J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival is going out with a bang in 2025, enlisting a lineup of hip-hop and R&B heavyweights for its fifth and final edition. The two-day festival returns to Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 5–6, 2025. Day 1 will be headlined by rap icon Lil Wayne, who’s bringing along his reunited Hot Boys crew (Juvenile, B.G., and Turk) plus Big Tymers (Birdman & Mannie Fresh), with Atlanta’s own 21 Savage also topping the Saturday bill. On Day 2, Dreamville founder J. Cole will close out the festival as he traditionally does, joined by neo-soul legend Erykah Badu for a co-headlining set Sunday night. It’s a star-studded send-off worthy of the Dreamville legacy.
The supporting roster is just as impressive. Nigerian singer Tems, R&B hitmaker Keyshia Cole (celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut The Way It Is), Memphis rapper GloRilla, D.C. rap veteran Wale, and Dreamville’s own soulful songstress Ari Lennox are all slated to perform across the weekend. Organizers unveiled the full lineup only a few weeks before showtime, building anticipation for what’s billed as the festival’s grand finale. “Our team looks forward to welcoming fans from around the world to Dreamville Festival this spring for our fifth anniversary celebration,” said Dreamville Festival president Adam Roy. The festival launched in 2019 and quickly grew into one of Raleigh’s largest events, drawing about 100,000 attendees each year it’s been held.
Ticket packages for the two-day event went on sale and have been in high demand. General admission weekend passes start around $299, with VIP options that included extras like viewing areas and lounges (many premium tiers are already sold out, with waitlists available). Fans lucky enough to snag passes will witness history – J. Cole has confirmed that after 2025, Dreamville Fest will be retired. Cole founded the fest with the vision of a communal space for fans to come together, and this final chapter stays true to that spirit. From Lil Wayne’s era-defining hits to Erykah Badu’s soulful classics – not to mention J. Cole performing on his home turf – Dreamville’s last hurrah is poised to be an emotional, celebratory weekend capping off a memorable five-year run.
