The 2023 Dreamville Festival went out with a bang. Day 2 of the weekend-long festivities brought sunny Carolina blue skies and the perfect temps to keep the vibes going in Raleigh's Dorthea Dix Park.
Much like day 1, festival goers took advantage of the many art installations and photo-worthy backdrops around the grounds. From the fully-functioning Ferris wheel that lit up in a full spectrum of color—especially against the night sky—to the tropical-inspired swing at the Patron pop-up bar and lounge. There were also murals commissioned by local artists to celebrate the weekend, too.
As for the performances, it was a movie. We were in the building again for the second half of the 2023 Dreamville Festival, and have the best moments from the day. Check out some of our standouts below.
Burna Boy brings Nigeria to North Carolina
Making his first appearance in North Carolina ever, Burna Boy brought a piece of his homeland to the triangle. Accompanied by a group of women adorned in all white—the Nigerian artist did not hold back on showing us the beauty of West Africa through music and instruments. Sporting a black mesh top with a white tank and gray fitted pants, Burna Boy told the multi-thousand person crowd, he'd never seen anything like this. From upbeat rhythms that featured live traditional drumming to the intricate footwork that Afrobeats inspire—this set did was definitely one for the culture.
Summer Walker puts us in our feelings
One of the most stunning sets of the weekend, singer Summer Walker had an all white stage set-up with couches, drapes and even a mini staircase. The Girls Need Love songstress had us in our feelings as she sang more of her mellow hits like Session 32—as her guitarist sat next to her—and popular hit, Unloyal. Midway through her time, she did a brief intermission where she got the crowd hype with guest rapper 6lack to perform a few of his hits as well. This really set the theme for the rest of the evening, with the key word being—surprise!
Drake and J. Cole go out with a bang—literally
As the mastermind behind the 2023 Dreamville Festival, rapper J. Cole reminded attendees why his event is so special. Hitting the stage promptly at 9:15pm, the Fayetville, North Carolina emcee got the crowd bouncing from the first beat drop. As you looked into the crowd, it was literally a never-ending sea of people and cell phone lights. One word, magical. After performing classics like Power Trip and Middle Child, he did a mini set with his entire Dreamville camp consisting of Earthgang, Lute, JID, and more. But, this wasn't just J. Cole's night, as his co-headliner was none other than the Champagne Papi—Drake.
The OVO CEO immediately captured the crowd, as it was his first appearance in North Carolina in nearly a decade. He took things back to the beginning for his day one fans, and of course, threw in more recent hits, too. But, in true Drake fashion, the rapper had a few tricks up his sleeve. The Toronto-born entertainer brought out YMCMB lead man Lil Wayne for a few hits and a mini solo set, as well as Glorilla—who missed her initial set time—Lil Uzi, and recent album mate 21 Savage.
The absolutely insane performances and surprises ended with Drake calling J. Cole on stage, to which he asked the crowd to sing Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You to the Dreamville creator as a thank you for such an amazing weekend. Cole performed one final hit before a fireworks display closed the 2-day event out.
Check out more exclusive images from the 2023 Dreamville Festival below. Images were shot by photographer Cornell Watson for EBONY.
