Dreamville fans have a big year to look forward to, whether for the Dreamville Fest kicking off in just a few hours today (Saturday, April 5) or for upcoming projects from the likes of J. Cole and J.I.D. Fortunately, it seems like this music festival's fifth iteration will not technically be its final, as announced by a festival organizer and a Raleigh, North Carolina city official via a Thursday afternoon (April 3) press conference. The city signed a four-year deal for a new music festival in collaboration with the label in Raleigh's Dorothea Dix Park. Ibrahim Hamad and the festival itself had previously suggested this would be their last rodeo, although it seems like this will be a different iteration altogether.
"We’re going to be here for years to come," Sascha Stone Guttfreund, a festival producer for Dreamville Fest and Live Nation, expressed during the press conference. "This is a multi-year deal, and we’re so excited to be working with the city of Raleigh together on something new and exciting, and to continue to build on this incredible thing that we’ve done over the years."
Is Dreamville Fest Over?
"We’re going to continue on the same path that’s been successful for us," Raleigh City Manager Marchell Adams-David replied when asked about what genre the Dreamville Fest evolution's lineup will largely target plus other details, indicating they will keep their focus on hip-hop, R&B, and adjacent genres. "Our consumers have told us what they like, and we’re going to try to provide that to them for the next four years." In addition, Adams-David also assured fans that J. Cole has "his hands all over" this new iteration. "We’re using the Dreamville label to a certain extent," she stated.
"[J. Cole] will obviously be involved, whether or not he headlines," Raleigh's City Manager remarked. "That’s probably not going to be an occurrence, but he is a local resident. He is totally committed to this community, and he is totally committed to this festival." Ib also had some words to share with Dreamville fans. "We wanted to keep the feeling of just the community. We call it our family reunion. I think a lot of people from all over the world and from all 50 states come in, and it’s good to be able to do it here in North Carolina." So Dreamville Fest will look different next time, and while it won't be exactly the same, its leading spirit will live on to keep that experience fresh and community-centric.
