Entertainment

J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival acts announced. Here’s who will perform over 2 days

After months of anticipation, really years, Dreamville Festival organizers have announced the lineup for this year’s two-day festival at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park.

The festival, which has expanded to two days, includes founder and curator J. Cole headlining the Sunday night set and Lil Baby headlining on Saturday.

“Went crazy on the lineup,” Cole tweeted Wednesday.

The Dreamville Festival is a showcase for Cole, North Carolina artists and other members of his Dreamville label. This year, he will feature his entire music roster, which includes Ari Lennox, Bas, J.I.D, EarthGang, Cozz, Omen and Lute, who is from Charlotte.

Other major acts include T-Pain, DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz with Lil Wayne, Jeezy & T.I. (for their first major performance), and a reunion of Ja Rule and Ashanti, who have collaborated on at least 10 songs together. That includes the 2001 hit, “What’s Luv?”

The two stages also will feature WizKid, Kehlani, Morray, Fivio Foreign, Moneybagg Yo, Bia, Rico Nasty, Wale and Larry June.

Cole, who grew up in Fayetteville, held the first event in April 2019. It instantly became a success with 40,000 tickets sold — an instant classic in the calendar of Raleigh music festivals.

But then the pandemic hit, and the 2020 followup was postponed, then canceled. Organizers announced in 2021 that it would return this year, and this time, over two days.

This year’s event is April 2 and 3 with gates opening at 12 noon on both days.

Rapper J. Cole and his team at Dreamville, the record label he co-founded, launched the inaugural Dreamville Festival in April 2019. It will return April 4, 2020.
Rapper J. Cole and his team at Dreamville, the record label he co-founded, launched the inaugural Dreamville Festival in April 2019. It will return April 4, 2020. Anthony Supreme

The first 2019 festival featured Rapsody, Nelly, Big Sean, SZA, Teyana Taylor and others.

It also serves as a fundraiser with some of the proceeds going to the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy and the Dreamville Foundation, a non-profit organization started by Cole in 2011.

To gain entry into the festival, fans will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result that is obtained within 72 hours of the event.

Cole, who now lives in Raleigh, has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, winning his first in 2020 for Best Rap Song for 21 Savage’s “A Lot,” a song that he co-wrote and also was featured on.

Tickets start at $249.99 for admission to both days of the festival. Parking and shuttle tickets can be bought in advance.

More details are at the Dreamville Festival website at dreamvillefest.com.

The Dreamville Festival was held at Raleigh’s Dix Park, attracting 40,000 people. With two music stages, arts, and a marketplace, it was a first-of-its-kind event for the park and an indicator of the types of events that could be held there in the future.
The Dreamville Festival was held at Raleigh’s Dix Park, attracting 40,000 people. With two music stages, arts, and a marketplace, it was a first-of-its-kind event for the park and an indicator of the types of events that could be held there in the future. Ben Premeaux

Dreamville lineup

Here is the lineup for Dreamville Festival 2022, in alphabetical order.

Saturday, April 2

  • Blxst
  • Earthgang
  • Fivio Foreign
  • Ja Rule and Ashanti
  • J.I.D
  • Kehlani
  • Lil Baby
  • Lute
  • Mereba
  • Mikhala Jené
  • Morray
  • WizKid

Sunday, April 3

  • Ari Lennox
  • Bas
  • Bia
  • Cozz
  • DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz featuring Lil Wayne, Jeezy and T.I.
  • J. Cole
  • Larry June
  • Moneybagg Yo
  • Omen
  • Rico Nasty
  • T. Pain
  • The Hics
  • Wale”
Here is the lineup for Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, NC 2022.
Here is the lineup for Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, NC 2022.

This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 12:29 PM.

Related Stories from Raleigh News & Observer
Jessica Banov
The News & Observer
Jessica Banov is a news editor and audience growth specialist at The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun. She was part of the team from The N&O and The Charlotte Observer that was named a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Breaking News for coverage of Hurricane Helene. She also serves as The N&O’s intern program coordinator. 
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER