Another year, another Roots Picnic on the books. This year, the legendary Roots crew staged the almost decades-old festival at Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau, assembling a lineup that offered the best of both hip-hop and R&B across a seamless two days.
It’s no small undertaking what Questlove, Black Thought and the rest of the hometown heroes accomplish with the annual event, and 2026 was no exception. Jay-Z delivered a historic return to the stage as a headliner on Saturday night, backed by the Roots, bringing New York flair to Philly while honoring some of its most viable artists. (Read Variety‘s review here.) As he traipsed through his greatest hits, “Empire State of Mind” and “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” among them, he also showcased the breadth of talent borne out of Philly, with guests including Jazmine Sullivan, Bilal, Meek Mill and the lot of his Roc-A-Fella crew: Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Memphis Bleek and Young Gunz.
But Jay-Z’s headlining set wasn’t the only standout of the two-day festival, which concluded on Sunday evening with a reality-bending performance from Erykah Badu. Below are some of the greatest things Variety saw across the weekend.
Kehlani Bet on Herself With Her Performance
