EXPERTS ONLY FESTIVAL 2026
Experts Only Festival Returns to NYC With an Unforgettable Second Year
Content & Article by: Yoselin Moreno
@yoselinmmedia
Experts Only returned to Randall’s Island for its second year on September 19–20. Building on the foundation of its debut. The 2026 edition featured upgraded production, expanded festival grounds, refreshed stage designs, and a lineup that showcased the range of electronic music. From extended sets and major returns to unexpected genre shifts and a crowd that stayed locked in despite the rain, this year’s festival was truly unforgettable.
With gates opening at 3 PM each day and the festival running through 10 PM, the festival grounds featured three distinct areas for attendees to enjoy sets. This included the Mainstage, Mirror Field, and the Pwemium Lounge.
For its second year, Experts Only invested in expanding both the physical footprint and overall festival experience for attendees. Both the Mainstage and Mirror Field received refreshed designs and larger-scale production, while a dedicated marketplace, expanded food and beverage options, and open spaces to hang out between sets made the grounds feel more developed than the festival’s inaugural edition.The Randall’s Island setting continued to provide a unique backdrop, with the Manhattan skyline surrounding the festival and the production creating an impressive contrast against the city.
The opening sets gave fans plenty of reason to arrive early, with a lineup that showcased the range of electronic music across the festival’s three stages. On the first day, I made my way over to see Yetti, a local New York City DJ and producer, open up Mirror Field with a thrilling drum and bass set. I then headed over to the Mainstage to see Omri. followed by Max Styler B2B Adam Ten.
John Summit closed out the first day with an extended two-and-a-half-hour set that served as one of the weekend’s defining performances. Throughout his set, he dropped most, if not all, of his anthems, including “Shiver” and “Where You Are,” as well as tracks from his latest album, CTRL ESCAPE, like “LIGHTS GO OUT” and “ALL THE TIME.” Moving through a blend of house, techno, and unreleased material, Summit used the extended format to build a set that felt like a journey.
Tech house DJs and producers Dreya V and Dansyn helped build momentum throughout the afternoon on the festival’s second day, keeping the energy high despite the rain. The rain quickly became one of the biggest challenges of the day, but it did little to keep fans away. Attendees continued to show up, dance through the wet conditions, and make the most of the festival. As the day progressed, John Summit delivered a standout sunset set, bringing a more melodic and atmospheric energy to the festival as the sun went down. The shift in mood provided a memorable moment before the weekend moved into its heavier closing stretch. One of the weekend’s most notable moments came with GRiZ, marking his first New York City festival appearance on Sunday since his hiatus. His return added another layer of excitement to the weekend and drew plenty of fans to the stage despite the less-than-ideal weather.
The second day also delivered one of its heaviest moments with SUBJOHNICS. John Summit B2B Subtronics brought together Summit’s house-driven sound with Subtronics’ bass-heavy approach. Both artists leaned into heavier drops, high-energy transitions, and a more aggressive festival atmosphere. The contrast between their styles worked surprisingly well, creating a set that kept the crowd moving. As the final performance of the weekend, SUBJOHNICS provided a fitting high-energy sendoff and demonstrated the range Experts Only was willing to explore in its second year.
With bigger production, upgraded festival grounds, a wider variety of experiences, GRiZ’s return to NYC, and standout sets from both John Summit and Subtronics, Experts Only’s sophomore edition showed just how much the festival has grown since its debut. Even with the rain creating challenging conditions on the second day, fans continued to show up and stay engaged, carrying the same energy throughout the weekend. The lineup also gave Experts Only more room to explore different sides of electronic music, expanding beyond its house foundation while still maintaining the sound and energy that define the festival. After a successful second year at Randall’s Island, Experts Only is beginning to establish its own identity and carve out a place in New York’s festival landscape. With the foundation now firmly in place, we can’t wait to see how the festival continues to evolve and what it has in store for the future.
