The trees are part of the event. Electric Forest wraps the forest in light installations and puts four stages in the middle of it — four days at Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan, where something that was already interesting becomes something harder to explain. The first thing that surprises first-timers is that the forest is the stage, not just the setting. Interactive art installations appear between the trees. Performers wander the paths. Sound bleeds from multiple directions. The main stages are exceptional — Electric Forest books across EDM, jam bands, hip-hop, and electronic music with a curation that rewards genuine musical taste rather than just chasing the top of …