Dreamville start time further delayed in Raleigh due to severe weather forecasts
Dreamville Festival organizers announced Saturday that severe weather forecasts are prompting the festival to delay opening until 3 p.m. Saturday.
Originally scheduled to open at noon, the festival had already delayed the opening till 2 p.m.
An updated weather forecast prompted festival organizers to lengthen the delay.
Gates are scheduled to open at 3 p.m., with shuttle bus service and parking beginning at 2 p.m. Both the shuttles and parking are already sold out.
Organizers have not said how the delay will affect the acts expected to take the stage at 1 p.m.
The highly anticipated Dreamville Festival is a rain-or-shine event.
The forecast is calling for rain and high winds, with gusts as strong as 50 mph. Umbrellas aren’t allowed, so attendees are told to plan accordingly.
On Thursday, the city of Raleigh said in a statement that it’s monitoring weather with Dreamville organizers but did not provide specific details.
“There are plans in place for inclement weather that would be activated as needed based on conditions and communicated at that time,” according to the statement.
The city did not respond to questions about its plans or what conditions would require them.
Organizers advise attendees to monitor the festival website and social media channels.
People can also text ‘Dreamville’ to 888777 to sign-up for festival emergency alerts.
Sunday’s start time is still at 12 noon, as of Friday night.
READ MORE: All Dreamville coverage from The News & Observer
Here is the weekend weather report, according to the National Weather Service, as of Friday.
Saturday’s weather at Dreamville Festival
The chance of rain is 60%. The forecast calls for a chance of morning rain, then likely showers with thunderstorms possible between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Be on the lookout for wind. The skies should clear by evening, just in time for Usher to hit the stage.
The temperature will be a high near 79 degrees with a low of 46 degrees at night.
Be on the lookout for mud, too.
Sunday’s weather at Dreamville Festival
The weather will clear up Sunday but it will be a little cooler with a high of 66 degrees and a low of 45.
Look for sunny skies and a bit of a breeze.
Weather updates can be found at forecast.weather.gov.
Time, location of Dreamville
▪ Where and when: Dreamville Festival is in its third year at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park. It will be held Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 with gates opening at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 12 noon on Sunday. Note that the Saturday time is two hours later than planned due to weather.
▪ Where is Dreamville Festival: Dorothea Dix Park is at 1030 Richardson Drive in Raleigh, near NC State’s campus. The festival’s West Entrance is at the intersection of Barbour and Blair drives. The East Entrance is near the intersection of Umstead and Hunt drives.
▪ Tickets: Most tickets are sold out, but the Dreamville website shows select tickets available starting at $549.99 as well as a waiting list for general admission tickets.
Who is performing at Dreamville?
The 2023 Dreamville Festival will features numerous acts across two stages.
They include Earthgang, Sean Paul, City Girls, Ari Lennox, Lil Durk and Usher on Saturday. On Sunday, look for Mario, Waka Flocka Flame, Bas, GloRilla, J.I.D., Summer Walker, Burna Boy, Cole and Drake.
Updated schedule for Saturday
The schedule has been updated after weather delays pushed the start time to 3 p.m. Key Glock’s flight was canceled due to weather and Victony was unable to attend due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
- 3:30 p.m. Marques Clae (Shine stage)
- 4 p.m. Omen (Shine stage)
- 4:20 p.m. Lute (Rise stage)
- 4:40 p.m. SiR (Shine stage)
- 5:20 p.m. Jesse Reyez (Rise stage)
- 5:50 p.m. Toosii (Shine stage)
- 6:25 p.m. Earthgang (Rise stage)
- 6:55 p.m. Sean Paul (Shine stage)
- 7:40 p.m. City Girls (Rise stage)
- 8:10 p.m. Ari Lennox (Shine stage)
- 9 p.m. Lil Durk (Rise stage)
- 9:50 p.m. Usher (Shine stage)
How to watch from home
For those who cannot attend Dreamville Festival in person, or are worried about the weather, there is a live stream available online.
The livestream will be active during the festival beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Fans can tune in to the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and Prime Video. It is presented by Rotation, a global hip-hop and R&B brand from Amazon Music.
This story was originally published March 30, 2023 at 9:40 AM.