Best and Worst Music Festivals of 2022

We’ve scoured the North American festival scene to rank this year’s top EDM festivals from best to worst. These decisions were made based on social media posts, personal experiences, and general sentiment toward the particular festival in 2022. We’ve also taken into account how festivals have responded to adversity, which could easily put them on either side of the playing field. 

Check out our ranking of the best and worst music festivals in 2022, EDM edition:

Best Festivals of 2022

1. Electric Forest

After three years, Insomniac’s Electric Forest made its historic return to Rothbury, Michigan, in 2022. Despite all of the time away, Electric Forest quickly reignited the magic and cultivated an epic weekend of music, art, and community. The festival enlisted headliners like GRiZ, Porter Robinson, Fred again.., and CloZee to make unforgettable performances. 

Even the small hiccups, like the sound issues during CloZee’s set, were quickly redeemed as the festival offered her a second slot to give fans a proper set. Fans could participate in games and activities all weekend long, meaning there was hardly a dull moment. Meet your true love at the matchmaker, trade your trash for treasures at the Trading Post, embark on a weekend-long scavenger hunt, get married at the chapel…the list goes on. Electric Forest was, without a doubt, one of the best EDM festivals in 2022.

What fans said:

“can confirm i’m already counting down to @Electric_Forest next year… it was so good to be back at my favorite place on earth [tree emoji][white heart emoji]”

2. Suwannee Hulaween

Hulaween will likely never have trouble making the top of this list since it’s held at the tried and true Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Northern Florida. And although the roster is far from EDM-focused, Hulaween regularly enlists top acts in the dance music space, making it a popular festival among fans. 

Spirit of Suwannee is a music venue and campground in one, hosting countless festivals year-round, so fans can feel confident in a reliable infrastructure once October rolls around. Hulaween also demonstrates a dedication to development, as noted in its 2022 edition. The festival heard feedback from the year prior and made subtle logistical changes that improved the overall experience. 

What fans said:

“hulaween is the best festival on earth. I completely understand now what everyone was talking about. idc about a lineup. i’ll be back just for the vibes” 

3. Elements Music Festival

Certainly one of the most impressive festivals of the year, Elements is a small music festival in Pennsylvania that secured world-class acts in dance music like Nicole Moudaber, Claude VonStroke, and Sofi Tukker to light up their little corner of the woods. This festival remarkably moved from our “worst festivals” list in 2021 to our “best festivals” list in 2022.

Any concerns last year about the weather, logistics, and infrastructure were quickly replaced with a beautiful new venue, an easy entry/exit plan, safe camping areas, daily activities, stunning artwork, and more. Although the festival grounds are small, they’re simple to navigate and foster an intimate vibe between fans and artists. It’s easy to spot your favorite DJs partying in the crowd or even making bets at Frick Frack Black Jack. Elements has been considered one of North America’s premiere boutique festivals since its inception and has again solidified that title again in 2023. 

One fan complained about the legitimacy of the festival map, but if that’s the only downside of the weekend, we’ll take it any day.

What fans said:

“Elements Festival was sooo fun and beautiful [disco ball emoji][shooting star emoji] I love my friends”

“Elements Music Festival Pros: small, can easily pop by camp between sets, immaculate vibes, easy drive, great lineup, w my best friends Cons: the map is sooooo fucking wrong”

4. Sundream Tulum

Sundream is the brainchild of Rufus Du Sol, aiming to bring fantastical experiences to North America’s most coveted travel destinations. In March of 2022, Sundream touched down in Tulum. 

Tulum is a premier vacation destination in North America right now, so it only felt right for artists like Rufus Du Sol, Bob Moses, Monolink, and others to touchdown here for Sundream. 

Sunrise sets on the beach, exotic foliage and art installations, and the perfect crowd made for an unforgettable weekend. There was a hotel and resort on site, Papaya Playa Project, for all guests’ convenience. Sundream’s next destination in Baja was recently announced, with a promising lineup and visions of sand and sun for as far as the eye can see.

What fans said:

“#Sundream has been an absolute dream so far. Tulum is a magical place. [sparkle emoji][palm tree emoji][sun emoji] @RufusDuSol well done”

5. Ubbi Dubbi

Disco Donnie Presents’ Ubbi Dubbi has gone down in history for several reasons. First, for its inaugural year in 2019, the festival was forced to cancel one day due to poor weather conditions. Then, in 2021, the festival took the huge risk of being the “first festival back” following the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite doubts and health concerns, the festival went on to complete a successful weekend and show the rest of the US there was still a future for EDM festivals. 

However, Ubbi Dubbi’s 2022 festival fell back into old ways in regard to weather disruptions. Although at no one’s fault but mother nature’s, the festival was forced to cancel day two due to “severe weather hail, unsafe wind speeds, and lightning.” 

The decision to cancel the second day of the event was undoubtedly made with everyone’s safety in mind. However, with any touchy situation always comes critique from the fans. Some argued that it’s impractical for Ubbi Dubbi to continually hold its festival in April, a month notorious for unpredictable weather in Texas, while most just complained about missing their favorite artists. However, Ubbi Dubbi’s team did quickly scramble to put together afterparties in the Fort Worth area, so fans still had the opportunity to catch some of those beloved headliners like Tiesto, Zeds Dead, and Camelphat while in town.

What fans said:

“So this is the second time that Ubbi Dubbi hit hard by weather issues….and people still go. It’s big gamble if your traveling out of state [smily sweating emoji]”

“Great night at ubbi dubbi! Literal massive homifest. Love days like this
Final stop of the weekend tomorrow: Coachella [palm tree emoji]”

6. Bass Canyon

Although Excision did his best to make Bass Canyon 2022 remembered for the right reasons, his festival lands on this list due to the “mass shooting” threat that stirred up chaos, followed by concerns about the event’s security. 

TLDR; a man was found outside of the festival grounds carrying a gun and asking attendees what time the event ended and where people would be exiting. The suspect was detained by local authorities after fans reported the unusual activity. Upon arrest, police found two loaded 9mm pistols and charged him with one count of possession of a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful carrying or handling of a weapon.

After further investigation, the authorities later revealed that they did not believe the man’s intent was to cause a mass shooting. However, the damage was already done as fans were understandably shaken up for the remainder of the weekend by the news. Some even brought up concerns with Bass Canyon’s security (or lack of) following these events. All in all, Bass Canyon was able to continue with a successful weekend full of memorable sets. 

What fans said: 

“After the threat of a mass shooting, you think bass canyon would do a better job of security the next day.”

“bass canyon year 4 was the best one yet [heart eyes emoji]”

7. Sonic Bloom

With headliners like Tipper, Lettuce, and Lab Group, Sonic Bloom was projected to be one of the most sought-after festivals of the summer. Unfortunately, the festival’s infrastructure combined with poor weather conditions couldn’t quite live up to its promises–landing it the spot of one of the worst major music festivals in 2022. Reports of overcrowding, horrendous porta-potties, and poor logistical planning ran rampant on social media.

Sonic Bloom made a statement in response to the uproar, blaming at least one of the issues on third-party vendors. They’ve made promises of a “detailed department-by-department debrief,” but as of now, it’s unclear what the future of the festival holds. 

What fans said:

“hmmm maybe get more toilets for people to use to avoid this issue. it’s always better to have too many than not enough. or DONT OVERSELL THE EVENT. y’all sold wayyyy too many tickets it was uncomfortable. I understand ya gotta make money but not at the risk of health and well-being of the people. f**kin ridiculous. 2019 was magical. this year was a cluster f**k. y’all gotta figure it out before next year that’s for sure”

“Raise your hand if you were personally victimized by the weather at Sonic Bloom”