March 20, 2026
@faithwinphotos/2025 Roots Picnic
Roots Picnic returns May 30-31 at its new location at Belmont Plateau with Erykah Badu, Brandy, Kehlani and more joining headliner Jay-Z. The photo above is from the 2025 festival.
The Roots Picnic has announced the rest of its 2026 lineup, adding a mix of R&B and hip-hop artists to a weekend already headlined by Jay-Z.
The festival returns May 30-31 and will be held at Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park for the first time.
Jay-Z will headline Saturday, performing with The Roots for the first time in more than a decade. Erykah Badu will close out the festival on Sunday.
The newly announced lineup includes Kehlani, Brandy, T.I., Mariah the Scientist and Wale, along with sets from De La Soul, Corinne Bailey Rae, Destin Conrad and KWN. Philly’s DJ Jazzy Jeff will host a block party, and Jermaine Dupri will appear with a special guests set.
The weekend also features a J. Period Live Mixtape set with Black Thought and Wale, a tribute to 50 years of go-go music with an all-star band, and a performance led by Adam Blackstone celebrating the “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack.
The move to Belmont Plateau puts the festival at a spot with deep ties to the city’s hip-hop scene, especially during the 1980s and early ’90s.
Roots Picnic launched in 2007 and has grown into one of the city’s biggest music events, known for bringing together big names and newer artists each year. Last year’s lineup included Lenny Kravitz, GloRilla, Tems and Latto.
Tickets are on sale now.
May 30-31
Belmont Plateau
1800 Belmont Mansion Dr.
Philadelphia, PA 19131
This content was generated by PhillyVoice Media Events, not by the newsroom staff.
