Usher, Drake, J. Cole to headline Dreamville Festival 2023
Usher, Ari Lennox, Drake are among the performers at this year's Dreamville festival at Dix Park, event organizers announced Tuesday.
Dreamville, a music festival created by Fayetteville native and rapper J. Cole, will be held Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2.
Usher, Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, City Girls, Sean Paul, Earthgang, Jessie Reyez, Key Glock, Sir, Lute, Omen, Marqus Clae and Victony are set to perform on April 1.
J. Cole and Drake will headline the second day of the festival, which will also include performances by Burna Boy, Summer Walker, J.I.D., Glorilla, Bas, Wake Flocka Flame, Mario, Ayra Starr, Baby Tate, Cozz, Jordan Ward and Reuben Vincent.
Tickets for this year's event are on sale now.
An estimated 80,000 people attended the festival in 2022 after a years-long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first festival in 2019 attracted a crowd of 40,000 for just one day.
Last year's event featured multiple stages and popular artists like T-Pain and Ari Lennox along with new rappers. There was also a family-style cookout, artists, vendors, muralists and performers.
"Last year's festival had ticket holders from all 50 states and about a dozen foreign countries," Loren Gold, the executive vice president of Visit Raleigh, said Tuesday.
Gold said the city saw about $6.7 million in direct economic impact from the 2022 festival. She said that number could go over $7 million with the capacity increased to allow 50,000 people each day at the event.
Local producer Deuce Tyrell said the tickets, which start at $250 for general admission, are worth it, especially after seeing the lineup.
"I was sold on Drake and J. Cole along, huge fans of both artists," Tyrell said. "There is no way I can miss this concert."
Tyrell sees the festival's future growing each year.
"The way it is growing, at the rate it is growing, artists it is getting, it can be one day as big as Coachella," Tyrell said. "For me, it's Coachella."
