John Summit’s Experts Only Festival Confirms 2026 Return to New York

After a sold-out debut, the CPA-turned-superstar DJ is doubling down on Labor Day weekend with a strategic move that fills a massive gap in NYC’s festival market.

After electrifying Randall’s Island with a triumphant debut that drew more than 50,000 fans, John Summit‘s Experts Only Festival is already preparing its encore. The event is officially returning September 19-20, 2026, Summit announced Friday.

In a city where music festivals have stumbled in recent years, the dance music superstar is building a brand that refuses to follow suit with Experts Only Festival. His fest in New York, which in 2025 featured performances from Green Velvet, Kasablanca, Layton Giordani and more, was a resounding success with Summit himself performing twice across the two-day debut.

The event takes its name from Summit’s beloved Experts Only imprint, which was named the best record label of 2024 in EDM.com‘s list of the year’s top industry leaders. Strategically, the team is tapping into an opportunity with room to grow. With the contentious collapse of Electric Zoo, once a dominant force in NYC’s electronic festival scene, there’s been a dearth of EDM festivals in the area and Experts Only has filled that gap.

Backed by production powerhouses Medium Rare, Relentless Beats and EMW, the festival will return in 2026 with an expanded footprint and upgraded production, according to a press release shared with EDM.com.

While the lineup is still under wraps, fans who attended in 2025 will receive first access to next year’s tickets through an exclusive loyalty presale beginning November 25th at 12pm ET.