50 Cent, Usher & The Diplomats Among Artists On Lovers & Friends Festival 2023 Lineup
50 Cent, Usher and The Diplomats are just a few of the big names that will perform at this year’s Lovers & Friends Festival in Las Vegas.
Set to take place on Saturday, May 6, Usher’s annual festival will also include performances from Missy Elliott, Chris Brown, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Summer Walker, T.I., Soulja Boy, Busta Rhymes, Chingy, Remy Ma, Pitbull and a slew of others.
Now in its second year, Lovers & Friends was one of the most anticipated festivals of 2020 until the coronavirus pandemic caused it to be postponed indefinitely. Snoop Dogg, Live Nation and Bobby Dee announced the nostalgia-packed festival’s revival with a revamped lineup last year, which included performances from Lauryn Hill, Ludacris, Lil’ Kim, Ashanti, Ja Rule, T-Pain, Fabolous, Nelly, Trey Songz, Juvenile, Ciara, Cam’ron, Lil Jon, Ne-Yo, TLC and more.
Pre-sale tickets for this year’s event will start on Friday (January 20) at 10 a.m. PT, with all tickets starting at $250.00. Payment plans are available from $19.oo and upwards. Fans can register for tickets here.
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The announcement comes after Usher enjoyed a stellar 2022, which included a successful Las Vegas residency and a viral Tiny Desk performance that turned him into a meme.
“I was blown away, I was shocked,” Usher told Twitter Music of his viral success. “I think I was in Los Angeles somewhere and they were like, ‘Yo, you know you going viral?’ I’m like, ‘It’s good, right?’
“Then I looked on and I saw a few people do it. Then I saw more people doing what I had done and it just kept going and kept going and I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing. This is something special.’”
When asked where the inspiration came from to strike the iconic pose during his rendition of “Superstar,” Usher said it just came to him in the moment.
“I don’t know where the inspiration sometimes comes from,” he said. “It could have been anything. It could have been Prince. Somebody had speculated that Prince had done something like this before.
“I don’t know, but I do know that I felt like that was the right thing to do in that moment that would just kinda like give people a good time. It just happened, I didn’t plan it. It just happened.”
Usher’s new year unfortunately started off with some sad news following the passing of his grandmother Tina Carter, who was laid to rest earlier this month.
In his initial heartwarming tribute, the Confessions crooner praised “Grandma Tina” as a source of light for whoever she came in contact with, and said he had lost a rock in his life.
“It’s taken me a few days to come to grips with the fact that my Grandma Tina is no longer with me. I’m praying for clarity and strength for all whom relied on her,” he wrote. “Her daily devotion was to help those in need and she did just that. It was her life’s work. She was truly a prayer warrior for me and so many others. I feel a bit lost right now.”
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