2024 Cincinnati Music Festival

2024 Cincinnati Music Festival

2024 Cincinnati Music Festival tickets are now on sale

The Cincinnati Music Festival is traditionally known as Cincinnati Jazz Fest or the Cincinnati Jazz Festival. The festival will occur along the Ohio River at Paycor Stadium, where the Cincinnati Bengals play. Patrons can purchase tickets online.

Looking for something? Use the table of contents below to jump ahead to a specific section:

• Lineup
• Tickets
• Travel
• 2023 Recap
• Performer Bios
• Entering Paycor Stadium
• Additional Excursions

The lineup for the 2024 Cincinnati Music Festival

Thursday, July 25

• MC Lyte
• EPMD
• KRS-One
• Black Sheep
• DJ Vader

Friday, July 26

• Maxwell
• Ne-Yo
• Fantasia
• October London

Saturday, July 27

• New Edition
• Kem
• Stokley
• En Vogue
• Coco Jones

Tickets to the Cincinnati Music Festival

2024 Cincinnati Music Festival tickets are on sale now. Ticket prices range from $65 for general admission tickets to $250+ for VIP tickets. Tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster on December 16 at 10 a.m.

BUY TICKETS

To buy tickets directly through the Santangelo Group, Inc., call 513-924-0900. Office hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday. Please note a 3% credit card fee and a $5 per ticket charge.

Travel to the Cincinnati Music Festival

How can I travel to Cincinnati?

By Car: The Queen City is less than a half-day car ride from 60% of the US population. Travelers can use Interstates I-75, I-71, and I-74.

By Bus: Greyhound offers the largest intercity bus service. The Cincinnati Greyhound station is located in Arlington Heights.

By Train: Amtrak’s Cardinal Line stops in Cincinnati and travels thrice a week between New York and Chicago. Amtrak offers Coach and Business Class seating or Viewline bedroom accommodations. Amtrak is located inside Union Terminal on the western edge of downtown Cincinnati.

By Plane: Cincinnati, Ohio, is within 500 miles or a one-hour flight of 60% of the US population. Nearby airports in the Midwest include Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Lexington. The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) has 150 daily departures with nonstop connections to around 50 destinations.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport travelers can now access a new taxicab service. CVG has partnered with zTrip to provide a new service that combines the safety standards of traditional taxi services with the convenience of ride-hailing apps like Uber.

Where should I stay in Cincinnati?

• Check out these downtown hotel deals in Cincinnati, CVG Airport, and Newport on the Levee. Consider the Hampton Inn & Suites, Hyatt Regency, the Westin, the Renaissance, or another option.
• Not finding a hotel? Check the area’s air BnBs to make the stay more intimate.

2023 Cincinnati Music Festival Recap

About the Cincinnati Music Festival Performers

About MC Lyte

MC Lyte is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a full solo album with 1988’s critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.

The album spawned the singles “10% Dis” and “Paper Thin”. In 1989, she joined the supergroup Stop the Violence Movement and appeared on the single “Self Destruction,” the inaugural number-one single on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.

Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About EPMD

EPMD is an American hip-hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo’s name is a concatenation of the members’ names “E” and “PMD” or an acronym for “Erick and Parrish Making Dollars,” referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon (“E” a.k.a. E Double) and Parrish Smith (“PMD” a.k.a. Parrish Mic Doc).

EPMD also had a feel for a good groove and created numerous hip-hop classics, including “It’s My Thing,” “You Gots to Chill,” “Get the Bozack,” “Strictly Business,” and “Rampage.”

Wikipedia

About KRS-One

KRS-One (an abbreviation of “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone”) is an American rapper from the South Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions, which he formed with DJ Scott La Rock in the mid-1980s. KRS-One is known for his songs “Sound of da Police,” “Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love),” and “My Philosophy.”

KRS-One is politically active, having started the Stop the Violence Movement after La Rock’s death. He is also a vegan activist, expressed in songs like “Beef.” He is widely considered an influence on many hip-hop artists.

Website | Wikipedia | Instagram | Twitter

About Black Sheep

Black Sheep is an American hip-hop duo from Queens, New York, United States, composed of Andres “Dres” Vargas Titus and William “Mista Lawnge” McLean. The duo was from New York but met as teenagers in Sanford, North Carolina, where their families relocated.

After getting together in 1989, Black Sheep debuted in 1991 with the hit song “Flavor of the Month.” They later released its first album, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, which gained them praise and recognition in the hip-hop community for the album’s unique rhythms and intelligent, often humorous lyrics.

Wikipedia

About DJ Vader

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kenyatta Smith, aka DJ Vader, grew up literally digging through the crates of records in his parents’ collection, which included a variety of genres, including soul, jazz, funk, techno, pop, disco, and, of course, hip hop.

He started DJ’n in 1992, spinning at house parties and producing mixtapes for friends. DJ Vader is the winner of 2021 and 2022 DJ of the Year in Cincinnati and a two-time winner of “Cincinnati’s Best DJ” competition.

Website | Facebook 

About Maxwell

Gerald Maxwell Rivera, known mononymously as Maxwell, rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)” and “Sumthin’ Sumthin.'” Gaining mainstream success, his recordings have since been cited by music critics for helping popularize the “neo-soul” movement during the 1990s.

He has won three Grammy Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards, and two NAACP Image Awards. Rivera received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Congressional Black Caucus in 2019.

Website | Wikipedia | Facebook| Instagram | Twitter

About Ne-Yo

Shaffer Chimere Smith, known professionally as Ne-Yo, is regarded as a leading figure of 2000’s R&B music. Throughout his career, he received different accolades, including three Grammy Awards.

In 2021, Ne-Yo competed as Badger in the second season of The Masked Singer UK and finished in second place. His ninth album, Self Explanatory, was released on July 15, 2022.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Ne-Yo has sold 29 million certified albums and singles in the United States. Billboard ranked “Give Me Everything” and “Knock You Down” among the Greatest Songs of the Summer.

Website | Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Fantasia

Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor, known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is a singer and actress. She rose to prominence in the third season of American Idol, becoming that season’s winner. She has received several awards, including a Grammy Award with nominations for a Golden Globe Award and three American Music Awards.s

Following her victory, Barrino became the second woman to have her first single debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, following Lauryn Hill, when her debut single, “I Believe,” launched atop the chart.

She portrayed Celie Johnson, replacing LaChanze, in the Broadway musical The Color Purple from 2007 to 2008, which earned her a Theatre World Award. She is set to make her feature film debut, reprising the role of Celie in the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple, which has earned her a Golden Globe nomination and an award from the Critics Choice Association.

Website | Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter 

About October London

October London is an old-soul singer and songwriter whose smooth, heartfelt vocals recall R&B giants of the past like Sam Cooke and especially Marvin Gaye. London, a native of South Bend, Indiana, arrived in July 2016 with a featured role on “Revolution,” the triumphant finale of Snoop Dogg’s Coolaid.

Later that month, London made his solo debut with “Black Man in America,” a bluesy retro-soul single filled with anguish, through veteran producer Jazze Pha’s Cadillac Music label.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About New Edition

New Edition is an American R&B/pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson 5. The group reached popularity in the 1980s and is the blueprint for the modern boy band.

On September 24, 2023, in Farmington Hill, Michigan, New Edition was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. On November 6, 2023, New Edition announced a Vegas residency at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas in early 2024, from February 28 through March 9.

Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Kem

Kim Owens, better known by his stage name Kem, is an R&B/Soul songwriter and producer. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Kem was raised in Pontiac, Michigan. Kem wrote, produced, and financed his self-released debut album, Kemistry, with his American Express card and by singing top 40 cover tunes in a wedding band and waiting tables.

Kem was signed by Motown Records in November 2001. The label re-released the album on February 25, 2003. It sold over 500,000 copies nationwide and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

On August 25, 2014, Kem released his fourth studio album, Promise to Love. During the fourth season, he performed the Grammy-nominated song “Nobody” from the album on the syndicated daytime talk show Steve Harvey. On August 28, 2020, he released his fifth studio album, Love Always Wins, which includes the singles “Lie To Me” and “Live Out Your Love” featuring Toni Braxton.

Website | Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Stokley

Stokley Williams, also known simply as Stokley, is a singer, record producer, and percussionist best known as the lead singer and studio drummer of the band Mint Condition.

In 2011, he was featured on Kelly Price’s song “Not My Daddy” from her album Kelly, which earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance. In March 2020, Stokley made his first #1 solo hit, with “She…” going number #1 on the Adult R&B Chart (Billboard) for two consecutive weeks.

Website | Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About En Vogue

En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose current lineup consists of singers Terry Ellis, Rhona Bennett, and Cindy Herron. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single “Hold On,” taken from their 1990 debut album Born to Sing.

En Vogue has sold 20 million records worldwide. The group has won seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Soul Train Awards, two American Music Awards, and seven Grammy nominations.

Website | Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Coco Jones

Coco Jones is an American singer-songwriter and actress raised in Lebanon, Tennessee. She was first featured in Disney properties such as Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing, Let It Shine, and Good Luck Charlie.

Jones then began pursuing a recording career in 2014. Her single, “ICU,” entered the Billboard Hot 100, received platinum certification, and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. The award was among five total nominations she received at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, including herself as a Best New Artist nominee.

In 2022, she was cast as the star of the Peacock series Bel-Air. Her other accolades include a BET Award and an NAACP Image Award.

Website | Wikipedia | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Entering Paycor Stadium

Where should I park downtown?

Parking lots surrounding Paycor Stadium, downtown Cincinnati, and Northern Kentucky will be open. Most lots will open at 5:30 p.m. each night. Various parking options are available near Carew Tower or the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Cincy EZ Park allows you to pay for online meter parking from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday – Saturday and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Take Cincinnati METRO to the venue. Get real-time updates with the METRO App.

The Cincinnati Bell Connector is a free three-mile circulator that can quickly move concert-goes through our downtown.

What are the accessibility options for the Cincinnati Music Festival?

Paycor Stadium DOES NOT ALLOW the following items:

• Alcoholic beverages, beverage containers, bottles, and cans, except for unopened bottled water
• Obscene or indecent clothing
• Recording equipment
• Illegal substances
• Umbrellas
• Backpacks
• Seat cushions
• Binocular case
• Laser pointers
• Noise-making device
• Weapons of any kind

Additional Excursions

Where can I eat during the Cincinnati Music Festival?

• Try a famous three-way or cheese coney at Skyline Chili
• Check out over 70 Cincinnati Black-owned Restaurants, Eateries, and Food Trucks around the City.
• The following Black-owned restaurants are located in the Downtown/OTR area:

–Black Coffee Lounge
–BOL
–Nola Kitchen
–Ollie’s Trolley
–Pata Roja Taqueria
–Soul Secrets
–The Frost Factory

What else can I do in Cincinnati during the 2024 Cincinnati Music Festival?

Shopping

• Check out Black-owned clothing boutiques in Cincinnati
• Go shopping in OTR at Findlay Market
• Explore further shopping at Rookwood Commons or Kenwood Mall

Entertainment

• Get lucky at the Hard Rock Casino
• Enjoy the nightlife venues that the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County have to offer on the weekends.

Museums and Historical Sites

• Explore Black Cincinnati with Black historic sites around the city.
• Tour the city with public art and history tours for African Americans.
• Get tickets to the Cincinnati Museum Center.
• Visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
• Check out the American Sign Museum
• Experience the art at the Taft Museum of Art, Contemporary Arts Center, 21C Museum Hotel, or Cincinnati Art Museum.

Zoos, Aquariums, Parks, and Botanical Gardens

• Visit the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Discounted tickets are available for SNAP cardholders at the zoo membership office.
• Visit the Newport Aquarium 
• See the nature collections of Krohn Conservatory in Mt. Adams
• Check out one of the Cincinnati Parks

See what’s happening during the Cincinnati Music Festival weekend.

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Cincinnati Music Festival travel information provided by Cincinnati USA

Photo provided by Cincinnati Music Festival