Dreamville Festival wraps up in Raleigh with a second day of electric performances

The high energy and excitement of Dreamville Festival seemed to radiate through the entire city of Raleigh this weekend.

The grassy fields at Dorothea Dix Park were covered with people sitting on blankets, waiting in lines for food or merchandise, and posing next to giant art displays.

An estimated 50,000 people poured into the park for the first day of the music festival and another 50,000 returned for the second day.

After weather prompted delays and lineup changes Saturday, Sunday performances were scheduled to start on time. They included Charlotte native and rapper Reuben Vincent, followed by artists Jordan Ward, Cozz, Baby Tate and Arya Starr.

Crowds walked back and forth to the “Rise” and “Shine” stages between performances before Burna Boy, J. Cole, the festival creator who grew up in Fayetteville, took the stage with Drake to close out the event.

R&B singer Mario serenaded the stage with his ballads like “Let Me Love You” and “Just a Friend.”

When rapper Waka Flocka Flame graced the stage, the crowd exploded. Known for his 2009 breakthrough hit “O Let’s Do It,” Flame took fans down memory lane with other songs that created a new shift for hip-hop music and its sound.

The crowd was everything but dull, singing along and jumping with him when he came off the stage to walk down the aisles.

Summer Walker ignites with her breathy ballads

The slow jams began with Summer Walker as the smoke seeped through the sea of people in front of the Shine stage.

Despite some technical difficulties at the beginning of her set, Walker an Atlanta, Georgia native, started her set with her hits “Body” and “Playing Games” sending the crowd into a calm trance.

She is most known for bringing a new sound to the R&B genre and has songs with other R&B artists like SZA, Usher, Ciara and Drake.

Halfway through Walker’s show, singer and rapper 6lack walked out on the stage as the crowed cheered. 6lack, also an Atlanta native, is known for his melodic heartbreak songs like “Prblms,” “Waves,” and “Calling My Phone.”

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During her performance, Walker announced she would be releasing an EP on May 19. She released her latest album, “Still Over It,” in 2021.

More accessibility needed

While fans described a generally positive experience at Dreamville Festival, Zaneece Ortega of Virginia Beach said Dix Park wasn’t the most accommodating venue for those needing better accessibility. Ortega uses a wheelchair and said she bought her ticket with the understanding that Dreamville was prepared to accommodate people with disabilities. There are pages of information for ADA ticket holders to find resources, platforms or to request assistance.

The accommodations were there, she said, but weren’t as as visible as they could have been. Ortega said she didn’t learn until she was on her way into the park that she could have used ADA services to get a shuttle escort.

“It was upsetting, because we were asking around everyone in the green shirts that worked here and they were like, ‘Oh, I don’t think we offer that,’” Ortega said. “It’s kind of frustrating.”

She thinks Dreamville organizers should have better signs and markers for ADA accommodations because, “we’re trying to come prepared just like everyone else is.”

“The accessibility, it’s not really all that great and a part of me kinda feels like left out,” she said. “Originally, when we saw it on Instagram, they had the map and it showed where people that are disabled or handicapped can sit in a certain area to be able to view the show on a platform or something.”

The platform was just a few feet away from where Ortega was sitting with her friend Khairi Behiy on the lawn in front of the Shine stage.

Still, she had a fun experience and was among those waiting for Memphis rapper GloRilla to perform

“This is my last festival,” Ortega said. “It’s not as organized as we thought. It’s a fun experience though, first time for everything.”