Roots Picnic sees roughly 80,000 people pack Philly’s Belmont Plateau

Thousands pack 2026 Roots Picnic to see Jay-Z headline and performances from hometown heroes Good vibes prevailed for the first day of the festival at Belmont Park despite long wait times at the entrance.

Roots Picnic sees roughly 80,000 people pack Philly’s Belmont Plateau. Thousands pack 2026 Roots Picnic to see Jay-Z headline and performances from hometown heroes Good vibes prevailed for the first day of the festival at Belmont Park despite long wait times at the entrance. By Cory Sharber May 31, 2026 From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know! The Roots Picnic brought tens of thousands of people to Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau over the weekend. Despite long wait times to get in, patience prevailed for those who witnessed Jay-Z’s headlining set. In its 18th year, the festival brought out its biggest lineup to date for an estimated 80,000 attendees in Fairmount Park. Nearly 30 years after the release of his debut album, “ Reasonable Doubt ,” Jay-Z closed out the fir...