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In honor of HipHop50, ESSENCE Fest looks to have a splashy return this year in New Orleans, with Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion headlining this year’s festivities, Billboard can exclusively report.
On June 29-July 3, ESSENCE Fest will be a rap-centric event, with Hill performing her landmark 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The five-time Grammy Award-Winning femcee will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of her game-changing debut effort. As for Megan Thee Stallion, the slot marks another major headlining performance, as she will embark on her first concert this year at March Madness Music Festival in Houston this Friday (March 31). Megan will also take her talents to the West Coast later this year as she’ll co-headline L.A.’s Pride in the Park.
The 2023 ESSENCE Fest will also feature sets from Wizkid, Monica, Coco Jones, and Kizz Daniel for their Festival of Culture stage. There will also be a special performance curation by Doug E. Fresh while DJ Spinderella, DJ Kid Capri, and DJ Clark Kent will hit the turntables during the weekend’s festivities. Another noteworthy milestone that will be marked over the weekend is the 30th anniversary of So So Def, which will be spotlighted in a performance from label owner Jermaine Dupri and Friends.
Music lovers can also enjoy some laughs in the evenings, with Deon Cole, Affion Crockett, Spice Adams and Janelle James hosting nightly activations.
“For nearly three decades, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture has been an international and joyful gathering that empowers community throughout the global Black diaspora,” says newly-appointed Vice President of ESSENCE Festival of Culture, Hakeem Holmes. “As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, it continues to be a crown jewel of Black culture and plays a pivotal role in the amplification and celebration of the contributions of the Black community through business, music, and more. As we gear up to celebrate the ’50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop’, we couldn’t think of a better way to honor the contributions that genre has made on global culture and the impressions that these artists and their deep musical catalogs, which we all know so well, have been ingrained into the fibers of our day to day lives. This year, we are excited to have everyone join us in celebrating 50 years of musical excellence, experiencing our diverse daytime and nighttime offerings, and in highlighting the importance of Black economic inclusion.”
More acts will be added to the lineup soon.
Ultra Music Festival is taking over downtown Miami’s Bayfront Park this weekend, with a jam-packed lineup including Swedish House Mafia, Armin van Buuren, Carl Cox, Claude VonStroke, CloZee, Eric Prydz, Grimes, Gryffin, Hardwell, Martin Garrix, Zedd, REZZ and more.
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The festival previously announced that it will stay at Bayfront Park until at least 2027, following the City of Miami Commission unanimously passing an agreement between the festival and the Bayfront Park Management Trust. This Trust manages the 32-acre park, which is located in the heart of downtown Miami on Biscayne Bay.
If you can’t head down to Miami on March 24 to 26, fear not. You can still catch all the fun on Ultra Music Festival’s official livestream, which you can check out on the festival’s YouTube channel here or below.
Ultra Live mainstage broadcasts air from 3:45 p.m. ET to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 2:45 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. on Sunday. The Resistance broadcasts run from 4pm on Friday and Saturday, and form 3pm on Sunday. Check out the full list of set times here.
In addition to the livestream, Ultra’s YouTube channel is filled with all sorts of exciting video content, including previously recorded live sets from Ultra Miamis of the past, as well as Ultra-related festivals all around the world.
Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival announced this summer’s lineup on Monday (March 20), with a roster of headliners that includes Radiohead side project The Smile, Big Thief and Bon Iver. The three-day event (July 21-23) in Union Park will find the Smile’s Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner joined on night one by Alvvays, Perfume Genius, Leikeli47, Nation of Language, Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, Youth Lagoon, Ric Wilson, Grace Ives, Jlin, Axel Boman (Live), Mavi, Sen Morimoto and Contour.
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Saturday night’s lineup — topped by the Adrianne Lenker-led Big Thief — also includes Weyes Blood, King Krule, Snail Mail, Panda Bear + Sonic Boom, Julia Jacklin, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Vagabon, MJ Lenderman, Yaya Bey, Black Belt Eagle Scout, 700 Bliss, Palm and Deeper.
The final night will feature Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver sharing the stage with: Kelela, Koffee, Killer Mike, JPEGMafia, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Mdou Moctar, ILLUMINATI HOTTIES, Jockstrap, Soul Glo, Florist, Lucrecia Dalt, Rachika Nayar, and Ariel Zetina.
“We’re excited to be back at Union Park with a lineup of artists responsible for some of the very best music of the past year — Alvvays, Kelela, Yaya Bey, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupil, Grace Ives, 700 Bliss, and more — alongside a few special moments with indie icons,” said Pitchfork editor in chief Puja Patel in a statement. “For one, this year will mark the very first time that Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood (as The Smile) and Bon Iver will perform at the Chicago festival. And Big Thief will complete their tour of the fest’s stages over the years with a headlining set, their first at a festival this size.”
Tickets for the festival are on sale now, with three-day passes ($219) and single-day passes ($109) available along with a Pitchfork PLUS ($419 for three-day, $209 for single-day) upgrade with a number of extras; click here for ticket information.
See the full 2023 Pitchfork Festival lineup below.
Blink-182 couldn’t make it to Lollapalooza Argentina over the weekend, so Twenty One Pilots brought a bit of Blink energy during their set filling-in for the SoCal pop punk legends. With drummer Travis Barker sidelined after surgery on his dinged finger, Blink had to postpone their planned Latin America tour, including Saturday night’s Lolla headlining slot at the Hipodromo de San Isidro.
In fan video of the performance, touring guitarist Dan Geraghty chopped out the indelible chunky opening riffs to Blink’s smash 1999 hit “All the Small Things” as the crowd shouted the first verse while singer Tyler Joseph knelt on his knees on stage. Coming in on the “na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na” refrain, Joseph traded lines with the massive audience as drummer Josh Dun pounded out Barker’s big beats.
In another video of the moment, Joseph first offered a thank you in Spanish to the crowd and said, “I know we weren’t supposed to play this show, but we are honored to be here playing this show with you,” right before the band busted into the Blink song.
Earlier this month, Barker thanked fans for their patience after he underwent surgery to fix a torn ligament in his finger. Blink’s wildly anticipated world tour — marking the first time Barker, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge have played live together since 2014 — was postponed due to the drummer’s injury, which happened during rehearsals early last month before he hurt it again two weeks later.
“This has been something we’ve been aiming to do for so long and we work so hard and we just kind of had one of those freak accidents that nobody saw coming,” DeLonge said while making the announcement postponement announcement. “This is just so sad. These were the biggest shows we ever played. These are some of the most important places in the world for for a band this is like the pinnacle of our career was coming down and playing for you guys. So I really want you all to know, we are devastated and we plan to come back.”
The global trek was originally schedule to start in Latin America next week with shows booked in Tijuana, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Bogotà, Lima and elsewhere, but will now be pushed back until Barker has fully recuperated.
The 2023 Bourbon & Beyond festival at the Highland Festival Grounds in Louisville, Kentucky will host headliners Brandi Carlile, The Killers, The Black Keys and Bruno Mars atop an eclectic lineup of rock, pop, folk, blues and country acts from Sept. 14-17.
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The four-day event’s roster announced on Wednesday (March 8) will also feature Billy Strings, Train, Midland, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and The Lone Bellow on the first night, which will be topped by Carlile.
Night two will find the Killers atop a list including Duran Duran, Hozier, Brittany Howard, Bastille, The Gaslight Anthem, Wayne Newton, Inahler, Joy Oladokun and more. The Keys and Crowes will top Saturday’s rocking run-down, with support from The Avett Brothers, Spoon, First Aid Kit, Old Crow Medicine Show, City and Colour, Paolo Nutini, Luke Grimes and Danielle Ponder. The final night pairs headliner Mars with Blondie, Jon Batiste, Ryan Bingham, Babyface, Aloe Blacc, ZZ Ward and Fantastic Negrito, among many others.
Each day will also feature a full lineup on the Bluegrass Situation Stage with acts including Kelsey Waldon, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Lil Smokies, Twisted Pine, The Cleverlys, Town Mountain, Della Mae, Sunny Mar, Lindsay Lou, Dan Tyminski and Frank Solvian & Dirty Kitchen.
Tickets — including weekend GA, Weekend Mint VIP, Angels Envy Beyond VIP and single day GA and single day Mint VIP — are all available now here. As always, in addition to a full day and night of music, the fest will host bourbon and food stages with appearances from master distillers, A-list chefs and, of course, dozens of bourbons to taste.
Check out the full lineup on the festival poster below.
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.