2023 Lovers & Friends Festival Fully Leans Into 2000s Nostalgia With Missy Elliot, Usher, Mariah Carey
Lovers & Friends Festival is leaning further into early 2000s nostalgia that TikTok’s fashion influencers for the 2023 iteration of the Las Vegas music event. Scheduled for Saturday, May 6, the festival will feature headlining performances from Missy Elliot, Mariah Carey, and Usher.
Returning for its second year, Lovers & Friends will feature more than 45 artists across a single day. The lineup includes Christina Aguilera, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, Lil Kim, Bow Wow, Omarion, Sean Paul, Remy Ma, JoJo, Jagged Edge, Shaggy, Chingy, Petey Pablo, Dem Franchize Boyz, Yung Joc, Soulja Boy, Eve, Boyz II Men, Flo Rida, Beenie Man, Ginuwine, En Vogue, Da Brat, and more.
Slipping into the 2010s and 2020s, the festival has also tapped Summer Walker, Jhené Aiko, Miguel, PartyNextDoor, and Bryson Tiller.
The nostalgia-driven event kicked off to a bumpy start when its inaugural lineup was announced in 2020. Initially helmed by Coachella promoter Goldenvoice, Lovers & Friends had a confusing roll-out that was marked by artists like Lil Kim claiming the lineup flyer was fake and others like Mase requesting removal from the poster.
When the festival finally happened, a security scare resulted in a panicked crowd dispersing from the Las Vegas festival grounds. Three people were hospitalized with minor injuries following reports of gunfire nearby. Performances resumed for the festival, then scheduled across two days, last May.
The second annual Lovers & Friends is currently slated for one day under its new promoter, C3, which produces Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza.
General sale for the festival begins Friday, Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. PST via the official Lovers & Friends website. View the complete lineup below.
