Photo: Getty Images
Mary J. Blige's new music festival is set to return this summer with a rare experience in honor of #HipHop50.
On Wednesday, March 8, the 9x Grammy award-winner took to social media to reveal the lineup of her 2nd annual music festival happening May 11 - 14. Blige and Ms. Lauryn Hill, who's set will benefit the MLH Fund's initiative to empower Black women, will headline the two-day event at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta with supporting performances from Coco Jones, Summer Walker, Muni Long and more. Mary J. Blige promises her performance will be "a never-before-seen MJB-Sides set" that will pay tribute to 50 years of Hip-Hop.
“Having the opportunity to continue to uplift, inspire and build amongst a community of women is the reason why we created this festival," Blige said in a statement about the festival. "I’m so grateful for all of the support from our performers and participants and, of course, Live Nation Urban, Pepsi and our additional partners who are committed to celebrating and creating community for Black women.”
Her all-rap set will feature appearances from Jeezy, DJ Drama, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Jadakiss and Jodeci. In addition to the two days of epic performances, fans will also get to experience an entire weekend of special events surrounding the festival. On Thursday, Grammy award-winner Robert Glasper will curate an evening of vibes at City Winery. They will also get to attend the "Strength of a Woman Summit" featuring panel discussions with podcasts like Angela Yee's Lip Service, Don't Call Me White Girl and others.
Following the festival on Sunday, people will get to enjoy a gospel brunch with the Sunday Service Collective hosted by Ryan Cameron. Later on, fans will have the option to laugh with Mike Epps, Erica Duchess and other comedians for Comedy Night at Tabernacle or turn up at The Purpose Ball with special guest Saucy Santana.
There are plenty of other surprises in store for the festival, which made its grand debut last year. Pre-sale tickets for the festival begin are available now with the code: SOAW23 while general admission sales begin March 10. Check out the official website for more information.