America’s latest hip-hop mogul, Jay-Z, has created yet another successful entertainment venture. Partnering with America’s most iconic adult beverage, Budweiser, The Budweiser Made In America Music Festival bows for a second year this Labor Day weekend. Taking over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in the heart of the Art Museum Area for two days, the festival hosts a melange of the country’s hottest musical acts from a mix of genres and styles.
This is a must see event which was attended by over 50,000 people last year. It is expected to be an even bigger affair this year with over 30 musical acts, headlined on opening day by Jay-Z’s partner, the incomparable Beyonce. The Nine Inch Nails will headline the 2nd festival day on Sunday, September 1st. Jay-Z himself headlined the festival last year and considered doing so again for the 2nd annual event. However, it was decided that keeping the line-up fresh and different would be important to the overall goals of the event. But, fans should keep their eyes open considering he will likely attend his wife’s performance and generally be around as the organizer of the event.
The complete line up:
DAY ONE, Saturday August 31st
- Redlight
- Rudimental
- Mord Fustang
- TJR
- Porter Robinson
- Wolfgang Gartner
- Haim
- Walk The Moon
- A$AP Rocky
- Emeli Sande
- Public Enemy
- 2 Chainz
- Imagine Dragons
- Empire of the Sun
- Phoenix
- DeadMau5
- BEYONCE
DAY TWO, Sunday September 1st
- Jesse Rose
- Robert DeLong
- GTA
- Alunageorge
- Feed Me
- AB-Soul
- Jay Rock
- Schoolboy Q
- Fitz & The Tantrums
- The Gaslight Anthem
- Nero
- Solange
- Kendrick Lamar
- Miguel
- Wiz Khalifa
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Queens of the Stone Age
- Calvin Harris
- NINE INCH NAILS
Tickets could potentially sell out and are currently available through Ticketmaster at $89.50 for a single day pass and $117 for 2-day passes. VIP packages cost $499. + Fees on all tickets. As each level of tickets does sell out, prices are subject to change. Each day offers a little bit of something for almost all musical tastes and will be well worth the price of admission.
Admission begins each day at noon and there is no reentry if you leave the grounds. Food trucks and fair food will be available on-site as well as hydration stations with free water.
This may only be the second year for the Budweiser Made In America Music Festival, but it is clearly a phenomenon that will live on for many years to come. American movie-making icons Ron Howard and Brian Grazer shot footage throughout the inaugural festival last year for a documentary. The “Made in America” doc will premiere one week after this year’s music festival at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 7. Howard’s documentary has been described by TIFF as “a love letter not only to Jay Z and his unique project, but also to the city of Philadelphia.”
