Best festival since 2013 for SFX’s Electric Zoo

While troubled dance music group SFX Entertainment waits for court approval of its revised post-bankruptcy restructuring agreement, at least one of its festivals is going from strength to strength: The eighth Electric Zoo, held in New York last weekend, saw its highest attendance since 2013 and a sold-out Sunday that crammed 33,000 EDM fans onto the mile-square Randall’s Island in Manhattan.

In total 83,000 people attended the three-day festival, which had a ‘Wild Island’ theme – most obviously in the giant cobra looming over the main stage and the octopus-shaped Riverside stage – and featured headline performances by Tiësto, Hardwell, The Chainsmokers, Bassnectar, Porter Robinson and Steve Aoki.

“We thank New York City and the electronic music community for another massively successful weekend on Randall’s Island,” says Adam Richman, the festival’s director and senior vice-president of SFX-owned promoter Made Event. “SFX is proud to be a part of this unbelievable atmosphere and looks forward to the challenge of topping this weekend when we return for another festival next year.”

“This was an incredibly important time for all of us… We met a big milestone this year and look forward to working ever harder to exceed expectations for next year”

Michael Julian, Made Event’s director of marketing, adds: “This was an incredibly important time for all of us as we re-imagined Electric Zoo to give the community an immersive experience. This festival represents the best of any electronic music event globally while keeping our hearts rooted in New York dance floors. We met a big milestone this year and look forward to working ever harder to exceed expectations for next year.”

Randall’s Island is also home to newly Live Nation-owned Governors Ball and rival AEG Live festival Panorama.

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