The 2022 Dreamville Festival, which took place in downtown Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park and was curated by North Carolina-raised hip-hop legend J. Cole and his Dreamville team, drew 80,000 people. According to numbers released today by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, this year’s celebrations had a direct economic impact of $6.7 million in Wake County.
Tickets were sold in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 20 nations, for the April 2-3 festival, which drew fans worldwide. On the festival’s Saturday night, occupancy in Wake County reached 92 percent. It’s worth noting that the $6.7 million figure is a conservative estimate that excludes local spending and a multiplier for indirect or induced effects. It simply reflects the economic impact of tourism, which is new money entering the local economy.
“My team and I continue to be awed by the overwhelming support we’ve received since closing out the second Dreamville Festival this April. But to now fully realize the festival’s positive impact on the local economy and tourism, it truly is unbelievable,” said Dreamville Partner and Festival President Adam Roy. “We are grateful for our fans who traveled across the U.S. and internationally to attend the fest, as well as for those from the City of Raleigh and Wake County who helped bring this event together. Our Dreamville team looks forward to furthering its investments in the community for years to come, especially as we plan for the festival’s return in spring 2023.”
The Dreamville Festival was rescheduled for the following years due to the COVID-19 pandemic after an initial sold-out event in 2019. The second annual Dreamville Festival returned with a thoughtfully curated, multi-stage music event from J. Cole, allowing him to give back to the home state that shaped him as an artist with a one-of-a-kind celebration of local culture, food, and
