In just 24 hours, Flushing Meadows Corona Park will completely transform into the sprawling backdrop of New York City’s biggest block party — or perhaps park party — welcoming over 100,000 attendees from every borough and beyond. The trees will be draped in vibrant colors, the ground perfumed by some of the best festival cuisine imaginable, and fans will stampede barricades to grasp onto melodies drifting through the open-air expanse New York City impatiently awaits year after year. If you haven’t yet experienced the unforgettable aura that envelopes Governors Ball, there is no better opportunity to join the celebration. With a lineup that stretches across every soundscape imaginable, this year’s poster reads like a fever dream, offering everything from Pierce The Veil to KATSEYE to A$AP Rocky. Amongst the 61 artists slated to illuminate the stages, nearly half of the lineup — 49%, or 30 names — are women, a commendable figure in a circuit that frequently falls short on inclusivity and representation. Whether you’re there to witness your favorites or stumble upon your next obsession, here are five female voices you won’t want to wander past this weekend.

Rachel Chinouriri:

The British singer-songwriter, who first rose to prominence during the Soundcloud era, has been one of my best-kept secrets since witnessing her performance at Webster Hall last year, though truthfully, Rachel Chinouriri isn’t much of a secret anymore. She’s been selling out rooms across continents, and every appearance feels a little more difficult to catch. There is always something special about artists crossing oceans to perform, and with recent visa complications casting uncertainty over international touring, this is a set you’ll want to hold tightly in your memory. Chinouriri’s music nestles somewhere within the folds of pop, blending indie, alternative, rock, and Y2K textures into something that feels welcoming no matter your usual genre preferences. What truly makes her stand apart is her magnetic stage presence, and I personally cannot wait to watch that bloom across a festival stage.

Lexa Gates:

A New Yorker herself, Lexa Gates carries a deeply personal connection to the very ground Governors Ball occupies. Her story begins with her mother picking up cigarettes and setting aside paychecks to eventually return to Queens, where Gates would group before leaving the public school system behind at 15 to pursue music full-time. After rain washed away her mid-afternoon set last year, I anticipate Lexa Gates stepping onto the Governors Ball stage with a fuse already sparking. This isn’t simply her Governors Ball debut; it feels like another chapter in a story that started only miles away. If you’re unfamiliar with the name, chances are you’ve encountered one of the promotional “stunts” that have made Gates impossible to ignore — sitting in a glass box for 10 hours, or attempting the world record for walking in a human-sized hamster wheel for another 10. If there’s one certainty with a Lexa Gates performance, it’s immersion. She doesn’t just perform songs; she pulls you directly into her orbit. With each new release, more heads turn her way, but in 2026, she’s still standing on that thrilling edge between discovery and breakout success, making this exactly the kind of set people brag about seeing years later.

Between Friends:

There’s a chemistry that can only emerge from siblings chasing the same dream, and Between Friends embodies that marvelously. Comprised of Brandon and Savannah Hudson, the duo first entered public view on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent in 2013 before officially conceptualizing Between Friends in 2017. They’ve already amassed millions of listeners and streams, but somehow still feel like they’re standing just before another massive leap forward. Their recent festival appearances have spread rapidly across social media, and it’s easy to understand why. The best way to describe their sound is melodic electronic pop wrapped in dreamlike textures — the kind of music that makes you throw your hands in the air in a crowd while simultaneously wanting to scream every lyric alone in your bedroom after midnight. Their Governors Ball set feels destined to become one of those “I saw them before…” moments people revisit years down the line.

Hannah Jadagu:

I first discovered Hannah Jadagu during a road trip through upstate New York, surrounded by rolling greenery, winding roads, and seemingly endless skies. In many ways, her music feels like the natural soundtrack to that landscape, where everything appears handmade and untouched, and that’s exactly where Jadagu thrives. Her 2021 debut EP, “What Is Going On?,” was crafted entirely on an iPhone 7 using GarageBand — a testament to both her creativity and determination — and it will be fascinating to watch those songs expand into something larger on a festival stage with pristine production. Jadagu’s set lands early on Sunday, and somehow that placement feels storybook perfect. It offers a moment to exhale, to absorb the previous two days of musical chaos, and simply exist in the moment. There’s a lullaby quality woven throughout her work, not because it puts you to sleep, but because it carries a sense of calm, like sunlight breaking through the clouds after a storm. If there’s any day I encourage you to arrive early, it’s Sunday for Hannah Jadagu.

SLAYYYTER:

Standing beside Hannah Jadagu on Sunday but occupying an entirely different universe, SLAYYYTER promises to get the disco ball spinning and the dancefloor shimmering, perhaps even a mosh pit or two swirling into existence. Fusing electrpop with darker, punk-inspired hyperpop textures, SLAYYYTER’s music feels impossible to neatly compare to anything else. Truthfully, SLAYYTER’s isn’t following a formula — she is the mold. Her music feels perfectly suited for New York City’s grit and glamour, and much of the city has already made her their latest fixation. Expect a crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder, completely spellbound beneath the glow of her world. This is the kind of set that feels like it’s balancing on the edge of something larger, with SLAYYYTER poised to become one of the next undeniable phenomena.

In 2026, Governors Ball didn’t just impress with the sheer number of female artists scattered across its lineup; the selections themselves are impeccable. Of course, you have the established names anchoring everything: JENNIE stepping onto the Gov Ball stage for the first time, Lorde returning as a headliner nearly a decade later, KATSEYE making a well-deserved debut, Mariah The Scientist dropping her contemporary R&B flow on Queens. But beneath those marquee names is an incredibly rich collection of emerging artists quietly becoming the next generation’s obsession. It’s a lineup I truly cannot emphasize enough, one you won’t want to miss. Grab your portable charger, reusable waterbottle, a clear bag, and perhaps a poncho to bear the forecasted rain. We’ll see you in the grass!