POP RECAP – ROOTS PICNIC + GOV BALL

Welcome to Pop Recap — your monthly scroll-through of what mattered in pop culture and why. Usually, new editions release on the final on Sunday of each month, but this is a SPECIAL EDITION!!! I spent two back to back weekends at music festivals, so this Pop Recap is a rundown of this year’s Roots Picnic and Governors Ball music festivals.

Want to listen instead? Check out School of Pop’s Field Trip episode for an audio recap of the two music festivals.

My first-ever Roots Picnic weekend was...a journey. The Philly-based fest, curated by The Roots and hosted at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, features a mix of hip-hop and R&B music. Unfortunately, day one was a logistical mess. Bad weather the week leading up to the festival, along with a poor entry set-up led to massive lines, delayed gates and a lot of missed sets. Sunday, however, redeemed the whole weekend. I got to explore the vendor area to grab tons of free stuff, caught early sets from Peyton and Jermaine Dolly, danced along to Crystal Waters and CeCe Peniston and checked out the Chill Vibes Experience featuring Raheem Devaughn. But the highlight was hands-down the J. Period Live Mixtape featuring Black Thought, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz. It was pure live rap magic with the perfect energy and crowd. It also brought some serious nostalgia. I was transported back to middle school and didn’t want to leave. We ended the night with Adam Blackstone’s set alongside Jagged Edge and Total, which was a fun finale to the weekend.

Roots Picnic is a smaller fest compared to others I’ve attended (even smaller than Gov Ball), but I loved that. Easy to navigate, no overwhelming crowds, and chill vibes all around. I had the opportunity to attend the weekend with an artist pass, which allowed me to see the festival from a different perspective behind-the-scenes. So much work goes into making a multi-day music festival happen and getting to be backstage in the middle of all the excitement was an unforgettable experience. I would absolutely return to Roots Picnic!

One week later, I headed to New York for Governors Ball, and it was honestly everything I could have dreamed of from a festival. Hosted in Flushing Meadows, Queens, the three-day event delivered a lineup of all my favorite artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier, Clairo, T-Pain, Wallows, Marina and more. I went VIP for the weekend (highly recommend), and saw over 25 artists.

Day 1 was smooth and jam-packed: I started with smaller acts like Strawberry Launch and Stolen Gin, then caught sets from Tyla, BigXthaPlug, T-Pain, Role Model, Benson Boone, and Tyler, the Creator.

Day 2 hit a weather delay but Gov Ball handled it well, getting us inside as soon as it was safe and possible. They pushed doors to 4:30 p.m., adapted fast, opened new entry points, and had us inside in time to catch Marina, the first act for us Saturday. I saw Wallows in the rain (which turned into an epic dance party), Conan Gray, Young Miko, and Olivia Rodrigo, who ended the night with an emotional, electric, perfect set.

Day 3 was the final day and I absolutely paced myself. I spent more time lounging, doing photo ops, and checking out merch before wrapping the festival with Glass Animals and Hozier, complete with drone show finale. Other artists I saw on Sunday included Joey Valence and Brae, Clairo and Raye.

My Top 10 Gov Ball Sets (And Why)

1. Olivia Rodrigo – A dream set come true. Flawless vocals, nonstop energy, a setlist with the perfect mix of Sour and Guts and a special performance with David Byrne. It was everything I hoped for.

2. T-Pain – A nonstop dance party with mashups, a fancy storyline and a cover of “Don’t Stop Believin’” that got everyone singing along.

3. Hozier – Even while sick, he delivered an excellent set that was both soulful and political. I also loved the B-stage surprise!!

4. Benson Boone – He’s the male pop star we have been looking for. Definitely over-hated, and honestly deserves credit for more than just his flips (although they were pretty cool).

5. Young Miko – I only knew one song going in (“Wassup”), but she won me over immediately. She rapped live (which shouldn’t be rare, but it is), had that effortless cool-girl energy, and somehow every song I didn’t know still hit.

6. Wallows – The rain made this one unforgettable. Dancing in the storm with strangers felt like a coming-of-age movie scene in real time.

7. Role Model – Surprisingly great energy, live vocals, and loved the surprise with Conan Gray as Sally. The crowd went crazy!!!

8. Tyler, the Creator – I’m not a huge Tyler fan but was impressed by his theatrical vision. His set was bold and memorable, and the setlist effectively touched on all his greatest hits.

9. Clairo – A personal favorite, though the rain and audio issues dimmed the mood. Still, hearing “Juna” live made it all worth it.

10. Joey Valence & Brae – Went in blind and they were one of the weekend’s biggest surprises. Interestingly, they were the only artist where I witnessed a mosh pit but this rap duo brought just the right energy on a Sunday morning.

• Bonnaroo 2025 was canceled after just one day due to severe weather and unsafe conditions. The festival was supposed to feature performances from Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier and more. Festival organizers initially offered 75% refunds but quickly reversed course following backlash and are now issuing full refunds. This marks the festival’s second weather-related cancellation since 2021, when Hurricane Ida led to a full shutdown before the weekend kicked off. Bonnaroo has now launched a fan survey to help determine the festival’s future dates that may help avoid its bad luck with weather.

• Boston Calling, a pop/rock music festival that takes place annually during Memorial Day weekend has announced that it will be taking a gap year. The festival will not be happening next year, and will instead return June 4-6, 2027. The shift to June is an interesting one, considering the festival will now take place on the same weekend that Governors Ball usually happens, so many are now wondering how the change will impact festival scheduling that year.

• All Things Go continues to expand. Although it started off as a festival for the Washington DC area, last year marked the first ever All Things Go New York. Now, with festivals in Maryland and New York, All Things Go has revealed it will be adding a weekend in Toronto. All Things Go Toronto is set to take place on October 4-5. The lineup features Reneé Rapp, Remi Wolf, Kacey Musgraves, Role Model and many more.

Festival season is far from over. Here’s a look at what’s still ahead:

• Lollapalooza (Chicago): July 31–Aug 3 – Olivia Rodrigo, TWICE, Sabrina Carpenter, A$AP Rocky and more

• Outside Lands (San Francisco): Aug 8–10 – Tyler the Creator, Doja Cat, Hozier and more

• Austin City Limits (Austin): Oct 3–5 & 10–12 – The Strokes, Doja Cat, Hozier, Luke Combs and more

• All Things Go: Sept 28–29 (DC & NYC) | Oct 4–5 (Toronto) – Noah Kahan, Lucy Dacus, Clairo, Doechii and more

• Also coming up: Shaky Knees, Oceans Calling, Sea.Hear.Now

A new regular edition of this Pop Recap newsletter will hit your inbox on July 27, the final Sunday of the month. Catch you in the next recap! I’ll be watching everything so you don’t have to.

As a reminder, you can also check out the audio recap of this year’s Governors Ball and Roots Picnic in School of Pop’s special Field Trip episode. On the podcast, I also share insight into the VIP experiences at both festivals, along with my general festival tips and must-haves.