Even though the start of Penn’s fall semester is weeks away, students are already gearing up for the popular Made in America music festival, whose lineup has just been released.
Made in America was founded in 2012 by Jay-Z and his business partner Steve Stoute. This year, Made in America will be held on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-6, at Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
This year’s festival headliners include pop diva Beyoncé, Jay-Z’s wife. This will be the second time Beyoncé has performed at Made in America; she headlined the 2013 festival as well.
Many students are excited about this year’s lineup, which also includes Canadian PBR&B singers The Weeknd, Nick Jonas and alternative rock band Death Cab for Cutie.
“I am most excited to see Beyoncé,” said Sara Cerreta, a rising sophomore in Nursing. “She is absolutely amazing live. When I heard that she was going to Made in America, I just bought the ticket, no question about the cost or anything.”
However, some students have some reservations about the ticket price, which tops out at $171.50 after fees.
“I’ve heard of half the lineup and maybe a quarter of those I know of,” said Sam Warrick, a rising sophomore in the College. “The tickets are too expensive to risk not liking a lot of the music.”
Made in America brings in music lovers from around the country and the festival website is working to organize traffic. The website has directions for people traveling to Philadelphia by plane, train, car, SEPTA or bike.
The festival also has strict rules about what can be brought into the festival site. No outside food or drinks will be allowed, however, there will be food vendors and free filtered water stations inside.
In addition to the performers, the festival will also host food trucks, a merchandise tent and beer gardens. The festival will also be live-streamed.
“I’m really excited to just be in the entire environment,” Cerreta said. “I didn’t get to go last year, but a lot of my friends did and they really enjoyed it.”
Last year, Jay-Z announced a second Made in America festival that would take place in Los Angeles at the same time as one in Philadelphia. The goal was to give both coasts access to the multi-genre music festival. However, the west coast festival was not picked up for a second year.
The full lineup and a list of frequently asked questions can be found at the Made in America website.
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