A festivalgoer who tested positive for COVID-19 two days after attending Electric Forest took the initiative to create an anonymous survey tracking post-festival COVID cases. This effort addresses the ongoing gap in public health data surrounding festival-related transmissions, aiming to provide transparent, real-world numbers to help attendees and organizers make informed decisions about future events.
The survey’s organizer—a PhD biologist—stressed that this is about gathering scientific data, not spreading fear, and committed to sharing aggregated findings with the community once sufficient responses are collected.
The Reddit discussion around the survey has been largely supportive, with many festivalgoers praising the data-driven approach. Commenters highlighted the importance of continuing public health measures such as masking and booster shots, while also voicing concerns about the risks of long COVID. Some skepticism arose regarding the incubation periods and motives behind the survey, but the overall thread reflected a community eager to understand and manage COVID’s lingering impact on live music culture.
Historically, Electric Forest has prioritized health and safety; the festival was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic and returned in 2025 with upgraded security and health protocols to ensure attendee well-being.
This grassroots COVID tracking initiative underscores a shared commitment among festival communities to leverage real data for safer, more informed festival experiences going forward.
Source: r/festivals