual Saturday night shebang. If you can't catch both sets, at least make it for the dance party on Saturday known for full production, epic covers and once in a lifetime guest performances. 

6. Bassnectar 

At this point, it wouldn't be Electric Forest without a much-anticipated Bassnectar set. As the only official "resident DJ" we can expect our bass king to throw down the best set of the weekend every year. After wrapping up three unforgettable nights at his Summer Gathering, we can counting down for another dose of the bass.  

7. Gryffin 

Gryffin is another headlining act that you may not recognize, but this rising star is one to check out who may become your next favorite feel good tunes. He blends genres together with live instruments paired with electronic fused beats. If you like the styles Gramatik, Jai Wolf and Autograf, then Gryffin is a must. 

Weekend 2: 

8. Testpilot 

For those of you who looked at the lineup and wondered who this headliner Testpilot is - surprise because it's Deadmau5. Testpilot is his alter-ego project, with no mau5 head, just deep sounds. As Testpilot, he has headlined Movement Festival, Holy Ship, and now is bringing this special set to EFF weekend 2. 

9. Get Real 

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Weekend one is blessed with Green Velvet's La La Land stage takeover featuring some of the hottest acts in techno and house music like Camelphat, Nicole Moudaber, and more. But weekend two is in for a treat of their own. Get Real is the musical project of Green Velvet with Claude Von Stroke as one of the most epic DJ duos. 

10. Mikey Lion (+the rest of the Desert Hearts Crew) 

Desert Hearts is a collective of artists who started as a renegade party of friends in the Mojave Desert, and now throw one of the most anticipated, intimate music festivals of the year, called Desert Hearts. Today, they have curated stages at events like Burning Man, Lightning In A Bottle and many other popular West Coast events. In the last year, the Desert Hearts Crew has gained national traction. Mikey Lion is one of the heads of this unique crew who rock fur coats and steampunk top hats with goggles at every performance. On June 30, they are doing a stage takeover and bringing the whole Desert Hearts crew for a non-stop dance party of house, techno and love. 

As you gear up and get ready, check out our Electric Forest packing guide HERE and check out 10 Festival Outfit Ideas For Electric Forest HERE. 

Electric Forest is known for its hippie meets rave wear styles. Check out the Electric Forest Collection HERE for your festival inspirations.