This past weekend, all roads led to The Mann at Fairmont Park in Philadelphia for the 2025 Roots Picnic. Launched by the Grammy-award winning hip-hop group The Roots in 2007, the latest installment proved that this multi-day festival was curated with intention.
Things kicked off officially on Friday, May 30, with Roots PicnicCon which featured conversations and panels across topics like music education, financial literacy, tech, and health and wellness. Live Nation Urban’s LGBTQ+ platform, “Houses of Luv” and Philadelphia native and Vice President of Philly Black Pride, Jacen Bowman, teamed up to bring back Roots Picnic Pride for its second year, expanding the celebration of Black queer artistry and community while highlighting the vibrant intersection of hip-hop and ballroom culture.
Although heavy rains and strong winds attempted to dampen the vibes on Saturday, May 31, thousands of attendees braved the elements, dawning ponchos and other protective gear to ensure the fun continued. Also, the day’s musical acts made sure they put their best foot forward to give their fans an experience to remember.
UK soul singer Elmiene kicked things off on the Fairmount Park Stage as the crowd sang along to hits like “Mama” as he thanked the crowd for staying with him, after lengthy delays in the overall festival set times. He was followed by GloRilla, who rocked long turquoise tresses as she and her backup dancers performed “FNF,” “I Love Her,” and more. Atlanta rapper, Jeezy, brought the energy as he rocked the Mann stage while taking us all back with live versions of “Soul Survivor,” “All There,” and his standout verse on Shawty Lo’s “Dey Know.” As night fell, Nigerian-born songstress Tems took us to the Mother Continent by way of her sultry vocals. The day ended with the smooth vocals of Miguel followed by the legendary Maxwell—a last minute addition after D’Angelo had to cancel his set. Both singers reminded us that the mic is always on.
On Sunday, June 1, the concert Gods blessed the city with sunny skies and perfect temperature, which meant a 180-degree turn from the previous day’s experience. Gates opened on-time at 1 pm, and foodies and music fans alike excitedly made their way back to the festival grounds for another round. The weather shift also meant increased lines for this year’s dozens of food vendors—many of which were Black women. Among them were 17-year-old Mayonna Joseph, the owner of Philadelphia-based Tinga Finga Food Truck, which served up her signature salmon cheesesteak egg rolls with tinga sauce, garlic Parmesan wings, and more. Other standout vendors included Tasties, known for its fish fried rice and baked mac & cheese, Aunt et Uncles,which cooked up vegan comfort staples like jerk BBQ mushrooms and smash burgers, Juiced by B who whipped up fresh-pressed juices on site, as well as dessert truck and first-time festival vendor, K’Tor Étair which offered sweet treats like her strawberry lemonade mini cakes.
“You spend your money at festivals to see great artists, but you also deserve to get great food, too,” Taalib Din, Festival Producer at Live Nation who hand-selected many of the 2025 food vendors, shared. “For me, it’s about giving people good food to eat.”
As for the musical acts, it was a day filled with star-studded performances of epic proportions. Newcomer, Laila! performed her viral song “Like That!” on the Mann stage, to which she shared, “I’m just so excited to be here performing today.” Pusha T and Malice, joined Black Thought on the Fairmont Stage for a masterclass in lyricism, with each rapper showing why they’ve achieved longevity in their careers. 2 Chainz gave Black Thought his flowers as his reminded the crowd to get their phones out because “this is a rappin a** dude.”
Throughout the afternoon, festival goers bounced between the two main performance stages to hear folks like DC’s The Backyard Band with a surprise mini set from Cee-Lo and Adam Blackstone, who brought out Jagged Edge and Total. Between acts, folks could be seen posting up at one of the many activations, including a fan karaoke session in the Toyota Music Den and the chance to recreate your own television scenes at the Starz BMF lounge. Grand Marnier’s Remixed Chateau invited guests to sip elevated cocktails, explore a bold lounge blending Philly roots with French flair, and capture their festival moments with a signature twist.
As the evening commenced, the vibes turned up even more. Rock & Roll great, Lenny Kravitz, blessed fans with a set to remember. “Lenny Kravitz at Roots Picnic will go down as one of the greatest, most impactful sets ever. People were literally crying,” attendee Terrance Barnhill wrote on social media. Festival pioneers, The Roots, got lots of hometown love during their set. Seats were filled to the brim in the outdoor amphitheater as everyone bobbed and rapped along to their favorite songs.
Immediately after, Grammy-winning DJ, Kaytranada, got everyone on their feet as he spun an energetic set of remixes and original sounds. And, if that all wasn’t enough, Philly’s own Meek Mill closed out the 2025 Roots Picnic on the main stage. It was a full circle moment and reminder of why The Roots created this long-running event—to showcase the beauty and talent that was birthed on the very soil in which this yearly fest is held.