Broccoli City Festival in Washington, DC
Broccoli City Festival - May 7th & 8th, 2022 - RFK Festival Grounds, Washington, DC
Words and photos by Adrian Poitier
Additional photography by Chandria Harris
Adrian here, back again with more live tunes to tell the world about as we continue progressing through a global pandemic that has made the world stop. With the city of DC being one of my favorite places to visit, it was a must that I attended my first Broccoli City Festival, and the energy from Chocolate city indeed poured in despite inclement weather conditions. This was the first two-day event and Broccoli did not disappoint with musical talent to kick the Spring off, with a lineup that bolstered rising stars and legends. Seeing how the Pandemic has impacted DC, it was amazing to see the turnout of Hip Hop and RnB aficionados that would not let the rain stop them.
On Saturday The RFK Stadium grounds welcomed music fans in droves as they came out to enjoy the opening talents of Joyce Wrice, Larry June, and sets from the DMV area’s biggest DJs. As the Rose Bar activation got the drinks flowing, Maryland’s own Rico Nasty took the stage on her birthday delivering a set that had her most loyal supporters in a frenzy. The weekend was kept rolling with DMV radio personalities Gia Peppers, Little Bacon Bear, and Rodney Rikai hosting the festivities which included a time machine of Gogo sounds from DMV artists and games that got interaction from the crowd. By the middle of the day, it was the return of the Snow as hip hop great Jeezy set fire to the stage with hits that ranged from mixtape cuts to platinum singles. The party continued with Wale & Friends, which was a homecoming of the PG County’s Megastar that welcomed appearances from Polo G and frequent collaborators. Wale took the opportunity to showcase artists he was a fan of by welcoming them on stage during his biggest tunes. Day one wrapped up with Durkio and 21 Savage scoring the sound of the trenches back to back, closing out with DC Songstress Ari Lennox showcasing her powerhouse vocals.
Day Two saw better weather conditions and staggering sets from Maryland's own Alex Vaughn, Detroit’s rising rap newcomer Babyface Ray, and the Virginia triple threat himself Masego. DC turned into Lagos as the sun broke out during Tems set and warmed a crowd that sang along to every lyric the panjandrum belted out. Despite Mother Nature’s snare the DMV truly won with performances from Don Toliver, Gunna Wunna, and Naija’s global sensation Wiz Kid. Safe to say all the queens of today’s RnB stole the weekend as Summer Walker’s energy captivated the grounds, enticing her supporters to sing along far after the closing of RFK. She took the stage with a sultry silhouette performing her Grammy-nominated hits from Still Over It, and more.
My biggest takeaway from the weekend is that above all else, there’s no better place to enjoy live music than the DMV. I was extremely impressed by the amount of Smithsonians, Murrlanders, Virginians, and anyone else who showed up and stayed in attendance during drenching rain and cold temperatures. Broccoli City Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary and I am looking forward to year eleven. Check out the gallery below to see how all the stars aligned.
broccoli city festival photo gallery:
