<p>When Skrillex was announced as a headliner for the 2026 Summer Smash, it took many by surprise. And with a lineup prominently featuring EDM, hyperpop and rage music, the chorus of confusion was so loud that Lyrical Lemonade put it on a T-shirt: “Why Are They Playing EDM At A Rap Festival?”</p><p>Nick Johnson of Halftone Agency, who’s involved with producing the Summer Smash’s merchandise, says the shirts were a clever tongue-in-cheek play on the polarizing reaction. As a Skrillex fan himself, he was just as shocked as everyone else, but in his eyes, rap and EDM have always paired well together.</p><p>“Honestly, I was shocked, but it was fire because I feel like they’re trying to include more genres to the festival and really just boost the longevity for everything, and I think it was great.