The Roots Picnic Unveils 2026 Lineup: Jay-Z and The Roots, Erykah Badu, Brandy, De La Soul and More
The Roots Picnic has unveiled the full artist lineup for its 2026 festival, returning on May 30 and 31. This year’s event will bring a roster of revered artists from the worlds of hip-hop, R&B and everything in between to the City of Brotherly Love and a new venue of Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau. For their annual collaborative performance, The Roots will be joined by Jay-Z to headline Saturday night, with Erykah Badu closing out the festivities on Sunday.
In the festival’s 18th annual presentation, revered hip-hop luminaries The Roots and Live Nation Urban will host 29 acts, including icons, up-and-comers and once-in-a-lifetime collaborations. This year’s event will be led by Kehlani, Brandy, T.I., Mariah the Scientist, the return of J. Period’s live mixtape with Black Thought and Wale and a guest-centered set from Jermaine Dupri and Friends.
Other high-profile bookings include De La Soul, Corinne Bailey Rae, Destin Conrad, KWN and Bilal, plus a litany of notable DJs like Funk Flex. The event’s many collaborative moments will include DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Magnificent Block Party, A Celebration of 50 Years of Go-Go with Noochie and Kevin Burns and a star-studded 30th anniversary celebration of the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, featuring Yolanda Adams, Ledisi, Tamar Braxton, Andra Day and more (an appearance from Brandy for “Sittin’ Up in My Room” seems very possible).
“Moving the Roots Picnic to Belmont Plateau and bringing Jay-Z and The Roots together to perform are both bucket-list moments for us,” said Shawn Gee, manager of The Roots and president of Live Nation Urban. “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.”
Tickets for this year’s The Roots Picnic are available now.
