The 2024 Roots Picnic completely took over Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on both June 1 and June 2 with performances from dozens of talented artists.
The picnic, a popular music festival created by The Roots and their manager Shawn Gee, kicked off on Saturday June 1 and drew in thousands of fans from the tri-state area and beyond. The festival originally began in 2008 and used to be held at Penn’s Landing, but it now takes place on the grounds of Fairmount Park which accommodated about 30,000 people on each day this year. In addition to the festival’s iconic entertainers, the event has also become an inspiring celebration of culture.
This year, fans were able to enjoy acts on three different stages separated on festival grounds as well as food and drinks from countless local vendors. The grounds were packed on back to back days to see an impressive lineup of stars.
Roots Picnic kicked off on Saturday with performances from a plethora of artists like Sexyy Red and October London and concluded with headliners Jill Scott and Nas.
Nas brought the house down with a full setlist, including some of his most popular singles like “N.Y. State of Mind” and “If I Ruled The World (Imagine That).” He even surprised fans by bringing out Ghostface Killah from the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan for an unforgettable performance of “Verbal Intercourse” as well as a medley of other hits. Nas called Ghostface Killah his “favorite rapper” before he exited the stage and made sure fans were ready for Jill Scott.
Following Nas’ performance, Jill Scott closed out the show by commanding the main stage with fan-favorite tracks like “Cross My Mind” and “A Long Walk.” She also brought out The Roots for a passionate performance of “You Got Me.” Her powerful vocals and remarkable stage presence drew in fans of all ages who remained captivated by her set from start to finish.
On Sunday, the Roots Picnic continued to wow attendees with performances from artists such as Babyface, André 3000, and Adam Blackstone, as well as headliners Gunna and Lil Wayne & The Roots.
After a full day of entertainment, Gunna took the stage in front of thousands of fans to perform hits from his brand new album, One of Wun. He dominated the crowd by working every inch of the stage and connecting with fans from the beginning of his set to his final track, fan-favorite single “fukumean.” The “on one tonight” rapper undeniably brought the energy levels up as fans got prepared to see Lil Wayne & The Roots.
Finally, after much anticipation, Lil Wayne & The Roots closed out the 2024 Roots Picnic with a performance that still has thousands of talking days later. The “Love Me” rapper had all eyes on him when he stepped foot on stage and kicked off his set with “Mr. Carter.” He performed some of his most popular tracks like “Money on My Mind,” “Lollipop,” and “6 Foot 7 Foot.” Lil Wayne also covered “Pop That” by French Montana and “HYFR” by Drake before closing out the show with “A Milli.”
After another successful Roots Picnic, all fans are thinking about is who they might get to see when they return to Fairmount Park next year.
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