Gov Ball is back! After canceling the festival in 2020 due to COVID-19, Governors Ball returned in 2021 with Billie Eilish, A$AP Rocky, J Balvin and Post Malone headlining the three-day event from Sept.\ember 24-26 from Citi Field in Queens, New York.
Leon Bridges, Kehlani, Orville Peck and Rüfüs Du Sol were a few of the artists who performed on the festival’s opening day on Friday (Sept. 24). While many genres were repped onstage, all the artists expressed their excitement about being back in front of their fans.
“Make some noise if it feels good to experience live music again,” Bridges said during his late afternoon set on the main stage.
For the young artists who experienced career highs under lockdown, such as Tate McRae and 24kGoldn, performing at a festival full of fans was a new experience with their high-energy sets reflecting the thrill of being back on stage.
Here’s a roundup of the five best moments from day one of Governors Ball 2021.
Tate McRae’s full circle moment
After writing her breakout single in her bedroom during the height of the pandemic, newcomer McRae reached the charts and performed on both late-night TV and the 2020 VMAs pre-show while much of the U.S. was still in lockdown. On Friday, she finally experienced the energy of a live audience at a festival with her set that started at 2:15 p.m. on Gov Ball’s main stage.
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