Erykah Badu has been announced as a headliner for Roots Picnic 2026 in Philadelphia, performing on May 31 alongside Jay-Z on opening night May 30. The festival reveals a diverse lineup and moves to Belmont Plateau for the event.
The Roots Picnic 2026, set for May 30-31 at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, unveiled its full lineup on March 20. This marks a shift from the previous venue at the Mann Center. Jay-Z headlines the opening night with the Roots as his backing band, his first live appearance since joining Beyoncé onstage during her Cowboy Carter Tour last year. Erykah Badu takes the main stage on the final day, May 31, bringing her influential R&B voice to the festival co-founded by the Roots. The bill features Kehlani, Brandy, T.I., Mariah the Scientist, De La Soul, Corinne Bailey Rae, DESTIN CONRAD, KWN, Bilal, Sasha Keable, and others. Special sets include a J. Period live mixtape with Wale and Roots co-founder Black Thought, DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Magnificent Block Party, and a Jermaine Dupri & Friends showcase. Additional highlights are a tribute to the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack curated by Adam Blackstone, featuring Yolanda Adams, Ledisi, Tamar Braxton, and Andra Day, plus a 50th anniversary celebration of Go-Go music hosted by Noochie and Kenny Burns. DJs such as Funk Flex, DJ Diamond Kuts, DJ Cash Money, DJ Doc B, and DJ Miss Milan will perform between sets. Shawn Gee, the Roots’ manager and president of Live Nation Urban, said in a press release: “Moving the Roots Picnic to Belmont Plateau and bringing Jay-Z and the Roots together to perform are both bucket-list moments for us.”
