Live Nation Urban’s “Houses of Luv” Announces LGBTQ+ Programming to Take Place Throughout Roots Picnic Weekend
Philadelphia, PA – May 6th, 2025 – Live Nation Urban‘s LGBTQ+ platform, “Houses of Luv,” and Philadelphia native, ballroom icon, LGTBIAQ Hall of Famer, and Vice President of Philly Black Pride, Jacen Bowman, proudly announce the return of Roots Picnic Pride for its second year, expanding its celebration of Black queer artistry and community. Along with headliners Lenny Kravitz, D’Angelo, Latto, Tems, GloRilla, Kaytranada and more, this year’s event features a dynamic pre-event and on-site ballroom showcase, highlighting the vibrant intersection of hip-hop, Black culture, and ballroom. Tickets for Roots Picnic are on sale at Rootspicnic.com
This year marks a historic moment as the underground subculture will headline a major music festival for the first time, enhancing visibility and recognition. “We are incredibly excited to bring Roots Picnic Pride back for the second year, expanding our celebration to include the dynamic world of ballroom,” said James June, founder of “Houses of Luv” and Live Nation Urban creative lead. “Collaborating with Jacen for Philly Black Pride helps us to further amplify LGBTQ+ artists and culture, creating a powerful platform for visibility and celebration. I’m also thankful for having allies at Live Nation Urban for championing this community”
Jacen Bowman adds, “I’m beyond thrilled to be part of Roots Picnic Pride again. This year, we’re bringing the energy of the ballroom scene directly to the festival, showcasing the incredible talent and artistry within our community. This is not just a competition; it’s a celebration of our culture, our strength, and our undeniable style. We’re making history by highlighting the art of vogue on such a prominent stage.” The Philadelphia Ballroom scene has been in existence for over 30 years. And I’m beyond proud to pioneer this movement of infusing ballroom into music festivals.
The festivities begin with the 2nd annual Roots Picnic Pride Soiree, taking place on Friday, May 30th, at Warehouse on Watts. This Soiree will feature rising musical talent, including Ballroom music artist Infinite, Electronic music artist Bayli, rapper Billy The Goat and Philly Drag Queen Mz. Peaches. The night will also feature sounds by Detroit DJ/Artist Sky Jetta, and New York DJ Kendollaz. All hosted by Jacen Bowman and, James June, and Roots Picnic alumnus Julian King.
Building on Friday’s momentum, Roots Picnic Pride continues on Saturday, May 31st, with an exhilarating mini-ballroom showcase highlighting the vibrant intersectionality of house, ballroom, hip-hop, and dance. This set will feature an all-out battle live on stage, where festival-goers will witness the artistry of vogue—a journey of queer movement and sound honoring the feminine movements of Black and Latina trans women of the underground ballroom community. Tickets/RSVP for Roots Picnic Pride Soiree at: https://www.universe.com/rootspicnicpride
Both hip-hop and ballroom emerged around the same time, in New York City reflecting the creative spirit and resilience of marginalized communities. The fusion of ballroom culture into mainstream pop culture is crucial, as it has significantly influenced pop culture and continues to shape contemporary artistic expression.
Crowd at Roots Picnic Pride 2024
Jacen at Philadelphia Pride 2024
Event Details:
Roots Picnic Pride Pre-Event:
- Date: Friday, May 30th
- Location: Warehouse on Watts, Philadelphia, PA
- Featuring: BAYLI, Infinite, Jacen Bowman, Sky Jetta and More
- Tickets/RSVP at: https://www.universe.com/rootspicnicpride
Roots Picnic Pride On-Site Ballroom Showcase:
- Date: Saturday, May 31st
- Location: Roots Picnic Festival Grounds, Philadelphia, PA
- Featuring: Vogue performance competition with Jacen Bowman as commentator. Category: Open to all Vogue Performance
- Tickets for Roots Picnic are on sale at Rootspicnic.com
ABOUT LIVE NATION URBAN
Live Nation Urban (LNU) remains North America’s preeminent producer of concert experiences, festivals, and platforms headlined, curated, and owned by black talent. Operating in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, the company sets the tone for culture with over a dozen sought-after festival brands such as Roots Picnic, Broccoli City, Exodus Music & Arts Festival, ONE Musicfest, Strength of a Woman, and more.
Beyond their captivating live events, Live Nation Urban has established themselves as key social architects in black culture with their innovative initiatives that include Juneteenth: A Global Celebration (broadcast on CNN), Kerry Washington’s THICKER THAN WATER book tour, and a special Hip-Hop 50 event at the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in addition to tours by artists such as Ari Lennox, Kirk Franklin, Davido, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Jodeci, and Raphael Saadiq. The LNU-produced “A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop” special garnered a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards for “Outstanding Variety Show.” Live Nation Urban continues to grow across hip-hop, R&B, soul, and gospel as the most trusted purveyor of live urban music.
ABOUT PHILLY BLACK PRIDE
Philadelphia Black Pride was the birth child of the COLOURS Organization, the only Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) health service organization in Philadelphia primarily serviced by and for people of color. Our mission is to enhance the living and social environments of LGBTQ+ people of color by creating meaningful opportunities to educate, inspire, and uplift our community. Through impactful programs, policy advocacy, strategic partnerships, and relationship building, we celebrate and improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals while fostering connection and progress. At Philadelphia Black Pride, to date we are committed to empowering our community and creating spaces where everyone can thrive authentically.