Your Ultimate 2025 Dreamville Festival Guide
Pro Tips and Hacks for Dreamville Festival 2025
The 2025 Dreamville Festival is making its anticipated return to Raleigh, and this year marks an exciting milestone—the 5th, and final festival! I’ve attended all four festivals so far so we’ll get into the nitty gritty in a bit. This festival, founded by rapper J. Cole, is one hour from Cole’s hometown of Fayetteville, NC. 69 miles from 2014 Forest Hills Drive, to be exact. Each year the event brings fans together for an unforgettable weekend of music, cars, community, and culture. Let's dive into everything you need to know for this year's event.
Quick Summary
Dates: April 5 -6, 2025
Time: Gates open at noon each day.
Venue: Dorthea Dix Park, 1030 Richardson Dr, Raleigh, NC 27603
Tickets: GA starts at $299, Get yours here.
Leslie at the 2019 Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, NC
Tickets
I’ve attended every Dreamville Festival (DVF)and prefer the JV tickets. I didn’t plan ongoing this year (more on that later) so I hadn’t budgeted for DVF so this year I’m doing JV+. No matter which ticket type you pick, pack your wristband somewhere that you won't forget it! Tickets start at $299.
Places to Stay and Things to Do
Book your accommodations ASAP, because prices will go up! Last year I forgot to book our room and when I checked back two days later the prices had jumped from $125 to over $300 a night. You can book hotel or VRBO accommodations below and check out some of my favorite place to hang out in Raleigh.
⬇️ Book your stay today and save. ⬇️
Things to Do Dreamville Weekend
These are the events that are sponsored by Dreamville and FREE! I’ve only been to the Friday events but enjoy the car show and CAM Raleigh event every time.
Dreamville Festival Tips and Hacks
What’s the best way to get there?
Take the downtown shuttle. We’ve taken the shuttle twice and it’s really convenient. Once you find parking downtown, they have buses running non-stop that will take you to the festival and back downtown. Pay for Dreamville parking passes ahead of time. It’s fine to use a ride-share company to get to there, but it’s really hard to get a ride when leaving so if you don’t know someone who can pick you up, I’d skip this option. Between the surge pricing and cancelled trips that happen after the let out, it’s more stressful than it’s worth. No matter what option you choose, you’ll be doing a lot of walking to actually get to the festival grounds.
What Can I bring?
Small fanny packs, clutch purses and clear bags are allowed. Review the Dreamville Bag Policy.
Also, get familiar with the allowed and prohibited items list of what you can and can’t bring to the festival. Staying informed will make the lines move faster and ensure that you don’t have to throw things away. Last year, they only allowed vapes that were in the original packaging and no one wanted to walk back to the car so the trash was full of vapes.
How much cash should I bring?
I used to always grab cash before Dreamville Fest but it is 100% cashless. Credit card, debit card, and mobile payment methods are accepted site-wide. When the festival gets really full, cell service goes down so Apple Pay will be almost impossible to use so bring a physical card. PRO TIP: You can also add payment info to your wristband like you would on a cruise or Disney World when you register your wristband.
Do you have lockers available to rent?
Two day locker rentals are available for $57.63. The price is the same for GA, GA+, JV and Varsity VIP ticket holders. Locker rental is included in the MVP VIP section and will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Rent a locker.
How do I charge my phone?
If you get a locker there will be a charger inside so you phone can securely juice up. If not, I highly suggest that you bring a portable charger. Last year, our batteries were drained trying to get service because there were so many people there at once.
What to Expect at Dreamville Festival
Fans can expect two stages with performances from Dreamville artists and some of the hottest Rap, R&B and Afrobeats artists worldwide, food vendors, and interactive experiences, making it a complete package of entertainment and enjoyment. The festival runs from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with J. Cole closing out on Sunday night followed by a fireworks show.
There will be lots of activations from sponsors and Instagramable spots to take pictures with you festies. If you purchase a GA ticket be sure to bring a blanket. Chairs aren’t allowed but you’ll want to grab a spot for the day to get a great view and make it a meeting spot because cell phone service gets bad towards the end of the night. Be sure to also dress in layers because in April it’s usually warm during the day but COLD at night.
@Britswayallday in A Vibe Called Fest merch at Dreamville 2024
Past Festivals: The Good and Bad
I’ve made a point not to trash talk any Black-owned festivals but I’m going to be honest. Before finding out that this was the last one, I planned on skipping this year. I’ve been to every Dreamville Fest, including being in Raleigh in 2018 when it was cancelled because of Hurricane Florence. The first two years it had a homegrown feel, not small, but not 50,000 people a day and felt very true to the label’s brand. I remember swinging in a hammock and listening to Kehlani sing in the distance. Then, in 2022, the festival got huge but it was my favorite year and I started blabbing to everyone about why they needed to come to little ol’ NC for Dreamville.
But, the last two years left a lot to be desired. Part of it is just the fact that I get anxious in large groups, but the event seemed to be more commercial than vibey, if that makes sense. I know it’s a business, but the experience went downhill. In 2023 there were speaker issues on both stages and they weren’t fixed for 2024. Last year, the mics went out so often that Afrobeats artist Rema walked off stage. And during J. Cole’s performance he had to share his mic with the performers that came out during his set. Festival ticket prices are too high to not hear every word from every artist! In a Facebook group for Dreamville die-hards, more than one person said they were skipping this year and hoping the festival came back swinging in 2026.
There was also a debacle with last year’s line up. People are so excited that tickets sell out before we even know what the lineup is going to be. When the lineup was announced it was just OK, but what made things worse is that the artists I was most excited to see pulled out. Chris Brown was replaced with 50 Cent, who did great but isn’t an apples to apples swap, and I was really excited to see Muni Long but she was replaced with Hunxho.
Volunteer with Earthgang
The Earthgang x HUMANS Nonprofit Community Event is an initiative to provide essential resources, support, and positivity experiences for marginalized communities in the Triangle. Volunteers are needed so review the available slots below and click on the sign up button.
I planned on sitting out Dreamville Fest 2025 and seeing how things went, But, now that this is the final festival, I’ll have my face in the place and I’m hoping and praying that all the issues are worked out. As a true J. Cole fan, I know he will give a great show and I love fireworks so that’s always a great touch. We just need everything else to be on point as well. Do you plan on attending Dreamville Fest 2025? Have you been to any of the past ones? Let’s chat in the comments.
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