New York’s premier electronic music festival Electric Zoo is gearing up for its 12th edition this weekend. The "Supernaturals"-themed event will return to Randall’s Island Park—a lush green island sandwiched between Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx on the East River—from September 3rd to 5th.
We’re here to help you find the best afterparties, navigate the festival’s COVID-19 protocols, figure out the smoothest way to get to Randall’s Island, and more.
COVID-19 Protocols Though New York City already has a vaccination mandate in place for indoor spaces like movie theaters and music venues, outdoor events like Electric Zoo are left to make COVID-19 entry decisions at their discretion.
Like other large stateside electronic music festivals, Electric Zoo is adapting its entry requirements in response to the pandemic. To gain entry to the festival, you must provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Those arriving at Electric Zoo with neither can submit to on-site testing, which costs upwards of $99.
Electric Zoo entry requirements for vaccinated attendees Proof of a single dose of an FDA- or WHO-approved vaccine is sufficient for entry. These vaccines include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
Your paper vaccination card, a photo of your card, the NY State Excelsior Pass, or the NYC COVID SAFE app will be considered acceptable documentation.
Electric Zoo entry requirements for unvaccinated attendees A negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 72 hours of the day you attend the festival. It’s important to note that if you’re unvaccinated and plan to attend all three days of Electric Zoo but took your test on Wednesday, you will need another test to enter on Sunday. To attend all three days of Electric Zoo with a single test, you must take your test on Thursday or Friday.
To obtain a COVID-19 test, you can schedule an appointment at a New York Department of Health testing facility or walk into a New York Health + Hospitals site.
More details on Electric Zoo’s COVID-19 protocols can be found here .
How to get to Electric Zoo New York City is a complex system of underground railways, subway systems, a tightly squeezed roadway system, and congested streets that make it very difficult to travel if you don't know the way.
The Electric Zoo festival grounds are located on Randall's Island, in the upper east side of the region, just across the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) bridge east of East Harlem.
How to get to Electric Zoo via ferry The easiest way to get to Electric Zoo is by ferry. You can buy a ferry pass here .
Ferries—which will run every 30 minutes all weekend long—depart from and return to the East 35th Street Ferry Landing located at the intersection of East 35th Street and FDR Drive. Within 20 minutes, the ferry will drop you off right at Randall’s Island while you enjoy gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline on the East River.
In past years, ferries have also had surprise DJ performances on deck, like Above and Beyond in 2016.
Ferries are the most expensive option to get to Electric Zoo, costing about $70 for a weekend pass.
How to get to Electric Zoo via public transportation Public transport via New York’s MTA is the most cost-effective way to get to Electric Zoo. Roundtrip subway rides cost $6.50.
In Manhattan, simply take the 4, 5, or 6 train to 125th Street station. Once you get off at 125th Street station, you can either walk across the RFK Bridge to Randall’s Island (which will take about 20 minutes), or you can save your legs for the festival and take the X80 Express Bus from 125th Street/Lexington Avenue station, which will drop you off at Randall’s Island directly.
The RFK bridge can also be crossed from Queens (30-minute walk) or the Bronx (15-minute walk) to get to Randall’s Island. If you’re in Queens, you can access the RFK bridge by taking the N or W subway lines to Astoria Blvd station, which is located next to the bridge. In the Bronx, you can take the 6 train to Cypress Av station, which is right by the RFK bridge.
Brooklyn dwellers may find it convenient to purchase an Electric Zoo Brooklyn shuttle pass (costing around $39 for a weekend pass), which will depart from and return to 61 Wythe Ave.
We don't recommend using rideshare apps like Uber, Lyft, or Curb to get directly to Randall’s Island. Surge pricing due to other festival-goers heading the same way on top of the Labor Day weekend rush in New York will inflate your weekend expenses.
If you’d prefer the convenience of a rideshare app, avoid arriving directly at Randall’s Island. Instead, take a ride to the 125th Street subway station in Manhattan. Then, either walk the RFK bridge or take the X80 Express Bus to Randall’s Island.
At the end of the night, trying to hail a ride when leaving the festival grounds will be virtually impossible. To get off Randall’s Island, you can walk the RFK bridge, take the X80 Express Bus, board a ferry, or take the Brooklyn shuttle.
Keep up to date with service alerts and delay on the MTA website . Before heading to the subway, be sure to check the website to make sure there's good service on the line you're planning to use since subway delays occur frequently.
Plan with set times for Electric Zoo Electric Zoo has an impressive slate of DJs across the electronic music spectrum, such as Alesso, Zeds Dead, Kaskade, ILLENIUM, and deadmau5's TESTPILOT alias. There’s something for everyone across all three days.
The festival's stages are relatively close to each other so you’ll have no problem stage-hopping to split time between any conflicting acts.
Explore Electric Zoo's set times below.
Electric Zoo 2021 set times.
Electric Zoo 2021 set times.
Electric Zoo 2021 set times.
Food and Drink at Electric Zoo New York City is revered for its culinary delights and Electric Zoo is following suit. Calling on a host of local street vendors and food trucks, the festival will offer everything from refreshments like lemonade and bubble tea to savory treats like Sicilian riceballs and Caribbean tacos.
Food vendors at Electric Zoo 2021.
The festival is 100% cashless. You can top-up your wristband online, ahead of time, here (there’s a $5 bonus for every $150 added before September 2nd), or at the various top-up stalls on-site at the festival. Any remaining balance on your wristband will automatically be refunded. However, there will be a $5 processing fee and potentially slow turnarounds.
Electric Zoo 2021 weather The weather for Electric Zoo is looking good. Coming out of a hot and humid stretch of summer, New York is expecting smoother weather, with temperature highs in the mid-seventies and lows in the sixties.
