The Roots Picnic Reveal 2026 Lineup: JAŸ- Z, Brandy, & More

GRAMMY Award-winning multi-platinum hip-hop luminaries The Roots and Live Nation Urban have unveiled the 2026 installment of Roots Picnic. The two-day festival returns on Saturday, May 30 & Sunday, May 31, 2026 at Belmont Plateau. General on-sale is available HERE.

On Saturday, May 30th JAŸ- Z will headline, performing with The Roots for the first time in over a decade. On Sunday, May 31st, the headliner will be crowd favorite Erykah Badu.  Other performers include Kehlani, returning to the Roots Picnic stage for the first time in a decade, R&B icon Brandy, making her Roots Picnic debut, TI, De La Soul, Mariah The Scientist, Philly’s own DJ Jazzy Jeff, a Celebration off 50th Anniversary of Go Go Music with an All Star band,  plus much more.

This will also mark the first year the festival will be held at the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. Belmont Plateau is known for having one of the best views of the city and is a place where hip hop and black culture flourished in the 1980s and early 90s.

Last year’s sold-out Roots Picnic showcased unforgettable sets from icons like award-winning artist Lenny Kravitz, Memphis raptress GloRilla, and some of rap and R&B’s bests, Tems, Latto, Kaytranada, Jeezy, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Musiq Soulchild, Kur, Elmiene, Jagged Edge, Backyard Band featuring CeeLo Green, Crystal Waters, Lay Banks, and Laila

“Moving the Roots Picnic to Belmont Plateau and bringing Jay-Z and The Roots together to perform are both bucket-list moments for us,” Manager of The Roots and President of Live Nation Urban Shawn Gee exclaimed. “After meeting with Mayor Cherelle Parker and hearing her vision for Philly 250, she truly inspired us to dream even bigger, and we’re grateful to her, Commissioner Susan Slawson, Jazelle Jones and everyone who helped make it happen. We can’t wait to see everyone in May at the Plat.”

Since launching in 2007, The Roots Picnic has stood at the crossroads of music and culture, entertaining, engaging, and enlightening millions of fans along the way. Its lineups have included Lil Wayne, The Weeknd, Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Phantogram, Usher, Nas, A$AP Rocky, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Future to Vampire Weekend, The War on Drugs, Gary Clark, Jr., Solange, Diplo, Gnarls Barkley, and more.