by Melissa Howsam | Feb 27, 2026 | Buzz, March 2026
Just one month out from what would have been the sixth session of Dreamville Festival, the chatter is reaching a fever pitch: Did the Dreamville dream die?
After announcing the OG April fest—which helped reignite Dix Park and put Raleigh on the global rap map—had hit snooze for good, Live Nation and Dreamville promised a new four-year fest under the label would rise in 2026, J. Cole included, headlining or not.
Now, just a month shy of D-day with no announcement in sight (as of press time), the mic has gone cold—and we’re all waiting for the “climb back.”
by Peyton Masilun | Apr 29, 2025 | Do, May 2025
A new four-year music festival is coming to Dix Park.
While this year’s Dreamville Festival may have marked the end of an era, the music will live on. On the eve of the fifth and final fest, city officials and Dreamville organizers confirmed a new four-year music festival is officially in the works. Same vibes, new chapter.
“We will continue on the same path that’s been successful for us,” said City Manager Marchell Adams-David when asked about the yet-to-be-named festival’s genre. And, whether or not he headlines, J. Cole will remain involved.
“It might not have a Dreamville name on it, but we will be back with this feel,” the rapper and Fayetteville native told the crowd during his headlining performance on the final day of Dreamville Fest. “… to me, this feels like a cookout, a family reunion. There’s so much love with this.”
Dreamville has truly lived up to its name, generating $10.5 million per day for the city last year alone—and the hope is the next act will be just as much of a hit. “The dream has become a reality,” said Adams-David. And Raleigh is going to keep on dreaming big.
