J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival Canceled Due to Hurricane Florence

A dream deferred. J. Cole will have to wait a little bit longer to turn his Dreamville Festival into a reality. The "1985" rapper was forced to cancel his inaugural music festival in Raleigh, North Carolina due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Florence in the region. 

“Due to safety concerns regarding dangerous weather, we are extremely saddened to announce today that the inaugural Dreamville Festival 2018 is being canceled,” Dreamville Fest organizers said in a statement on Monday (September 10). “Our team has been working tirelessly with officials from the City of Raleigh, along with our State and Federal Partners, among others, to monitor the potential negative impact of Hurricane Florence. With the current weather-related information at hand, we have together decided to cancel this year’s event for the ultimate safety of both the local citizens and festival attendees.”

Cole was set to headline the festival, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday (September 15).  SZA, Big Sean, Young Thug, Nelly, Rich The Kid, and Teyana Taylor were also among the many artists on the lineup.

"Mannn. Due to this Hurricane heading to NC, we have to cancel Dreamville Festival," Cole tweeted on Monday. "We’re working to get another date, but right now safety is most important. I appreciate everybody that was headed to rock with us. 30,000 + were expected. 🤯🤯 All tickets will be refunded. Bsafe."

On Tuesday (September 11), Hurricane Florence remained a Category 4 Hurricane with 140 mph winds. With Florence on track to make landfall late Thursday (September 13), a hurricane watch and storm surge watch were issued for the entire coast of North Carolina, The Weather Channel reports. 

Photo: Getty Images