Experts Only Festival Confirms Massive 2026 Return to New York City

After a debut that shook the city and sold out instantly, John Summit’s Experts Only Festival is officially coming back to New York City on September 19–20, 2026. The announcement follows the overwhelming success of its first edition, which brought more than 50,000 fans to Randall’s Island and generated headlines across some of the biggest media outlets in the world.

A Breakthrough First Edition

When Experts Only launched in 2025, it immediately became one of NYC’s most talked-about electronic music events. Major publications like Rolling Stone, Forbes, New York Post, and Dancing Astronaut praised the festival, calling it everything from “a massive triumph” to “a festival redefining New York’s music scene.”

The energy, scale, and community-focused atmosphere made the inaugural edition feel like a milestone for dance culture in the city.

Loyalty Presale for 2025 Attendees

Those who supported the festival during its debut year are getting rewarded. Organizers announced that 2025 ticket holders will receive first access to next year’s tickets through a special Loyalty Presale:

Loyalty Presale:

📅 Tuesday, November 25

⏰ 12pm EDT / 9am PDT

Quantities will be extremely limited and priced at the lowest tier — and based on last year’s lightning-fast sellout, they’re expected to disappear quickly.

Looking Back: Highlights From the 2025 Edition

Experts Only 2025 delivered two high-impact days stacked with talent, surprise moments, and a multi-stage setup that kept crowds moving nonstop. Some of the standout sets included:

1. John Summit (two headline performances)
2. Kaskade b2b Cassian
3. Green Velvet b2b Layton Giordani
4. LP Giobbi
5. Kasablanca
6. DJ Seinfeld
7. Pete Tong
8. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED)
9. Rising names across house, techno, and melodic stages

The momentum of the weekend made it clear that Experts Only wasn’t just a successful first run — it was the start of something much bigger.

What’s Coming for 2026

Organizers have confirmed that the festival will expand its footprint, amplify its production, and continue nurturing the community that formed around the event. Though the full lineup remains under wraps, fans can expect:

1. Bigger names
2. More high-profile debut performances
3. New b2b pairings
4. Signature surprises curated by John Summit himself

Additional details, including the full 2026 artist roster, will be announced in the coming months. But if the first edition proved anything, it's that John Summit and the Experts Only team don’t hold back when it comes to ambition, sound, or spectacle.