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Sound on Sound unveiled its 2023 lineup on Tuesday (March 7) with headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer and Alanis Morissette.
The Bridgeport, Conn.-based festival will take place Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 in Seaside Park, and its announcement on social media promises “a brand new festival experience, one massive stage + no overlapping sets!” for prospective attendees.
Other acts on the lineup include the Trey Anastasio Band, Hozier, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Dispatch, Lord Huron, Mt. Joy, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Steel Pulse, Joy Oladokun, Margo Price and more.
Tickets for Sound on Sound will go on sale Thursday (March 9) at noon ET, with a presale for Citibank customers happening now. Additionally, the festival is holding a special giveaway for a pair of two-day VIP tickets on its official Instagram account.
The 2023 iteration of Sound on Sound will serve as something of a reset for organizers after last year’s inaugural event — which featured headliners such as Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Stevie Nicks and The Lumineers — was bogged down by long lines, sold-out food vendors and other organizational mishaps that left fans complaining in the comments section. Organizers vowed to improve the guest experience — even from the first to second day.
Ahead of the fest, Red Hot Chili Peppers will embark on its 2023 world tour, kicking off later this month at BC Plaza in Vancouver, while Mayer’s solo acoustic tour begins this Friday (March 11) at the Prudential Center in Newark.
Check out the complete Sound on Sound 2023 lineup below.
Justin Bieber was back on stage on Saturday (March 4) just days after canceling his Justice World Tour. Don Toliver posted footage of the pair sharing the stage at the star-studded 2023 Rolling Loud Festival in Los Angeles this weekend, during which Bieber joined the Houston MC for a collab on “Private Landing” from Toliver’s new Love Sick album.
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Bouncing his way down the stage in a backwards ball cap, baggy jeans and tweed jacket, Bieber looked to be in fine form and good energy more than six months after he played his last full set at Rock in Rio in Sept. 2022. “KEEP Going!!!!! KEEP Going!!!! Let’ Go Justin,” Toliver captioned the brief clip in which the pair happily trade off vocals and rhymes as they shared what appeared to be a joint.
The surprise cameo came after Bieber appeared to cancel all 80 dates on his Justice World Tour with no explanation last week; at press time no tour dates were listed on Bieber’s official site and his spokesperson had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment. Last week Ticketmaster’s site listed all the 2023 Justice dates as canceled just as Bieber was slated to pick things up again with a March 2 date in Dublin.
In June, Bieber told fans that he would take a break from the road after one month of dates because of the effects of the neurological disorder Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, which left his face partially paralyzed. “As a result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North American leg of the Justice Tour,” he wrote in a message to fans at the time. Bieber went on to explain that after taking some time to rest and consult with his family and doctors, he went ahead with the European leg of his tour.
“After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I need to make my health the priority right now,” he explained about how he felt after completing his Rock in Rio set in September. “So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being. I’m going to be ok, but I need time to rest and get better.”
He got back on the stage a month later, but after just six shows he said he need to take a break again. The AEG Presents-promoted Justice tour was Bieber’s first global outing since the 2016-2017 Purpose World Tour. It was unclear at press time if Bieber’s tour cancelation was related to his recovery from Ramsay-Hunt.
James Blake and Kali Uchis also joined Toliver during his set on Saturday.
Watch Bieber with Toliver below.
Tennessee lawmakers may have passed their ban on drag performances in public, but Bonnaroo is ready to stand firm with its LGBTQ fans.
In a statement released on Friday (March 3), Bonnaroo indirectly responded to Tennessee’s new law, stating that it will not let the new legislation impact the annual festival, which takes place in Manchester, Tenn. “Bonnaroo has and always will be a place for inclusivity, a safe haven for people of all walks of life and a champion of self-expression,” the statement reads. “Rest assured The Farm will remain a sanctuary for those freedoms and Bonnaroovians will see no changes in programming or celebration of self-expression at the festival.”
The news comes after Gov. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill No. 3
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into law on Thursday (March 2). It bans “adult cabaret performances” from taking place on public property or in locations where they could be viewed by minors. The bill defines such displays as any performance “that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or similar entertainers.”
The music festival is far from the only one in the industry to react to Tennessee’s drag ban. In an interview with GLAAD last week, Shania Twain said that she thought “drag shows are so fun,” adding, “I think we need this inspiration; we need drag queens to share their talent with us.”
Bonnaroo, which takes place each year at Great Stage Park (lovingly known by attendees as “The Farm”), is set to feature headliners Kendrick Lamar, Odezsa and Foo Fighters, along with a number of LGBTQ performers, including Lil Nas X, 070 Shake, Rina Sawayama and Girl in Red. Tickets for the this year’s festival, taking place from June 15 to 18, are available here.
Check out Bonnaroo’s full statement below:
Goldenvoice’s alt-country, roots and Americana-centric Palomino Festival, which had its inaugural year in 2022, will not be returning this year.
“Palomino Festival will not be taking place in 2023,” a spokesperson for the festival tells Billboard, but declined to give further reasons for the event not returning. The spokesperson also declined to offer attendance figures for Palomino Festival’s 2022 event.
The one-day festival was held on July 9, 2022, at the Rose Bowl’s Brookside grounds in Pasadena, Calif., with Kacey Musgraves headlining.
The festival’s inaugural performer lineup also included Willie Nelson & Family, as well as Zach Bryan, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Turnpike Troubadours, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charley Crockett, Orville Peck, Valerie June and Nikki Lane.
Goldenvoice also produces the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as the largest country music festival, Stagecoach, both held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. While Stagecoach has increasingly incorporated a more inclusive lineup of performances from alt-country and/or Americana artists into its three-day lineup (Sierra Ferrell, Valerie June, Turnpike Troubadours and Tyler Childers will appear at this year’s iteration), the Palomino Festival was created to shine a brighter light on an eclectic style of music that incorporates everything from country, western, folk, indie rock, alternative and more.
“I’ve always wanted to do this type of festival, focused on music that lives on the edge of what is and isn’t country,” Goldenvoice talent buyer Stacy Vee previously told Billboard prior to the Palomino Festival’s inaugural event, noting that the name Palomino is in part a tribute to the former North Hollywood Palomino country music club. “It’s very important to me that these artists that I cultivated amazing relationships with get their own look and moment.”
This year’s Stagecoach festival is slated to return April 28-30, with both Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton making their first headlining runs, while fellow headliner Luke Bryan makes his fourth headlining appearance. The multi-week Coachella festival is set for April 14-16 and 21-23, with headliners including Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean.
The Cincinnati Music Festival will take over the city’s Paycor Stadium for two nights in July with its patented mix of old school soul and R&B legends and hip-hop superstars, with Snoop Dogg, Al Green, Babyface and Jill Scott topping the bill on July 21 and 22.
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The annual gathering of the vibe will kick off on July 20 at the adjacent Andrew J. Brady Center with a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a lineup to be announced soon. Night one will feature Green and Scott joined by Jodeci, Midnight Star and Gerald Albright, while the second evening will include a visit from intergalactic funk icons P-Funk, as well as sets from Avery Sunshine and Norman Brown.
Tickets for the shows are on sale now through Ticketmaster and the festival’s office (513) 924-0900.
“We are thrilled with this year’s lineup for the Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G,” said producer Joe Santangelo in a statement. “It’s the first time for Snoop Dogg to perform at the Festival and Al Green last performed in 1974. We know they will both be huge draws for our fans. It’s also an honor for us to plan a Thursday performance to pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop.”
After cancelling two go-rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the beloved fest returned last summer with a stacked lineup featuring Janet Jackson, Charlie Wilson, Anthony Hamilton, the O’Jays and more.
CMF began life as the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival in 1962 as an all-jazz event and has evolved over the year to embrace a wide variety of acts, from Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington to Luther Vandross, New Edition, Whitney Houston, Earth Wind and Fire and many more, drawing more than 50,000 fans to the concerts and the adjacent Festival 513 street party.
The inaugural Evolution Festival in St. Louis, Missouri will bring rock, hip-hop, blues and country sounds to town on August 26-27 with headliners Brandi Carlile, the Black Keys, the Black Crowes, Brittany Howard and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals. The festival from producers Contemporary Presentations and the Just Listen Company — along with co-executive producers Steven Schankman and Joe Litvag — will feature more than a dozen performers taking the stage in Forest Park under the banner: “This is our town. This is our time. This is our EVOLUTION!”
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Among the other acts on the bill are: Ice Cube, Morgan Wade, Cautious Clay, Michigander, Modern English, Nikki Lane, The Sugarhill Gang, The Nude Party, Smidley, Carriers, The Knuckles, Yard Eagle and Punk Lady Apple. The festival will take place in Forest Park at Langenberg Field and the Boathouse, located between the Muny (St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre) and the Dwight Davis Tennis Center.
“St. Louis is home. My partner Joe and I are both born and raised here, and we’ve both always worked hard to create unforgettable live entertainment experiences here for our hometown community,” said co-exec producer Schankman. “We both agreed that there is something missing here, an event that will welcome everyone from our great city to come together to celebrate our diversity, inclusion, and to offer a renewed focus on our musical culture and the arts. Evolution Festival does just that, and this event will not only create long-lasting memories, but it will be a strong economic driver for the city, the region, and the state for years to come, as well.”
The fest will also focus on bourbon and BBQ, with pit masters “Phil the Grill” Johnson and James “Boatright’s BBQ” on hand for the weekend that will also feature award-winning BBQ from a number of national, regional and local chefs. A portion of proceeds will benefit Forest Park Forever, a non-profit conservancy helping to maintain and sustain Forest Park; the festival will also work with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital through Music Gives to raise money and awareness for the fight against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Tickets for Evolution will go on sale on Friday (Feb. 17) at 10 a.m. CST here.
See the full concert poster below.
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Kamasi Washington and Leon Bridges lead the lineup for the 2023 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, set for June 17-18.
Also confirmed on the bill is West Coast Get Down, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Digable Planets, Poncho Sanchez, Aziza, Soul Rebels with Big Freedia, Samara Joy, Lionel Loueke and Gretchen Parlato, Boukman Eksperyans, Butcher Brown and many others.
The full lineup and single-day tickets will be available from Tuesday, March 14.
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Hosted by Arsenio Hall and presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn., the two-day fest celebrates its 43rd year at the Hollywood Bowl.
Sax virtuoso Kamasi Washington, winner of the inaugural 2016 American Music Prize for his triple-CD odyssey, The Epic, is co-curator of the fest alongside legendary keyboardist Herbie Hancock, the LA Phil’s creative chair for jazz.
“I was thrilled when the LA Phil asked me to co-curate this festival with Kamasi and explore his extraordinary artistic vision,” comments Hancock, a 14-time Grammy Award winner. “Our celebration this year includes so many artists—both emerging and established—at defining moments in their musical journeys.”
Together, “we hope to create community and connection through the music we make and leave audiences feeling uplifted and inspired.” Hancock won’t perform at the fest; his next LA Phil concert is Sunday, April 2 at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Adds Washington said, “Herbie is one of the greatest musicians to ever live and I am so grateful to be working with him on this special show. Herbie and I have been working with the LA Phil team to create a one-of-a-kind experience that we hope will leave the audience with excitement, joy, life, soul and most of all great music.”
Returning package holders can buy tickets now at hollywoodbowl.com. Two-day packages will be available from Feb. 7, with single tickets and groups sales available from March 14.
Wireless Festival announced its 2023 lineup Wednesday (Jan. 25), featuring headliners Travis Scott, Playboi Carti and D-Block Europe.
The three-day festival will be held at London’s Finsbury Park from July 7-9, 2023. The London summer festival will also feature emerging and established R&B and hip-hop acts such as Lil Uzi Vert, Metro Boomin, Latto, Ice Spice, Headie One, Bryson Tiller, Joey Bada$$, FLO, Mariah the Scientist, Lil Durk, Lil Tjay, Popcaan, Glorilla and many more, as not every name on the lineup has been revealed.
50 Cent is listed as the special guest, while DJ Target, Kenny Allstar, Nadia Jae, Remi Burgz, Seani B and Tiffany Calver are the festivities’ hosts.
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Scott made his way across the pond in August 2022 for his first headlining performance since his 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy that left 10 people dead. He sold out both shows at London’s O2 arena and, shortly after, teased his upcoming studio album Utopia on social media. Carti is also expected to release an album this year, tentatively titled Music.
Three+ U.K. mobile customers began having access to a limited pre-sale on Wednesday morning for 48 hours. Barclaycard customers can also access a limited pre-sale and receive 10% off tickets until Friday at 8:59 a.m. Tickets will go on sale for the general public here on Friday at 10 a.m.
Check out the 2023 Wireless Festival lineup, as well as the official lineup promo video, below.
Afro Nation, the world’s biggest music festival focused on Afrobeats music, is coming to the continental U.S. for the first time this year. Afrobeats giants Burna Boy and Wizkid will headline its latest two-day festival in Miami in May.
Following the success of its 2022 Afro Nation festivals in Portugal, Puerto Rico and Ghana, the inaugural Afro Nation Miami 2023 will unite the African and Caribbean diaspora at LoanDepot Park on May 27 and 28, 2023.
The upcoming festival will celebrate and highlight the best in Afrobeats, reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, amapiano, soca and other Black-led musical genres. The first wave of performers who have been announced include Rema, Asake, Beenie Man, CKay, BNXN (formerly known as Buju), Dadju, Franglish, Black Sherif, Nelson Freitas, Gyakie and Nissi. Major League DJz and Uncle Waffles will headline the Piano People stage.
Tickets will go on sale starting, Friday at 1 p.m. ET at USA.AfroNation.com. Register at the site to gain access to the special presale.
In March of last year, 40,000 people attended Afro Nation Puerto Rico 2022, its first festival in North America that was headlined by Wizkid and Megan Thee Stallion. In that same month, Afro Nation partnered with Billboard to create the first-ever U.S. chart for Afrobeats music. The U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart ranks the 50 most popular Afrobeats songs in the country based on a weighted formula incorporating official streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of leading audio and video music services, plus download sales from top music retailers. Afro Nation recently produced its Ghana-based festival in December.
Afro Nation Portugal 2023 is also set to take place in Portimão from June 28-30, and its lineup has yet to be announced.
See the Afro Nation Miami 2023 lineup below.
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Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa launched the inaugural edition of their Black Star Line festival in Accra, Ghana over the weekend with an all-star concert featuring sets from Erykah Badu, Dave Chappelle, T-Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys and M.anifest.
According to a release, Friday night’s festival drew 52,000 fans to historic Black Star Square, the monument to Ghanians becoming the firs Sub-Saharan African country to free itself from colonialism in 1957. “The Black Star Line Festival is more than just a celebration of Black culture and music, it’s a chance for the Diaspora to come together as a community and remind ourselves of the power that lies within us,” Chance said in a statement. “It’s an opportunity to honor the legacy of those who came before us, and to inspire and uplift each other. It’s a historic event and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Black Star Line Festival.”
The festival’s title was inspired by civil rights leader Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line, which was founded in 1919 and operated by Black people who helped link global shipping and tourism opportunities between America, the Caribbean and Africa.
The weekend of events included conversations with Mensa and Chance, skate sessions and other art and cultural gatherings around town, as well as the jam-packed concert that had the acts performing on a stage featuring a gigantic black star front and center.
Garvey also inspired Chance’s music video “ YAH Know, ” featuring King Promise, and his upcoming album Star Line Gallery, which is expected for release this year.
Check out some footage and photos from the event below.