The weekend was packed with performances of new songs, killer costumes and more.
By 
Hannah Dailey, Andrew Unterberger
Thousands of New Yorkers will be entering this work week with half-shot voices, sore feet and possibly some light sunburns, but all for a very worthwhile reason: They spent the weekend at the 2024 Gov Ball, which once again brought three days’ worth of good music and moshing June 7-9.
Upon entering the festival grounds at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, attendees arrived in a world where trees were decorated with pink fur, multicolor balloon-ropes stretched idyllically across the sky and an enormous bust of the Statue of Liberty wearing sunglasses, tattoos covering its torch-bearing arm at the center of campus. Seemingly every brand under the sun had an interactive pop-up somewhere onsite — including a two-story Dunkin’ cafe built just for the weekend — and concertgoers carried co*cktails poured into carved-out mini watermelons.
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But the event’s most interesting attractions were, of course, the performances, led by headliners Post Malone, The Killers and SZA. Spread out across three stages, the festival’s lineup spanned pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop and more, featuring both rising stars and seasoned pros from all corners of the world.
From Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan performing new songs for the first time to Rauw Alejandro and 21 Savage turning on the heat, this year’s Gov Ball was another one for the books. Keep reading to see nine of the best moments from the festival, listed in chronological order, below.
Rauw Alejandro Takes the Subway to Flushing Meadows
For much of the early part of his Friday night set, reggaetón superstar Rauw Alejandro performed solo on stage, proving plenty captivating on his own in his striped suit. But for his biggest unaccompanied Billboard Hot 100 hit, 2022’s “Todo de Ti,” a number of backup dancers arrived – seemingly via the MTA, as a mock subway car appeared on stage for Alejandro and his sharply dressed crew to shimmy in and around, with a special camera showing the view inside the car. “LoveGame”-era Lady Gaga certainly would’ve approved. –ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Post Malone Invites a Pair of Fans to “Stay”
Post Malone’s hit-filled Friday headlining set took a bit of a breather for his fan-favorite acoustic ballad “Stay” – with the singer-rapper even inviting a pair of fans on stage to help him out on guitar and vocals. The guest guitarist was more than ready for the occasion — he commanded the mic to brag that this was actually the third different gig where Posty had selected him from the crowd — but the singer was a little more nervous. With the help of a supportive Post (and the lyrics pulled up on the guest singer’s phone), the trio got through the performance, making for one of the night’s sweetest and most poignant moments. —A.U.
Quarters of Change Brings Out a Classic Rock Ringer
Gov Ballers who flooded Corona Park hoping for a surfeit of surprise appearances likely left the weekend disappointed — none of the headliners brought out special guests, nor did most of the other big names on the lineup. One artist who did, however, was Saturday afternoon rockers Quarters of Change, who introduced Blue Öyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard to the stage for a cover of BOC classic rock staple “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” with an added drum solo section where Bouchard and the band’s own timekeeper smilingly squared off. And yes, QOC frontman Ben Roter made the obligatory “More Cowbell” joke. –A.U.
Sabrina Carpenter Pleases With New Song
The festival marked Carpenter’s first time ever performing new single “Please Please Please” live, something she preceded by cheekily asking the crowd, “Did you hear my new single, New York?”
After also making sure that the audience had seen the track’s video — which stars her real-life boyfriend Barry Keoghan — the singer smiled, winked and clapped her way through the Jack Antonoff-produced track. Despite it coming out just one day prior, many fans already knew every word.
And of course, Carpenter sang her Billboard Hot 100 hit “Espresso” before closing her set with one of her usual NSFW “Nonsense” outros, custom-made for the event: “Do I text him back it’s such a tough call?/ That won’t fit inside me bro I’m dumb small/ People who hate pride can suck my Gov balls.” –HANNAH DAILEY
21 Savage Blazes With "Redrum"
Savage had fans in the palm of his hand from the second he appeared on the GoPuff stage, but his hour-long set was ultimately building to the best number, which the rapper saved for the end: his 2024 smash “Redrum.” Bringing all the intensity the track commands as fans provided unofficial backup scream-vocals, he looked unreal as he stood directly underneath a shower of glowing sparks, flanked by fireballs shooting on either side of him.
“New York City, make some motherf–kin’ noise for yourselves!” 21 cheered before exiting the stage. “If you had a great time, let me hear you say, ‘Hell yeah! Hell yeah! Hell yeah!'” —H.D.
A Fan Joins the Killers for Reasons Known
Eight years after headlining Gov Ball in 2016, The Killers returned as seasoned pros to once again close out the night two festivities on the main stage. The band was electric from top to bottom — opening and closing with hits “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside,” respectively — but the biggest highlight of the set came when a fan in the crowd caught the attention of frontman Brandon Flowers by holding up a sign asking to play drums on “For Reasons Unknown.” Why? To celebrate his grandma’s 73rd birthday.
Flowers invited him on stage and, after getting some brief coaching from the band, the fan slid into drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr.’s seat. The spontaneous lineup then launched into the 2006 track, with the fan nailing every change, fill and cymbal crash like a pro. In fact, he killed it — no pun intended. —H.D.
Beach Fossils Makes It a Family Affair
During their Sunday afternoon set, Brooklyn dream-rockers Beach Fossils called on support from the wings, in the form of frontman Dustin Payseur’s young daughter Cleo, joking that she “won the million dollar raffle” to come help the band out on stage. Brandishing a toy guitar, yellow-rimmed sunglasses and some very big earmuffs, Cleo assisted the band on a run through their 2013 cut “Sleep Apnea,” ending the performance by waving and yelling “HI!” to the crowd. “Cleo, you’re hired!” the band announced immediately afterwards. –A.U.
Chappell Roan Cosplays Lady Liberty
Fans knew they were in for an unforgettable Chappell Roan performance from the moment the breakout star made her entrance, popping out of an oversized apple prop in head-to-toe mint green body paint to cosplay Lady Liberty. “I’m in drag of the biggest queen of all,” she told the crowd. “In case you’ve forgotten what’s etched on my pretty little toes: ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’”
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Chappell Roan Says She Turned Down White House Invite to Perform for Pride: ‘We WantLiberty…06/10/2024Roan was in her element through the entirety of her set, with all of the songs she played from her Billboard 200-ascending The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess considered fan-favorites in their own right, as evidenced by the many festivalgoers in pink pony cowboy hats, as well as one in “My Kink Is Karma” Joker makeup, cry-screaming every word. The same status is already developing for the singer’s brand new, deeply cathartic ballad “Subway,” which she premiered Saturday night on stage. —H.D.
SZA Celebrates 7 Years of 'Ctrl'
SZA was an absolute force on the main stage Sunday night, closing out the entire festival with a setlist that was pretty much just one hit after another. Fans who didn’t necessarily think of the star as a belter or a dancer before were definitely set straight by the musician’s performance, which at one point featured her swinging on a rope before jumping and landing in a perfect split.
It’s hard to say which of her numbers earned the biggest screams from her packed crowd, but it may have been a toss-up between “Drew Barrymore” — made even more special by Sunday being the seventh anniversary of SZA’s debut album Ctrl, which she noted on stage — and her Drake and Sexyy Redd team-up “Rich Baby Daddy.”
“I love you so, so f—kin’ much!” she told the audience earnestly before disappearing from the stage.—H.D.
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