The 45th annual AFRAM Festival returns in-person following a two-year hybrid model. Taking place at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore on Juneteenth weekend, the festival will center R&B.
The legendary O’Jays will be joined by El DeBarge, Ne-Yo, and Rotimi, along with melodic rapper Yung Bleu and gospel sensation Le’Andria Johnson.
“I am incredibly excited to be welcoming residents and visitors back to the historic Druid Hill Park for the return of one of Baltimore’s most time-honored traditions, AFRAM,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott shared in a statement. “To further highlight the black excellence that is AFRAM, I am proud to announce that we are moving the festival to the Juneteenth weekend. Thank you to Baltimore City Recreation & Parks for all they did to continue to hold AFRAM amid the pandemic and their tireless work to bring the live festival back to the City this year with an amazing lineup. The return of AFRAM is another signal that Baltimore is back.”
Ne-Yo and Bleu recently collaborated on “Walk Through The Fire” and “Stay Down,” so fans may very well get a special treat since they’re both scheduled to perform on June 18. The O’Jays released their final album, The Last Word, in 2019. In regards to the LP, Eddie Levert stated, “I look at what is going on in the world and not much seems to have changed from when we first started doing this. We are still dealing with the same issues. On this album, we addressed those issues as well as the intolerance we see coming out of the Trump Administration on a daily basis. We also offer a solution. That solution is to combat hatred with love and acceptance.”
The AFRAM Festival is a free event taking place on June 18 and June 19, open to all ages.