Kesha and Ne-Yo to Headline Wawa Welcome America Concert on July 4
Philadelphia's annual Wawa Welcome America concert will feature pop star Kesha and R&B singer Ne-Yo as this year’s headliners. The concert is set to take place on July 4, 2024, in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps and will culminate in a fireworks display. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced the lineup on May 14, 2024.
Kesha, known for her hit singles "Tik Tok" and "Your Love Is My Drug," and her recent album "Gag Order," recorded with Rick Rubin, will perform. Ne-Yo, famed for tracks like "So Sick" and "Sexy Love," will join her on stage. This will be the first Welcome America concert since Parker took office, maintaining the star power from previous years.
Previous concerts featured artists such as Demi Lovato and Ludacris in 2023, and Jason Derulo and Ava Max in 2022, with incidents of gunfire causing panic in the latter year. The 2021 event, headlined by Flo Rida, marked the first concert post the COVID-19 pandemic hiatus.
Notably, the concert stands as the sole large-scale musical gathering on the Parkway this summer following the cancellation of Jay-Z’s Made in America festival, a Labor Day weekend staple since 2012.
This year, the concert faces competition from Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, featuring artists like Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples. This marks the first time Nelson's festival will take place on the East Coast.
Source: Dan DeLuca, Published May 14, 2024, 10:08 AM ET