ROOTS PICNIC TO EXPAND INTO NEW YORK CITY ON OCTOBER 1 & 2 IN BRYANT PARK

NEW YORK (June 6, 2016) – The acclaimed music festival, Roots Picnic, will expand into New York City on October 1 & 2, 2016 at the historic Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. The Roots Picnic produced by Maverick and Live Nation in partnership with Bryant Park Corporation, will feature electrifying performances from a diverse line-up of incredible multi-platinum selling and genre-defining music artists. On October 1, The Roots will perform a headline set with special guests D’Angelo and John Mayer.  On October 2, the headline set will be a “Love Letter to NYC” which will feature performances by seminal NYC acts such as Wu Tang Clan, David Byrne and Nile Rodgers, plus a few surprise guests, all backed by The Roots. Additional performers throughout the weekend include, Swizz Beatz, X Ambassadors, Trombone Shorty, Kevin Gates, Deerhoof, Echosmith, Jeremih, DJ Jazzy Jeff, plus comedy sets by Jerrod Carmichael and Neal Brennan. A complete festival line-up is listed below with more artists to be announced soon.  In addition to the two-day festival, The Roots will host special live music events throughout the city this summer.  Stay tuned to www.rootspicnic.com for additional details regarding the festival and other special summer events. Limited early bird 2-day passes as well as single day tickets go on sale Friday, June 10 at 10:00 a.m. at www.ticketmaster.com.

“This is the culmination of a 2 1/2 year journey that we have embarked upon with our partners at Live Nation to bring The Roots Picnic to NYC”, said Shawn Gee, partner in Maverick Management and co-founder of The Roots Picnic. “We launched the brand in Philadelphia 9 years ago and plan to continue to build and grow the Philly event in the future. The NYC version of the Picnic is unique in that our partnership with Bryant Park will extend beyond the 2 days of the festival with other events. This is truly an artist curated event, as the band picks every artist that appears in the lineup and our headline sets are always unique collaborations that one can only experience at The Roots Picnic.”

“Bringing Roots Picnic to New York City is a project we have been working on for the last 2 ½ years. We needed to find the perfect moment and setting to host such a unique event and we wouldn’t have been able to without amazing partners in Bryant Park and The Roots” said Stacie George, Vice President of Booking for Live Nation in New York. “We’re excited to be holding this historic event within the intimate setting of Bryant Park with NYC as the backdrop.”

Dan Biederman, Executive Director of Bryant Park Corporation said, “We’re delighted to be working with LiveNation and The Roots to bring these exciting events to Bryant Park. The eclectic lineup of talent offers something for everyone.”

The Roots

D’Angelo

John Mayer

X Ambassadors

Kevin Gates

Jeremih

Stretch & Bobbitto

Everyday People feat DJ Moma

Comedy Set from Jerrod Carmichael

DJ Questlove

Lady Leshurr

Emily Wells

Chargaux

SMSHNG HRTS

Chill Moody

The Roots

Wu Tang Clan

David Byrne

Nile Rodgers

Trombone Shorty

Swizz Beatz

Deerhoof

EPMD

Black Thought’s Live Mixtape featuring Styles P x Royce da 5’9 x Freddie Gibbs and DJ J Period

Echosmith

Lil Uzi Vert

Daniel “Bambatta” Marley

Yuna

Comedy Set from Neal Brennan

DJ Jazzy Jeff

Grits & Biscuits

Bibi Bourelly

The Roots Picnic is an annual sold-out affair that kicks off the summer festival season in Philadelphia. This year’s lineup featured Future, Usher, Leon Bridges and more. In previous years, performers at The Roots Picnic have included: The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, The Black Keys, John Legend, Janelle Monae, Snoop Dog, TV on the Radio, Nas, Vampire Weekend, Kid Cudi, Public Enemy, Gnarls Barkley, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Gary Clark Jr., James Murphy (DJ set), Rakim and many more.

Formed in 1987, in Philadelphia, PA, the legendary Roots Crew, consists of Black Thought (MC), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (drums), Kamal Gray (electronic keyboards), F. Knuckles (percussion), Captain Kirk Douglas (electronic guitar), Damon Bryson (sousaphone) and James Poyser (electronic keyboard). Having previously released thirteen albums, The Roots have become one of the best known and most respected hip-hop acts in the business, winning four GRAMMYs, including “Best R&B Album” for Wake Up!, “Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance” for “Hang in There” (with John Legend) and “Best Group or Duo R&B Vocal Performance” for “Shine.” The ensemble was most recently nominated for “Best Rap Album” for the 2011 release of their album undun, which brings their GRAMMY nomination count to twelve.  Black Thought and Questlove also recently received a 2016 GRAMMY nomination for “Best Musical Theater Album,” for the Hamilton cast recording. The Roots have been named one of the greatest live bands around by Rolling Stone and are the official house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where they currently perform every Monday- Friday.

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private not-for-profit company, was founded in 1980 to renovate, finance and operate Bryant Park in New York City. BPC is funded by income from concessions, corporate sponsors and events, as well as an assessment on neighboring properties, and does not accept government or philanthropic monies. In addition to providing security, sanitation, and horticultural services tending the park’s lush lawn and seasonal garden displays, BPC offers public amenities, programming and activities, including movable chairs and tables, cafe umbrellas, restaurants, food kiosks, world-class restrooms, and a wide range of free events throughout the year. The Midtown Manhattan park is visited by more than six million people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in the world. Visit BPC’s website, www.bryantpark.org, for more information and a schedule of upcoming events.

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation & House of Blues Concerts, LN Media and Artist Nation Management. For additional information, visit: www.livenationentertainment.com.