J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival Rescheduled For April; Artist Lineup Coming Soon

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J. Cole’s Dreamville festival, originally scheduled for Sept. 15 but called off as Hurricane Florence approached, has been rescheduled for April 6 at Dorothea Dix Park near downtown Raleigh, N.C., “after receiving unwavering support from the fans and the community,” according to the artist’s manager.

“We battled with the idea of moving forward with the festival at this time or formally cancelling the event. But after receiving unwavering support from the fans and the community, we are excited to announce Dreamville Festival will now take place on April 6, 2019,” said Ibrahim “IB” Hamad, President of Dreamville Records and J. Cole’s manager. “We are proud to say that Dreamville this spring will also serve as a benefit to hurricane victims in the Carolinas. We hope that fans in North Carolina and across the US will not only join in celebrating the very first Dreamville Festival, but also the resilience of this amazing community.”

The rescheduled event include a headlining performance from J. Cole but details surrounding a new music lineup will come later, a festival representative told Pollstar.

Fans who purchased tickets for the previous event date of Sept. 15 will have the option to keep their existing tickets for the new date or request a full refund by Oct. 5.

Previous ticket-buyers are encouraged to contact [email protected] for any questions regarding refunds for tickets purchased online or to contact [email protected] if they purchased their tickets through a verified festival street team member or outlet.

Anyone with questions about this refund process or a specific refund issue can contact festival directly at [email protected].

GA passes are available for purchase online now for $119, along with VIP packages, including JV VIP ($240), Varsity VIP ($289), and MVP VIP ($449). VIP ticket-holders will receive perks, including premium-viewing areas, expedited entry, dedicated bars and food vendors, private restroom facilities, festival merch, and more. Those interested are encouraged to act quickly and buy now as a limited amount of GA and VIP passes are still available for purchase.

The Dreamville Foundation, which was founded and continues to be operated by J. Cole and his Dreamville Records team, has also set up a special campaign to assist in relief efforts supporting the community, children and families affected by Hurricane Florence.

The relief effort from Dreamville Foundation will provide hot food stations throughout the city of Fayetteville and surrounding areas, as well as temporary housing options for families and the stocking of food pantries and shelters. Those interested in donating to the Dreamville Foundation’s relief efforts are encouraged to visit www.thedreamvillefoundation.org/hurricane-florence to donate to the cause.

Dreamville Festival will benefit both the Dreamville Foundation and Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy. Founded in 2011 by J.Cole, The Dreamville Foundation is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) created to “bridge the gap” between the worlds of opportunity and the urban youth of Fayetteville, North Carolina, through creating various programs and events that allow local youth to be “set up for success.”

Additionally, the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to support the city in its efforts, serve as its philanthropic partner, and help ensure the creation and long-term success of Dorothea Dix Park. For more information on each charity partner, please visit www.thedreamvillefoundation.org and dixpark.org, respectively.

Previously:

Michael Zorn / Invision / AP – J. Cole
J. Cole croons for the crowd at the Budweiser Made In America Festival at Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia Sept. 2.

J. Cole has announced that a hurricane warning has prompted the cancellation of his inaugural Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C.

The event was scheduled to take place at Dorothea Dix Park Sept. 15 and feature SZA, Big Sean, Young Thug, Nelly, Rich The Kid, and many more.

Hurricane Florence is raising serious alarms along the U.S. Atlantic coast. “A life threatening storm surge is likely along portions of the coastlines of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, and a Storm Surge Watch will likely be issued for some of these areas by Tuesday morning,” the National Hurricane Center wrote today. “Life-threatening freshwater flooding” and “Damaging hurricane-force winds” are also being predicted by the agency, which has categorized the Florence as a Category 4 hurricane.

“Mannn. Due to this Hurricane heading to NC, we have to cancel Dreamville Festival,” Cole wrote on Twitter. “We’re working to get another date, but right now safety is most important. I appreciate everybody that was headed to rock with us. 30,000 + were expected.”

The event was promoted by ScoreMore Shows, which was recently acquired by Live Nation.

“Rest assured, we are doing everything in our power to make this event happen at a later time and we hope to share details regarding a possible new event date as soon as we possibly can,” a statement from organizers sent to Pollstar read. “J. Cole, Dreamville, ScoreMore Shows, and our entire festival team have been working with the City of Raleigh for more than three years to bring this new music event to life, so this is without a doubt one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make. We know that many of you traveled from out of town, and that you too share in our disappointment. At the end of the day though, we truly love and care about our fans, and their safety and security will always be our number one priority.”

All tickets will be 100 percent refunded according to the organizers.

J. Cole grossed just shy of $27 million on his last North American run, according to ICM Partners agent Robert Gibbs told Pollstar, while Dreamville label artists “J.I.D and Earthgang are playing everywhere from El Paso, Texas, to Salt Lake City – to Minneapolis, to Calgary, Alberta. So when we talk about hip hop hitting markets and growing, these guys are a prime example.” Pollstar has J. Cole’s worldwide 2017 touring grossing $35.6 million, putting him at No. 60 on the Year End Top 100 Worldwide chart.