J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival To Return After Plans Of Cancellation

What was expected to be the final installment of J. Cole’s beloved Dreamville Festival turned out to be a new beginning.

Just days before the two-day event kicked off at Dorothea Dix Park this past weekend, organizers surprised fans by announcing that the annual celebration of music and culture would continue for at least four more years.

The announcement was made during a press conference held Thursday (Apr. 3), catching many off guard after months of anticipation surrounding what had been promoted as the festival’s farewell edition.

“We’re going to be here for years to come,” said Dreamville and Live Nation festival producer Sascha Stone Guttfreund.

“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.”

The partnership with the city of Raleigh will keep the festival rooted in Dorothea Dix Park through at least 2029, reinforcing the event’s commitment to the local community and economy.

“We’re going to continue on the same path that’s been successful for us. Our consumers have told us what they like, and we’re going to try to provide that to them for the next four years,” said Raleigh City Manager Marchell Adams-David.

She also emphasized that Dreamville co-founder J. Cole remains closely tied to the event’s future, even if he doesn’t perform each year. “We’re using the Dreamville label to a certain extent,” Adams-David said.

“He will obviously be involved, whether or not he headlines. 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.”

Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad, longtime manager of J. Cole and a key Dreamville executive, echoed the sentiment. “We wanted to keep the feeling of just the community,” he said.

“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.”

This year’s fifth annual festival, held April 5–6, featured headlining performances from J. Cole, Lil Wayne, 21 Savage, and Erykah Badu, alongside acts like GloRilla, Tems, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and Ludacris.