HBCU AWAREFEST
CL RECOMMENDS
CRITIC'S PICK:
Thurs. Mar. 26
HBCU Awarefest, State Farm Arena - Thanks to a partnership between Live Nation, the Student Freedom Initiative, and the City of Atlanta (a la Mayor Andre Dickens), the massive HBCU Awarefest is on for this month. While it is a social-minded showcase complete with celebrity panels, workshops, and group discussions, Awarefest's most impressive element is its unbelievable assortment of new and legacy Hip-Hop and R&B acts, including Jill Scott, John Legend, Common, Jeezy, Earth, Wind, & Fire, GloRilla, Kirk Franklin, Metro Boomin, Tems, and Coco Jones, among even more. Jill Scott's headlining is especially notable because just last month, she unleashed the bold, jazzy, and exuberant "To Whom This May Concern," her first full-length studio album in over 10 years. Even with all that considered, the best part about Awarefest is that it will serve as a huge fundraising opportunity for HBCUs and minority students. - joshua robinson
From the venue:
LIVE NATION URBAN AND STUDENT FREEDOM INITIATIVE PRESENT LINEUP FOR INAUGURAL ‘HBCU AWAREFEST’
JILL SCOTT, JOHN LEGEND, COMMON, EARTH, WIND, & FIRE, AND MORE, JOIN HBCU AWAREFEST AS IT AIMS TO RELIEVE THE CRUSHING BURDEN OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING HBCUS.
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026 – ATLANTA, GA – STATE FARM ARENA
Tickets are available for presale on Wednesday, November 19th at 10AM ET and will go on sale on Friday, November 21st at 10AM ET at awarefest.org and Ticketmaster.com.
(Atlanta, GA) — November 17, 2025 — Today, Live Nation Urban (LNU) and Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) announce the lineup for HBCU AWAREFEST, the largest HBCU fundraiser in history. Initially announced in August, the festival marks a new joint partnership between the two organizations, along with the City of Atlanta and Mayor Andre Dickens, to address one of the most pressing challenges facing Black America: the student loan debt crisis. The inaugural edition of Atlanta’s newest festival will take place at the award-winning State Farm Arena on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
The festival includes a stacked slate of performances from the likes of Jill Scott, John Legend, Common, Jeezy, Earth, Wind, & Fire, GloRilla, Metro Boomin, Kirk Franklin, and more, along with remarks from Chris Paul, Robert F. Smith, Angel Reese, Ryan Clark and more. Full performance lineup and guest speaker list is available below. Tickets are available for presale on Wednesday, November 19th at 10AM ET and will go on sale on Friday, November 21st at 10AM ET at awarefest.org and Ticketmaster.com.
“At Student Freedom Initiative, we are incredibly excited about the coalition and movement that we are building to end the student loan debt crisis for our nation’s HBCU students,” said Keith Shoates, President and CEO of SFI. “In addition to these amazing performers, we have enlisted AWAREFEST Ambassadors, showing the breadth of our ecosystem of mission-aligned partners. These individuals will help to spread the word and share the urgency of our mission to tackle the racial wealth gap through the lens of education.”
HBCU AWAREFEST is a nationwide call to action with workshops, panel discussions, and live music, which will ignite conversations and spark action to tackle student loan debt for HBCU students. Together, Live Nation Urban and Student Freedom Initiative will raise funds to support SFI’s Student Freedom Loan Agreement, an affordable, income-contingent funding alternative to Parent PLUS Loans.
Live Nation Urban is committed to Black excellence in music and culture, and today we are proud to stand with our partners at Student Freedom Initiative to build a national movement of allies, artists, activists, and students to support the institutions that are the foundation of our culture,” said Shawn Gee, President of Live Nation Urban.
HBCU AWAREFEST MUSIC LINEUP
Adam Blackstone
Coco Jones
Common
Earth, Wind, & Fire
GloRilla
Jeezy
Jill Scott
John Legend
Kirk Franklin
Metro Boomin
Mickey Guyton
PJ Morton
Tems
The Cast of Alicia Keys’ Hit Broadway Musical Hell’s Kitchen
Travis Greene
Yolanda Adams
HBCU AWAREFEST SPEAKER LINEUP
Mayor Andre Dickens
Angel Reese
Big Boi
Chris Paul
Larenz Tate
Robert F. Smith
Ryan Clark
2 Chainz
& more
With HBCU AWARE FEST, Live Nation Urban and Student Freedom Initiative will help educate the nation about the contribution of HBCUs to local and national economies, and galvanize collective action to provide sustainable pathways to higher education and long-term wealth creation for students attending HBCUs.
The festival serves as the latest offering in a slew of successful LNU campaigns, including the recently produced The Roots Picnic, BET Experience, ONE Musicfest, “An Evening with Jagged Edge: 25 Years of J.E. Heartbreak,” “RNB X Live: The UK Sound,” Davido’s “The 5IVE ALIVE TOUR,” Black on the Block, “New Wave Tour 2025,” and “Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout,” as well as upcoming events including Broccoli City Exchange, “Room 112 Tour,” andLil’ WeezyAna Fest.
HBCU AWAREFEST | 03/26/2026 7:30 PM