The 16th Governors Ball (also known as Gov Ball), New York City's largest music festival, kicks off at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens and runs from June 5th to 7th. The lineup is the most K-pop and world pop-focused in the festival's history, with headliners including Lorde, Baby Keem, Stray Kids, Kali Uchis, A$AP Rocky, and Jennie, and a total of over 60 acts. Here's everything you need to know.
K-pop at Gov Ball
K-pop groups' presence at Gov Ball has steadily and consistently grown over the past four years. In 2023, aespa made history as the first K-pop group to perform at the festival. In 2024, P1Harmony became the first K-pop boy group to perform at Gov Ball. Last year, wave to earth performed on the same stage. Each year, the artists have risen higher up the lineup—and in 2026, for the first time, K-pop acts will headline the event rather than serve as opening acts.
Katsy at the Governor's Ball
Daniela Avanzini, Megan Schiendielle, Sofia LaFortezza, Lara Raj, and Yunchae Jeong of KATSEYE perform on stage at the 2026 Governors Ball music festival held at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on June 5, 2026, in New York City. (Photo: Siegfried Anthony/Billboard via Getty Images)
Billboard (photo: Getty Images)
Global girl group KATSEYE is currently in the midst of a flurry of American awards shows: three AMAs in one night, their Coachella debut, and the announcement of their WILDWORLD tour—all within a few weeks of each other. Their next big event is their performance at Gov Ball. Their concert will take place after the release of their song "Pinky Up" and before the release of their EP. Wild in August, making it one of the most obvious opportunities to hear the direction the band's live show is taking with new material. KATSEYE is performing without Manon Bannerman, who has been on hiatus from the band for three months.
FORBES | Hannah Abraham. KATSEYE's Manon Bannerman announces a "temporary hiatus" to focus on her health.
Stray Kids will perform at Gov Ball on Saturday.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 12: (L-R) Felix and Lee Know of Stray Kids perform on stage during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV)
Getty Images for MTV
On Saturday, headlining will be Stray Kids, who, according to a Live Nation press release, will deliver explosive live performances that have sold out stadiums around the world. The group, who built a significant fan base in North America during their MANIAC and DOMINIC tours, represents the festival's most direct interaction with contemporary stadium-based K-pop groups. Their Gov Ball performance marks their largest festival stage in the US to date, and comes at a time when the group's commercial impact in North America has reached unprecedented levels.
Jenny will be the star of Sunday's Governor's Ball.
INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 20: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Singer Jennie, real name Jennie Kim, of girl group BLACKPINK performs on stage during Day 2, Episode 3 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 20, 2025 in Indio, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella)
Getty Images for Coachella
On Sunday, A$AP Rocky and Jennie will headline. Jennie's performance marks a significant moment: the BLACKPINK member is headlining a major American music festival as a solo artist, something that would have been unimaginable just three years ago. Earlier this month, she performed at the 2026 Met Gala in a Chanel gown to great acclaim, and her Gov Ball performance will come at the pinnacle of her solo career.
The rest of the Gov Ball lineup
Lorde performs on stage at the 2026 Governors Ball music festival held at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on June 5, 2026, in New York City. (Photo: Siegfried Anthony/Billboard via Getty Images)
Billboard (photo: Getty Images)
Beyond the three K-pop and K-pop-related acts, the 2026 festival lineup is built on a broader strategy that eschews the traditional indie rock model in favor of a streaming-optimized, multi-genre experience.
Friday's lineup featured headliners Baby Keem and Lorde, along with Japanese Breakfast, Clipse, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, Dominic Fike, Blood Orange, The Dare, Arcy Drive, and Audrey Hobert, among others.
In addition to Stray Kids, performances on Saturday will include Kali Uchis, Major Lazer, Pierce the Veil, Mariah the Scientist, Wet Leg and 2hollis.
The rest of the lineup on Sunday will feature Ravyn Lenae, Amyl and the Sniffers, Geese, Del Water Gap, Lexa Gates and Hemlocke Springs.
Gates to the Gov Ball festival open daily at 11:30 AM, and live music concludes at 10:00 PM. The festival can be reached by taking the 7 train or the Long Island Rail Road to Mets-Willets Point. Last-minute tickets are available at governorsballmusicfestival.com.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com.