J. Cole Taps Lil Wayne, 21 Savage And More To Give Dreamville Fest The Sendoff It Deserves
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Josh Brasted / Contributor via Getty Images, Julia Beverly / Contributor via Getty Images and Paras Griffin / Stringer via Getty Images
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J. Cole, Lil Wayne and 21 Savage
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The countdown to the last-ever Dreamville Fest has officially begun. On Monday (March 17), organizers unveiled the full lineup, which will see Lil Wayne, 21 Savage and J. Cole headlining the bittersweet farewell event.
“See you one last time,” the festival’s social media account wrote via Instagram. Lil Wayne is expected to take the stage with Hot Boys — Juvenile, Turk and B.G. — as well as Big Tymers, comprised of Mannie Fresh and Birdman, on day one. Not everyone is going to be excited about a recycled “Lil’ Weezyana Tour” set, but maybe it’ll be a nostalgia trip for the millennials in the crowd.
Also on the bill is PARTYNEXTDOOR, who’s coming off the heels of $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with Drake, so if there was ever a time for The Boy to return, April 5 might be it. Festivalgoers can also look forward to performances from Ludacris, Chief Keef, Keyshia Cole, Young Nudy, Ab-Soul, Kai Cash and Niko Brim, along with the usual Dreamville staples: Ari Lennox, Bas, Lute and Omen.
Day two, on the other hand, is a little less jam-packed. In addition to J. Cole serving as the expected banner act, artists like Erykah Badu, Tems, GloRilla, JID, Wale, Coco Jones, EARTHGANG, BigXthaPlug, Anycia, Cozz and AKIA round out the lineup. Presale tickets went live back in December 2024, and while general admission and VIP passes are still available, organizers warned that “there aren’t too many left.”
Will Dreamville Fest 2025 Live Up To Previous Years?
Much like last year’s run, Dreamville Fest 2025 seems to be a hit-or-miss for many people who were there from the start. “I really wanted Doechii and Leon Thomas,” one reply with over 1,000 likes read. Someone else noted, “If you were born after 2000, you just don’t get the significance of this lineup, and that’s okay!”
Between last year’s rap beef and the constant influx of new talent, Hip Hop fans’ expectations are steadily getting harder to satisfy. Even if April’s final Dreamville Fest doesn’t quite match the star power of 2023 — when Drake, Usher and Burna Boy headlined — it’s impossible to overlook the legacy J. Cole’s annual event leaves behind. After all, SZA, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby and Kehlani have taken the festival’s stage at one point or another.
