The 2026 Roots Picnic Lineup Features Independent Artists Corinne Bailey Rae, Bilal, Joe Kay, And More

Philadelphia’s beloved music festival is back! Yesterday (March 20), Roots Picnic organizers rolled out this year’s jam-packed lineup. When Roots Picnic 2026 takes over Belmont Plateau (the festival’s new home), ticket holders will be treated to headlining performances from Jay-Z on May 30 and Erykah Badu on May 31.

As part of his highly anticipated set, Jay-Z is taking a step back into his creative time machine. During his performance, Jay-Z will use the allotted time on stage to pay homage to his acclaimed debut album, Reasonable Doubt, to celebrate the body of work’s 30th anniversary.

In a statement, the president of Live Nation Urban and The Roots’ manager, Shawn Gee, expressed his excitement regarding Jay-Z’s upcoming set and the festival’s new performance home.

“Moving the Roots Picnic to Belmont Plateau and bringing Jay-Z and The Roots together to perform are both bucket-list moments for us,” said Gee. “After meeting with Mayor Cherelle Parker and hearing her vision for Philly 250, she truly inspired us to dream even bigger, and we’re grateful to her, Commissioner Susan Slawson, Jazelle Jones and everyone who helped make it happen. We can’t wait to see everyone in May at the Plat.”

Although Erykah Badu hasn’t teased what her headlining set will consist of, last year the Grammy Award-winning singer celebrated the 25th anniversary of her groundbreaking album, Mama’s Gun.

The 2026 Roots Picnic lineup features several notable independent recording artists, including Corinne Bailey Rae, Bilal, Joe Kay, Destin Conrad, Sasha Keable, and more.

Roots Picnic 2026 is scheduled to take place on May 30, 2026, and May 31, 2026, at the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tickets for the festival are on sale now. Find more information here.

Continue below to view the poster and full lineup for Roots Picnic 2026.