On the heels of an AFRAM Festival, which brought over 300,000 people to Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park last weekend, Mayor Brandon Scott announced on Thursday that H.E.R. will headline the 2023 Charm City Live music festival.
“We are going to keep the good times rolling and give you all more reasons to come out,” Scott said in a press conference.
The second-annual festival will take place on Aug. 26 and will feature different forms entertainment for every member of the family to enjoy, according to the festival’s website.
Charm City Live is free to everyone and will be held on The Lawn at War Memorial Plaza.
H.E.R., who is set to start touring in mid-September, is a five-time Grammy award winner and R&B singer. The announcement drew applause from the crowd that attended the press conference.
Her latest album, “Back of My Mind,” was released in 2021 and was nominated for 2022 Grammy Album of the Year, as well as Best R&B Album. The album included features from Lil Baby, DJ Khaled, Cordae, and other artists.
“H.E.R.? Are you serious? I mean, I don’t know if you all know how much I love H.E.R.,” said Shelonda Stokes, president of Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.
Babyface, who was initially announced to headline last year’s festival, did not end up performing because of a “miscommunication,” but the event still featured Rebecca Black, Kelly Price, and Jon B.
Charm City Live’s website is accepting applications for vendors in the way of food, retail and art. The deadline to apply is Aug. 15.
Scott urged people to arrive at the event early because of the large crowd expected to turn out.
“We know everyone’s gonna come out, so you better come early,” Scott said. “If you wanna get close to the stage, come early, because we know the city’s gonna come out to see H.E.R.”
While H.E.R. was announced as the headliner, no other artists were announced during the press conference.
“We will be rolling out the other artists in the weeks to come,” Scott said.
