Washington, D.C.’s beloved music festival, Broccoli City, is officially back. But there are some notable changes. While Broccoli City as a brand will remain operational, for its 2026 installment, organizers are rolling out its new event banner, Holding Hands.
On September 19, R&B lovers are in for a treat with Broccoli City’s inaugural Holding Hands: An R&B Experience event. Held at Jiffy Lube Live, fans are invited to experience performers from headliner Summer Walker, KWN, Elimene, and Destin Conrad.
Other notable Holding Hands attractions include genre curators R&B Only‘s and Club 1BD‘s involvement.
In between performances, festivalgoers will enjoy live DJ sets from a lineup to be revealed later. Ticket holders can also browse the ground’s art installations and activations, food vendor village, and more.
Prior to unveiling its lineup, organizers shared a note about its condensed and hyperfocused reinvention.
“Broccoli City has always been bigger than a festival,” read the note. “We’ve always stood on our core principles of community, accessibility, and impact. This year, we’re reimagining what that looks like.”
The letter to supporters closed, “Our festival isn’t going anywhere—we’re just doing it differently this year, and we’re excited to introduce an installment that reflects everything we stand for.”
Broccoli City dates back to 2010 but wasn’t fully established as a music festival until 2013. By 2017, the event had become one of Washington, D.C.’s premiere outdoor programs. Last year, organizers broke from their traditional programming model to partner with Chris Brown to throw a pregame for his Breezy Bowl Tour stop in D.C. To serve their local audience, Broccoli City held a communal block party filled with festivities. Then closed with a collaborative event alongside Trap Karaoke.
Broccoli City 2026’s “Holding Hands: An R&B Experience,” presented by AT&T, is scheduled to take place on September 19, 2026, at Jiffy Lube Live in Gainesville, Virginia. Find more information here.
Continue below to view the poster and full lineup for Broccoli City 2026’s Holding Hands.
Broccoli City 2026’s Holding Hands Lineup
Summer Walker
KWN
Elmiene
Destin Conrad
R&B Only (J. Rich & Jabari)
Club 1BD (Smacks)
Broccoli City 2026’s Holding Hands Poster
