Experts Only Allowed With John Summit
Following its massively successful, sold-out 2025 debut on Randall’s Island, John Summit’s Experts Only Festival makes its highly anticipated 2026 return to New York City. Set for September 19 and 20, 2026 at Randall’s Island Park. And as a result- the two-day event will once again transform the island into NYC’s largest dance destination, with Summit both curating the weekend and taking the stage following the release of his new album CTRL ESCAPE (out April 15 via Experts Only / Darkroom Records). Tickets for Experts Only Festival 2026 are on sale now, with the Artist and Festival Presale beginning at 10:00 AM EST and running through 11:59 AM EST. The General Onsale will follow at 12:00 PM EST the same day. Following last year’s rapid sell-out, fans are encouraged to register early and secure access at https://www.expertsonlyfest.com/.
Produced in partnership with Medium Rare, Relentless Beats, and EMW, Experts Only Festival will build on last year’s momentum with elevated production with multiple stages, expanded fan experiences, and a standout roster of global electronic talent. The festival’s 2025 debut earned widespread praise for its polished execution and fan-first experience, delivering a major win for large-scale dance music in New York. I will say, NYC has been lacking in the EDM department ever since EZoo left, so this is wonderful!
Today, it was announced that the initial lineup includes John Summit, GRiZ, Prospa, SUBJOHNICS, LYNY, Korolova, Taiki Nulight, Devault, Dreya V, OMRI., Partiboi69, Jackie Hollander, Dansyn, Airrica, Gabss, MADI, Soraya, Mishell, and Rohaan, with additional artists to be revealed in the coming months.
In a market that has felt the absence of a major dance weekender on Randall’s Island in recent years, Experts Only delivered a triumphant return for electronic music at the iconic venue. The inaugural 2025 edition drew more than 50,000 fans and quickly became one of the most talked-about dance events of the year. The debut featured two headlining performances from Summit alongside sets from Kaskade b2b Cassian, Green Velvet b2b Layton Giordani, LP Giobbi, Kasablanca, DJ Seinfeld, Pete Tong, and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED), setting a new benchmark for large-scale dance events in New York City. It’s epic!