Erykah Badu, Jay-Z headlining Roots Picnic at Fairmount Park’s Belmont Plateau

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Erykah Badu has been announced as co-headliner alongside Jay-Z at this year’s Roots Picnic at the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.

The festival is set for May 30 and 31, with Jay-Z headlining the first night and Badu closing out the second. Further details on the full lineup will be announced at a later date.

Known as the Queen of Neo-Soul, Badu recorded many of her breakthrough hits in Philadelphia at Sigma Sound Studios. Her debut album, “Baduizm,” is widely celebrated as one of the best albums of the 1990s.

Jay-Z’s performance will take place nearly 30 years after the release of his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt,” which helped cement Jay-Z’s status as one of the premier hip-hop artists and is considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time.

Philadelphia’s very own, The Roots, will serve as Jay-Z’s backing band during the performance. Apart from moonlighting as Jimmy Fallon’s house band on “The Tonight Show,” the group’s mix of hip-hop and live instrumentation has netted them great success over the years, including multiple Grammy Awards and multiple gold- and platinum-selling albums.

This will be the first festival Jay-Z has performed in Philadelphia since 2017, when he headlined that year’s Made in America festival, an event he helped curate for more than a decade.

The last Made in America fest took place in 2022 when Bad Bunny headlined. The festival was canceled in 2023, with organizers citing “severe circumstances outside of production control.” It was once again canceled the following year and promised “an exciting return.”

Jay-Z faced criticism in 2024 after his entertainment company, Roc Nation, funded a campaign to support private school vouchers in Philadelphia. He also faced criticism after Roc Nation teamed up with the NFL on an initiative to amplify social justice.

Last week, it was announced that after years of setting up shop at the Mann Center, the festival will now take place at the Belmont Plateau. Last year, heavy storms delayed the event’s start time due to significant mud buildup, as well as flooding on the grounds.

Two-day tickets are on sale now via the festival’s website. General admission tickets start at $250.