Citi Field plays host to the 2022 Governors Ball Festival, music fans enjoy the biggest names in indie rock and rap genres

photo credit: Angel Park

Written by Angel Park

Governors Ball, one of NYC’s most anticipated summer festivals, took place this year at Citi Field in Queens, NY. This year’s lineup featured some of the biggest names in both indie and rap music, drawing attendees from across the city and beyond, to experience performances from acts such as J.Cole, Playboi Carti, Halsey, and many others. ThatMag was on the grounds for Day Two and Three of this unforgettable event! Here’s what you missed!

Self-described as a music festival ‘built by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers,’ Governors Ball Fest‘s love for its home city was celebrated in its intricate decor located throughout the grounds. However, the most notable featured the bold Lady Liberty standing proudly next to multicolored letters spelling out the name of the event.

Retail and food vendors also lined the grounds in rows, the most notable of which included Bacardi, Dunkin Donuts, Levis, and Coca-Cola. Other vendors, such as Bud Light and GoPuff, also had their own dedicated lounges, various refreshments, and interactive activities to keep the crowd nourished and entertained in between sets. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of the delectable ice cream from the Milk & Cream Cereal Bar’s booth!

photo credit: Angel Park

In terms of stage layouts, festival organizers did a great job spacing everything out and reducing as much set overlap as possible. Artists were divided among the GoPuff, Barcadi, and Verizon stages, with each just a short walk away,

Artists were divided among the GoPuff, Bacardi, and Verizon stages, with each just a short walk away and with plenty of room to grab another slice of pizza or a Governors Ball craft brew on your way.

Governors Ball featured various artists’ sets for indie and rap music heads of all varieties. Throughout Day Two, I was able to see Valley, BENEE, and De’Wayne.

Valley‘s set was an impressive, live, showcase of hazy-filled soft rock vibes. The band played through a set of fan favorites and new material, making for a memorable show. Frontman Rob Laska’s emotive vocals soared over the instruments, giving the songs an added layer of depth and feeling.

Seeing BENEE perform was an incredible experience. This New Zealand-based pop artist was as gleeful on stage as she was sarcastic, and her humor added a great touch to what the audience later found out was actually her first U.S festival performance.

photo credit: Angel Park

De’Wayne‘s intimate set at Bud Light’s Seltzer sessions was an awesome show from start to finish. The Houston, TX-based artist had the crowd dancing and chanting along throughout his entire set and closed out with a unique rendition of The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

Finally, to cap off the evening.

Again, at noon the next day, Governors Ball opened its gates once again to attendees to finish the festival out strong. The early afternoon featured indie acts Soccer Mommy and 100Gecs, with other notable indie acts following such as Philadelphia-based songwriter Japanese Breakfast, and England’s four-piece band, Glass Animals.

As tired as I was by that point in the day, the crowd’s enthusiasm was contagious and the artist’s energy levels never faltered once. The audience even reached their peak rowdiness levels when headliners Playboi Carti and J. Cole took the stage. Fans from the front row all the way to the VIP bar could be seen dancing and singing along to the lyrics.

With an unbeatable lineup, delicious food vendors, and a unique atmosphere that could only come from New York, Governors Ball 2022 perfectly captured the hearts of indie and rap music fans across the city. We’ll be counting down the days until 2023!

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