Gov Ball: What to Expect

What exactly is GovBall?

It is a three-day music festival launched in New York City, United States, annually since 2011. For the past three years, it has been located inside Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens.

Do bring:

Rain Poncho (umbrellas aren’t allowed, you’ll have to throw it away)
Empty Refillable water bottle
Hand fan (if you don’t own one, many stands give them out as freebies!)
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Powerbank + Charger
Small bag or large clear bag
Comfortable shoes
Tissues
Blanket (If you plan on sitting)
Cameras (basic point-and-shoot consumer-grade cameras)
Earplugs

Don’t bring:

Any food
Anything heavy
Professional video equipment
Chairs
Bicycles
Glass containers

Bag Policy

Small clutch purses and fanny packs that are 6″ x 9″ or smaller do not need to be clear, but can have no more than one pocket.
All other bags larger than 6″ x 9″ must be smaller than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ and clear.
Hydration packs are allowed and do not need to be clear, but must be emptied of all liquid and have no more than two main compartments and one smaller compartment.

How to get to and from Govball and Columbia University

Subway ($3 One-Way): Take the 1 downtown to Times Square, then transfer to the 7 train until Mets-Willets Point Station.

Subway + LIRR ($8.25-$10.25 One-Way): Save 10 minutes, although a ticket is an extra $5.25 to $7.25. Both end at the same location of Mets-Willets Point Station.

Once you walk into the park, there are two routes to take. If you’re GA, I recommend taking the outlined route, although if you’re VIP, they have specialized lines on the other end that are easier to get into. There will be two lines when you arrive, so the VIP line may look shorter to join, but there is actually a curve around that can’t be seen. They open the gates at 11:30 am, so don’t waste your morning camping incredibly early. I arrived in line at 10:30 and still got barricade for GA, even after taking my time looking at booths and filling up my water.

Food & Drink @ Govball:

Govball offers a wide variety of food and beverages to purchase or receive free from brands scattered around the venue. Everything is cashless, so make sure to have Apple Pay or a card readily available! Govball offers the ability to link your card info to your bracelet this year, so I definitely recommend doing so for ease beforehand. If you plan on staying at the stages all day, try to immediately hit the free water bottle stations around. Workers will also hand out water in the crowd, although it’s a riskier bet to rely on that due to the volume of the crowd and how deep you’re in it. Bathrooms are also right by every stage. Especially in the morning, the sun will be beaming directly above you, and the music will be blaring. Take it from someone who nearly passed out: make sure you drink lots of water and take breaks to get air if needed.

Make the most out of your experience:

Install the Festiverse app for the interactive map so you can see every detail in real-time. You can also add your planned lineup for the days you’re going. The morning is the best time to take the time to walk around all the stalls for freebies if you’re waiting for later performances, since people are still coming in and everything is in stock. Prioritize going to the ones you want the most in sections first to take advantage of the layout. If you have the time and want a free shirt, go over to the Rock & Recycle station to get a trash bag to fill for a free shirt. It’s easier to do this towards the end of the night or once the festival is over, since the stages will be empty to pick up trash.

You V.S. the music:

My biggest recommendation is that if you’re going in a group, it’s okay to split off if you guys don’t have the same schedule. The nice part of the space is that there’s security all over and people of all ages, so I’ve never had issues in the past, other than the occasional rowdy person being escorted out of the crowd. The three stages aren’t a terrible distance away from each other, so don’t force yourself to camp out in the same stage all day if you don’t care about getting barricade, since people are always moving and sets are always happening. The stages are massive, so you’ll have no problem seeing the artists, especially with the side screens. The biggest battle will be with the tallest person in the crowd standing in front of you, and teenagers moving past you since their friend is “over there”. Unless you have Verizon, the internet can be really spotty, so try to create meet-up spots or plans beforehand in case you can’t reach out to friends in the moment.

Personal Advice:

I went last year alone and was afraid of what to expect, but after the three days, I would recommend this festival to anyone I’ve ever met. Whether it was making friends in the entry line, crowd, or even bonding outside in the rain for 5 hours due to the delay, it was surprisingly easy to get to know people there. Don’t be afraid to approach anyone you think looks cool since they’re here to have a good time as much as you!

If you’re an avid merch collector like me, I can’t stress enough how much easier it is to get everything first thing in the morning rather than wait later in the day once lines start to extend. Believe me, everything you think looks cool will sell out! The free fans I got were lifesavers for the hot mornings that I thought I was strong enough to man. It’s also a good opportunity to get merch that’s only otherwise available on tour or with expensive shipping fees.

Go to early sets! I have discovered so many new bands this way by listening to them for the first time at GovBall, and now they’re massive. You have the ticket for the entire day, so you might as well get the most out of it!

Anything not covered, check out GovBall’s official Q&A link to it

Other great resources are Reddit and TikTok, when I was confused about what to expect

10 Artists I’m Most Excited to See: