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Jay-Z is in a Empire Brotherly Love state of mind.
The annual Roots Picnic Festival just announced that the Hip-Hop legend will headline night one of their annual two-day festival at Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau on Saturday, May 30.
This gig will be his first time onstage since he performed just “Crazy In Love” at Beyoncé’s Paris ‘Cowboy Carter’ concert in June 2025.
Prior to that, Hov’s last full show was also in Paris when he delivered a 22-song set at an event celebrating a new Basquiat and Warhol exhibit at Fondation Louis Vuitton on April 14, 2023. According to Set List FM, notable tracks to make the cut that evening included “Excuse Me Miss,” “Encore,” “Publice Service Announcement,” “No Church In The Wild” and, of course “Empire State Of Mind.”
In regards to the Roots Picnic Festival, at the time of publication, the only other announced headliner is The Roots, who curate the festival.
Last year, Questlove, Black Thought and co. rocked 18 songs when they headlined. Fan favorites like “Proceed,” “Mellow My Man” and “Silent Treatment” were just a few of the tunes the ensemble busted out in a celebration of the 30th anniversary of their 1995 album “Do You Want More?!!!??!”
More acts for 2026 — which is slated to take place at the Belmont Plateau for the first time after a six-year run at Philly’s Fairmount Park — will be announced at a later date.
“Moving the Roots Picnic to Belmont Plateau and bringing JAŸ-Z and The Roots together to perform are both bucket-list moments for us,” Shawn Gee, The Roots’ manager and president of Live Nation Urban, shared in a statement. “After meeting with Mayor Cherelle Parker and hearing her vision for Philadelphia 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.”
Tickets officially go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 20 at 10 am local time through Ticketmaster but are available now on trusted secondary market sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats.
We only recommend sites with a 100% buyer guarantee, so you know your transaction is safe and your tickets will arrive on time.
Roots Picnic Festival tickets
All single and multi-day Roots Picnic options, dates and links to buy tickets are listed below.
Jay Z set list
As mentioned above, the chart-topping Brooklyn native last played a full concert in Paris on April 14, 2023. This is what Set List FM reported he brought that evening.
01.) “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” (Ye cover)
02.) “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is …)”
03.) “Can’t Knock the Hustle”
04.) “Never Change”
05.) “Allure”
06.) “Empire State of Mind” (1 Night In Paris Version)
07.) “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)”
08.) “GOD DID” (DJ Khaled cover)
09.) “No Church in the Wild” (JAY Z & Kanye West cover)
10.) “Family Feud”
11.) “Excuse Me Miss”
12.) “Can I Live”
13.) “Hovi Baby”
14.) “Sweet”
15.) “American Dreamin'”
16.) “Oceans”
17.) “F—withmeyouknowigotit”
18.) “N—-s in Paris” (JAY Z & Kanye West cover)
19.) “U Don’t Know”
20.) “Public Service Announcement”
21.) “Thank You”
Huge Hip-Hop headliners on tour in 2026
If you can’t make it to Philly to see Jay-Z and The Roots live, there’s no need to freak.
Many of the biggest names of the game will be out and about all year long.
Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss IRL.
• J. Cole
• Kid Cudi
Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of all the biggest concert tours in 2026 to find the show for you.
Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
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