Over the past weekend, GRAMMY® Award-winning, multi-platinum hip-hop luminaries The Roots hosted and co-headlined the largest Roots Picnic to date at The Mann at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA. The festival, dubbed “hip-hop’s greatest festival” by Rolling Stone, attracted over 60,000 attendees across Saturday and Sunday, celebrating culture, art, music, and the city of brotherly love.
The sold-out festivities began on Friday, May 31st, with the 2nd Annual Roots Picnic Con at the Fillmore Philadelphia. The conference featured panel discussions powered by The Recording Academy, Cannabis Workers Union, Live Nation, and Phor Essentials, with panelists including Questlove and Marsha Ambrosius. That night, Black Thought returned with his standup comedy series “Black Thought Presents Delirious” at Punchline Philly, featuring surprise appearances from comedians nationwide.
Saturday’s events made history with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Mayor Cherelle Parker presenting The Roots with a proclamation recognizing their contributions to Philadelphia’s arts, arts education, and economy. Jill Scott, fresh off a 20th-anniversary tour for her debut album, closed out the evening with her greatest hits and debuted a new collaboration, “Norf Philly,” with Tierra Whack. Special guests like Common, Ghostface Killah, and Nas energized the crowd during their electrifying sets.
On Sunday, The Roots curated a tribute to New Orleans, featuring PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, and Lloyd, with Lil Wayne delivering a classic set. André 3000 performed an improvised set, and Gunna headlined with a marquee performance. Shaboozey, Babyface, Fantasia, Wale, Robert Glasper featuring Yebba, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and more delivered stirring performances, making the Roots Picnic an unforgettable celebration of music and culture.
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