12 Artists You Need to See at Head in the Clouds NYC

Making its New York debut this weekend, the Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival will transform Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium into an AAPI music epicenter for 88rising’s annual two-day celebration.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21 — timed to May’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month — this year’s Los Angeles-born fete will make its first-ever run on the East Coast. Having hit the international market of Jakarta and Manila before finally arriving in New York, Head in the Clouds will feature phenomenal talent from across the Asian diaspora. You can find headliners like ​​Beabadoobee, NIKI and DPR Ian, as well as talented artists including Raveena, LØREN and Spence Lee on the impressive roster. Past lineup iterations have hosted talent like Joji, Jackson Wang, Keshi, Audrey Nuna, Japanese Breakfast and Zedd.

88rising, founded in New York in 2015, cinched key collaborators to produce the event: Goldenvoice, the creators of Coachella and Stagecoach, and The Bowery Presents, the leading East Coast concert promoters. Twelve AAPI food vendors, including local favorites like Kopitiam and Xing Fu Tang, will be providing delicious bites and refreshments. Fans will get to experience a full-bodied cultural immersion via sound and taste.

Fans can grab last-minute tickets for the festival here.

With 26 artists ready to take the historic stage, it might be difficult to game-plan who to see in the whirlwind 48 hours. To make it easier to map out your festival schedule, here are our 12 top picks for this weekend’s can’t-miss performances.