Dreamville Festival 2025 was less of a music festival and more of a family reunion. The kind where the grill's hot, cousins you haven't seen in years pull up in their best fits, and the soundtrack is nothing but classics and new heat alike. Set against the pristine backdrop of perfect spring weather in Raleigh, North Carolina, the two-day celebration brought together roughly 100,000 cumulative fans for a weekend that felt as joyous and spacious as your auntie's backyard on the 4th of July.
For its fifth and (allegedly) final installment, the lineup alone was enough for no hesitation to plan this trip with the squad. J.I.D., EarthGang, Bas and Ari Lennox put on for the home team Dreamville collective, whereas Tems, Erykah Badu, Ludacris, GloRilla, BigXThaPlug, and Lil Wayne with the Hot Boys made everyone feel right at home. There is no need to mention the mastery in performance and storytelling from J. Cole closing out a perfect weekend in Raleigh. It was a nonstop showcase of talent from legends to rising stars, all moving with a certain gratitude and warmth that mirrored the crowd’s energy.
The unmatched aura from Erykah Badu has no boundaries. She reminded everyone why she is the Godmother of Soul at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina for Dreamville Fest on April 6, 2025.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
One of the most beautiful things about Dreamville Fest is the way it doesn't just highlight music, it centers community. All throughout Dorothea Dix Park, you felt it. Dreamville merch from past festival installments and Dreamville jerseys — basketball and baseball alike — were scattered across the festival grounds. From the local food vendors giving out generous plates, to the fans dancing barefoot in the grass, to the playful moments in branded activations spread throughout, the vibe was a love-forward display of Black joy in motion: sunny, effortless and healing.
Performance-wise it was hard to choose standouts, but a few figuratively shook the ground (and, in some cases, literally). Ludacris hit the stage like he had something to prove, running through 25 years of hits rocking a U.N.C. Carolina Blue Jordan jersey with the precision and charisma of a seasoned showman. Lil Wayne and the Hot Boys’ iconic performance felt like a time machine moment, with the entire park erupting for every verse; it was the proper close to day one of Dreamville Festival 2025.
Ludacris rolls through timeless hits of his 25 year catalog at Dreamville Fest at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 5, 2025.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
Tunechi knows how to put on a performance for the people. Lil Wayne rocks the mix at Dreamville Fest at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 5, 2025.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
Day two, however, was where it was really at. GloRilla’s set had an electric, raw energy that had the crowd moving in unison — like she’d been a Dreamville staple for years. Having one of the biggest crowds of the weekend, she had every attendee in the palm of her hand. EARTHGANG brought everyone together with an animated, unpredictable set that felt like organized chaos in the best way. There was the ethereal presence of Tems, gracious in all her moments with enchanting vocals that can be heard clearly across the park. And then there was nothing like Erykah Badu, effortlessly reminding everyone that there is no replacing a soul who moves in their own orbit.
EarthGang put on for the city of Atlanta for Dreamville Fest 2025. Doctur Dot and Johnny Venus out on a show at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 6, 2025.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
Tems stuns for her closing set at her first festival of the year. She ran through a variety of her hits at Dreamville Fest at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 6, 2025.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
But no moment felt more like home than J. Cole closing the festival. Welcomed like a hometown hero, Cole’s presence on stage was calm, confident and deeply emotional. You could tell he was grateful not just for the turnout, but for what the festival has become: a space where music, family and culture meet with no pretense. The embrace he shared with Badu, when she joined him for his Friday Night Lights opener “Too Deep for the Intro” (which sampled Badu’s own Mama’s Gun classic, “Didn't Cha Know"), felt like a moment in time that the crowd would never forget.
Cole World, no blanket. J. Cole knew exactly how to close out the final Dreamville Fest in his city. He performed timeless hits from his entire catalogue at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 6, 2025.
Dreamville Festival 2025 was more than a show — it was a reminder of how powerful Black creativity can be when it’s nurtured and celebrated. It’s not just about who’s on stage. It’s about who’s in the crowd, who’s next up, and who’s coming back next year.
This didn’t feel like a one-off event; it felt like tradition. While this is the last of Dreamville Festival in its current iteration, J. Cole announced this would not be the end of this annual celebration.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
BigXThaPlug performs on stage at Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 6, 2025.
