This week, Elements Music & Arts Festival, the Northeast’s premier boutique festival experience, has announced the phase one lineup for its 2023 edition. Best described as an escape unlike any other, Elements is co-created by all those who embark on the journey, fostering a creative getaway aimed to inspire and offer a break from the stresses of everyday life. It’s the ultimate carefree weekender where music, community, art, camping, and adventure join together in perfect unison, taking over Long Pond, Pennsylvania from August 10th-14th.
Long Pond proved to be the perfect new home for the revered Elements community in 2022, welcoming revelers to its magical fields and immersive forest landscapes. Quickly becoming a celebrated prodigal home for the long-running event, the location is one of the Northeast’s most unique venues, a clear capitulation of the imaginative feeling Elements has become known for amidst its dedicated community.
With the phase one lineup, Elements has delivered its most ambitious billing to date while providing something for fans of all styles of electronic music and jam. This is only an initial taste of the full musical offering this year, which will be twice the size of previous lineups at Elements with over 100 artists across 10 unique stages.
Headliners on the phase one lineup include some of the most in-demand tastemakers and creators in the scene. Attendees can look forward to a performance from the one-and-only Skrillex, along with the mesmerizing sounds of Porter Robinson (DJ Set), house music heavyweight founder Chris Lake who will be hosting a Black Book Records stage takeover, crowd-favorite John Summit, the potent musical stylings of the Pennsylvania kid Subtronics, and Belgian bass duo Ganja White Night.
Lovers of live electronic music will feel right at home with performances on deck from the classically-trained English vocalist Elderbrook and East Coast funk-jam icons Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Those seeking out heavier electronic strains of dance are in for a treat with appearances by trippy low-end producer LSDREAM, the esoteric frequencies of globally revered beatsmith TOKiMONSTA, and the dark styles of Mersiv, Peekaboo, and Of The Trees. Level Up will offer her femme touch on the bass music sound, while Zingara reimagines the genre with her super-producer sensibilities.
House heads can rejoice as Elements has gathered some of the genre’s foremost modern flag bearers to soundtrack its return to Long Pond. LP Giobbi’s piano-weapon gold will be on full display with a FEMME HOUSE stake takeover along with French icon Tchami, followed up by the meteoric momentum of HoneyLuv, Dirtybird innovator Nala, and bass house superstar Noizu. Dutch duo Tinlicker bring an underground European flavor to the lineup alongside chart topper Westend and the laidback stylings of SNBRN. Electronic funk duo The Sponges will showcase their larger than life performances, while Kaleena Zanders sets forth a soulful, live vocal journey into the new-age corners of house music. The more melodic end of the 4/4 spectrum is represented by Anjuna’s own Qrion and All Day I Dream upstart David Hohme.
The four primary stages of the festival are aptly named to each represent one of the key elements that define not only the event’s experience, but the very fabric of the natural world it celebrates. Fire is the home for thrill-seekers who thrive off moments of spontaneous fun, while Earth presents a psychedelic paradise of neon trees, galactic mushrooms, and airborne jellyfish. Air offers a temple of melodies tucked deep in the forest, while the sunshine playground known as Water is where acrobats, pirates, and clowns are ever abounding and swimsuits are heavily encouraged.
Beyond the music, festival goers can explore a magical playground that includes Burning Man style art cars that are quickly becoming a staple of the Elements experience, 3D video projection mapping, large-scale art installations, and interactive performances in every direction, plus a Health & Wellness lineup featuring yoga, aromatherapy, dance, comedy, sound baths, and multidisciplinary workshops. Attendees can also stop by the vendor village for unique jewelry, creative art, and festival attire, or refuel from the dance floor at a 24-hour food court with an array of healthy and organic local food provided by Pocono Organics, one of North America’s largest regenerative organic certified farms.
The concept of co-creation remains pivotal to the Elements experience. A row of sanctioned theme camps bring their own renegade feel to the event’s programming, offering spontaneous spaces to explore through all hours of the day and night. Elements also relies on the feedback and polling of its community in order to shape the edition to come. When their dedicated attendees talk they listen, act, and evolve – molding the event’s lineup and production to mirror its ever-changing fanbase of music lovers and party people.
What started from humble roots has continued to evolve with Elements Festival now looking towards its 6th edition, yet still remaining purely independent in the process. Founded by Timothy Monkiewicz and Brett Herman in 2013, Elements has grown rapidly from a one-day event on the Brooklyn waterfront to an immersive camping experience that has quickly become a staple of the festival circuit. The move to Long Pond has aided in this growth, with Elements now hosted in the woodlands adjacent to the raceway. The venue is powered by an onsite solar farm, further assisting Elements in its long-term sustainability goals.
According to the founders, this venue was always part of the plan for Elements, noting “We first saw our new home outside of Pocono Raceway in 2016 when we were scoping the location for our first Elements campout. We instantly fell in love with the site, but it was way too big for a first year festival on a shoestring budget. Out of the 40+ locations we visited, it was by far the best, and we always knew that this would be the perfect home for Elements. We are beyond grateful that 6 years later we were able to move here.”
The venue is less than 2 hours from New York City and Philadelphia, making for an easy drive from a variety of locations throughout the Northeast. Shuttle passes will also be available for those looking to avoid driving, which provide rides from New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and D.C. to and from the festival.
Tier One GA and VIP passes are currently on sale through the official Elements Festival website, with a price increase coming soon for Tier Two tickets. Both ticket types are moving quickly and are on track to sell out. Fans can also purchase passes with an initial deposit and pay the rest after, which is $47 for GA passes and $62 for VIP. Thursday early arrival passes can also be purchased, which allows attendees to beat the rush and celebrate the beginning of the festival with an exclusive pre-party with secret headliners. Elements also offers a variety of options related to accommodations, which range from car camping to on-site glamping, nearby hotels, and preset RVs and tents for those seeking an elevated experience.
