Entertainment

J. Cole, SZA, 50 Cent and Nicki Minaj to headline Dreamville Fest in Raleigh

J. Cole headlines the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 2, 2023.
J. Cole headlines the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 2, 2023. ssharpe@newsobserver.com

Dreamville Festival continues its momentum in Raleigh this year as one of the East Coast’s most popular hip-hop and R&B music events and the largest in North Carolina.

The festival, spearheaded by Fayetteville rapper J. Cole, will take over Dorothea Dix Park near downtown Raleigh the weekend of April 6-7. This is the fourth event since the festival was created in 2018.

On Thursday morning, Dreamville Festival announced its 2024 lineup.

On April 6, R&B singer SZA and rapper 50 Cent will perform. SZA recently won three Grammy Awards for her well-reviewed album, “SOS,” and performed at the Dreamville Festival in its inaugural year in 2019.

50 Cent was announced as a new headliner after singer Chris Brown, originally set to perform, could no longer attend the festival. The New York rapper is known for his hit singles like “In Da Club” and “Candy Shop.”

Other performers that day are:

  • J.I.D.
  • Lil Yachty
  • ScHoolboy Q
  • Sexyy Red
  • Jeremih
  • EARTHGANG
  • Teezo Touchdown
  • Amaare
  • Lute
  • Luh Tyler
  • Domani

On April 7, to close out the festival, rappers Cole and the “queen of rap” Nicki Minaj will headline. R&B Singer Muni Long was set to perform but will no longer be attending, Dreamville Festival announced Monday. Instead, rapper Hunxcho will perform. Other artists are:

  • Rema
  • Jeezy
  • Monica
  • Rae Sremmurd
  • Key Glock
  • Bas
  • Hunxcho
  • Cozz
  • Omen
  • TiaCorine
  • Chase Shakur

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How to get tickets

Pre-sale tickets for the festival went on sale in November.

Fans can select five ticket choices online: general admission, general admission plus, JV VIP, Varsity VIP, and MVP VIP ranging in price, access and amenities. Tickets get fans into the park both days.

The two-day general admission ticket starts at $349.99.

More ticket information can be found at dreamvillefest.com/tickets.

2023 record numbers

Last year, the April 1-2 music festival hosted its largest crowd to date with 100,000 attendees from all 50 states and 23 countries, organizers reported.

On the final night, Cole was joined by Canadian rapper Drake as co-headliners, with special appearances by Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Uzi, and 21 Savage.

Other headliners for the festival included Usher, who lit up the main stage on the first night, Summer Walker, Ari Lennox, Burna Boy and Waka Flocka Flame.

Dreamville Festival pumps millions of dollars into the local and state economies. It generated over $7 million last year and over $6.7 million the year before.

This story was originally published March 7, 2024 at 10:12 AM with the headline "J. Cole, SZA, 50 Cent and Nicki Minaj to headline Dreamville Fest in Raleigh."

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Kristen Johnson
The News & Observer
Kristen Johnson is a local government reporter covering Durham for The News & Observer. She previously covered Cary and western Wake County. Prior to coming home to the Triangle, she reported for The Fayetteville Observer and spent time covering politics and culture in Washington, D.C. She is an alumna of UNC at Charlotte and American University. 
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