Broccoli City’s 2020 lineup included DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, Megan Thee Stallion, Ari Lennox, Burna Boy and others. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, fans would never see that festival lineup come to fruition.

Fast forward to 2021 and the pandemic had once again turned the world on its head.

“At the heart of Broccoli City is the belief that our people deserve the best of everything – including safe spaces to gather in celebration of our culture,” the organizers tweeted. “In that spirit, we have decided to cancel the Broccoli City Festival 2021 this Oct. to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19 and do our part to slow the spread in the communities of color that we serve.”

All tickets will be automatically refunded within 30 business days. We will also continue to keep you informed and uplifted as we all battle through this pandemic together. In the meantime, please continue to take COVID-19 seriously. pic.twitter.com/ognjZgO3HM

— Broccoli City 🥦 (@BroccoliCity) September 15, 2021

When asked how it felt to find out that the festival would indeed be returning this year, Williams shared that the news was met with excitement and nervousness.

“Initially, we didn’t know what to expect because of what we had experienced over the past two years,” Williams shared. “Existing in this cycle of being told it’s cool to proceed only to cancel the festival about a month out made us a little apprehensive. But when we received the green light from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office this year, the feeling was optimism.”

“We were ecstatic and eager to give our community something to look forward to, and that’s what we did,” he added.

Outside of the notorious lineup of killer artists, is the wide variety of events that the festival offers. 

This year’s Broccoli City BLK Change weekend lineup featured Broccoli Con 2022, a series of interactive panels, programs and presentations which strived to educate and empower all those who attended. A Broccoli City Mix and Mingle, a networking event for influencers across the fields of music, entertainment and activism. And a Broccoli City 5K run to commemorate the festival’s return to Washington D.C.

 

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The co-founders emphasize that being able to connect the Black community to culture through arts has always been at the heart of their mission. And it is equally important to also connect community members to one another. 

“Broccoli City is a community. It is important that we use our platform to help pour into others that are looking to move forward with their careers, dreams and aspirations,” Williams said. “We want to be a resource for our community and not just a place to party – but both are very important.”

The festival aims to provide concertgoers with access to watch their favorite singers and rappers perform without the high price that’s usually attached to it. 

“We’re not the biggest festival in the world, we’re not Rolling Loud… but if you think about the caliber of acts that Broccoli City gets you in terms of what you’re paying for a ticket, we’re the crème de la crème,” McEachern recently told WTOP News. “You’re paying $109 for one day of this festival when you would [otherwise] pay $100 to see one of these acts perform.”

The company allows the culture to determine which acts are the most deserving of a chance to perform and they ensure that there is an artist for every type of fan.

“We think about us, Black people and our culture, when planning each aspect of the festival and Black Change Weekend,” Williams shared. “When curating the lineup, we also consider the various genres of music that we listen to so there is always balance and something for every music lover from hip-hop to R&B to afrobeats. We’re intentional about that because there aren’t many festival weekends that are made explicitly for us, by us.”

As HBCU graduates and longtime friends, the founders could have never imagined the heights that Broccoli City would’ve evolved to, at its inception. When they reflect on their journey and how they’ve been able to reach and sustain success, despite juggling the duality of friendship and business, they acknowledge that preceding ego has played a huge part. 

“The lack of ego and longtime friendship are equally important,” Williams shared. “While you shouldn’t make emotional decisions about business, business can be emotional and tough, so it’s a blessing to have a non-judgemental friend in your corner prepared to stand by your side and handle anything that comes your way.”

The next step for the Broccoli City founders is to turn the festival into a legacy brand, and their collaboration with Diageo aims to do just that.

“Broccoli City celebrates Black culture, music, and community to empower one another and advance society. The role of Black music transcends time and culture and has the power to unify and mobilize individuals across the globe, so we’re excited to join in kicking off the summer with BC Fest, ” Phil Pearson, Director of Multicultural Experiences at Diageo said.

“Through Diageo’s Society 2030 10-year action plan, we’re committed to supporting the spaces and people that empower Black culture, and continuously strive to create a more inclusive, sustainable society and partnering with Broccoli City allows us to celebrate and champion the individuals driving culture,” Pearson added.

Diageo’s Society 2030 10-year action plan aims to ensure that the business uses 100% recycled content in plastic packaging and that 100% of Diageo’s packaging will be widely recyclable.

This partnership, fellow co-founder Brandon McEachern says, will allow both brands to “continue their mission to mobilize the community, celebrate Black culture through the power of music, and unify people across the nation.”