The energy in the air at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday, April 2 was electric as fans gathered by the thousands to hear their favorite artists perform at Dreamville Fest, making its grand return after a three year hiatus. The festival was back in full effect with North Carolina’s own J. Cole and his Dreamville label mates all gathered for a weekend of electric performances.
This was the second year that the festival has occurred. The first festival was held in 2019 and featured performances from SZA, Big Sean, 21 Savage, Nelly and Teyana Taylor. This year’s line up was just as epic, with Lil Baby and J. Cole serving as headliners. Other sets over the weekend came from Kehlani, Moneybagg Yo, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, T.I., Jeezy, Wale, Earthgang, Rico Nasty, Blxst, and the rest of the Dreamville roster.
The festival made full use of Dorothea Dix Park and included three different stages for festivalgoers to move between. Food and vendors were set up throughout the park and overlooking it all was a full-size ferris wheel.
One notable moment from the weekend came from singer Kehlani, who delivered a heartfelt performance and invited NC Central student and volunteer festival security guard Josiah Russell to sing alongside her. The vibe kept ascending throughout the weekend as J.Cole’s closing set on Sunday night saw the North Carolina native bring out his entire label to celebrate and perform with him. After the set, fireworks lit up the park and most of Raleigh, sending festival goers home ready for the festival to return next year.