Candis R. McLean
Labor Day Weekend is around the corner. Philadelphia will be bursting with thousands of music lovers and partygoers over the next few days. Made In America 2019 will bring the biggest names in music to the City of Brotherly Love for a blowout, two-day music extravaganza.
There was some turbulence last year regarding the concert series and if it would continue to stake its claim in Philly each summer after founder Jay-Z penned an op-ed in The Inquirer. Luckily, the city and Jay-Z reconciled.
The eighth year of the festival will begin huddling the masses starting Saturday, August 31.
Event Information
The Made In America Festival starts on Saturday, August 31 and concludes on Sunday, September 1. Highlights from previous years like charging lockers, water stations, and an endless supply of food vendors are back. Puma returns this year as well. Instead of a basketball customization lab, attendees will be able to create a unique basketball jersey this year. Each festival attendee that donates $20 or above to The Reform Alliance be able to collaborate with Ubiq’s on-site designers to personalize their jersey with exclusive graphics sets.
D’USSÉ Cognac and cocktails are back again for Made In America Festival 2019. Ther bars will have 6 diverse festival cocktails. Event-goers can download the Made in America app on iPhone or Android to create custom lineups, monitor their wristbands, use the scavenger hunt tools, and photobooth feature
Attendees are allowed:
- Factory-sealed plastic water bottles, one per person up to 1 liter
- Empty plastic water containers, one per person up to 64 ounces for re-use at water refill stations (drinking water will be available for purchase and there will be water stations for refilling bottles)
- Empty hydration packs of any kind (backpacks, waist bands or other hydration items and inserts)
- One small non-framed backpack or bag subject to search and re-search (all searched bags will be tagged following search)
- Blankets and towels
- Umbrellas (small hand-held only)
- Non-professional cameras, flip-cams, camera phones
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, government-issued I.D., cash, debit/credit cards, and other personal items
This year, Made in America festival’s official charity partner is ACLU of Pennsylvania. A portion of the net proceeds will also support the REFORM Alliance. The endeavor was launched by Jay-Z and Meek Mill, and seeks “dramatically reduce the number of people who are unjustly under the control of the criminal justice system – starting with probation and parole.”
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The Lineup
Travis Scott and Cardi B will be the headliners this year. Other performers include Juice WRLD, James Blake, Megan Thee Stalliaon, Rosalía, Kaskade, Tierra Whack, Blueface, Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals, Jorja Smith, Philly’s own Pink Sweat$, and more.
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Set Times
In a newly released breakdown, Cardi be will rock the crowd on Saturday night and Travis Scott will bring the thunder on Sunday. In past years, the first shows would start at 1 pm and the carousel of acts would continue through to the headliners commencing around 9:30 pm. For full details on the set times download the Made in America app where you can customize a lineup to your likings and get alerts for concert starting times.
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Road Closures
With a massive festival such as this taking over the city, it’s best to know where you can’t go and where to steer clear of over the weekend. Here’s a rundown of road closures through the week courtesy of CBS3 Philly:
Aug. 29 – At 7 p.m., Outer lanes of Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 22nd and 23rd Streets will close, reopening at 5 a.m. Sept. 3.
Aug. 30 – At 10 a.m., the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, between 20th Street and Eakins Oval will close. 23rd Street will close between Pennsylvania Avenue and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 22nd Street will close between Pennsylvania Avenue and Park Towne Place. 21st Street will close between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street. Kelly Drive outbound lanes will close from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue. The outer lane of MLK Drive adjacent to Paine’s Park will close. All expected to reopen Sept. 3 at 5 a.m.
Aug. 31 – At 3 a.m., the full extent of the road closures around the festival site will begin and remain through the duration of the event.
All closures and restrictions are expected to be lifted at 5 a.m. Tuesday, before the morning rush.
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Transportation
Broad Street and Market Frankford Lines: Trains will run on a normal weekend schedule on Saturday and Sunday and will offer overnight service Saturday. The Race-Vine and City Hall stations will provide easy access to the festival gates on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Regional Rail: SEPTA will provide late-night train service on Saturday and Sunday departing from Jefferson, Suburban and 30th Street Stations. Special schedules will be in effect, which can be seen here.
If the festival runs late either day, trains will be held for approximately 20 minutes after it ends.
Trolley: Routes 10, 11, 13, 15, 34 and 36 offer the best service to and from the festival. Route 15 connects the Broad Street and Market Frankford Lines at Girard Avenue.
Bus: Routes 7, 32, 33, 38, 43 and 48 will be detoured beginning at 10 a.m. on Aug. 31 through 5 a.m. on Sept. 2 because of festival-related street closures.
Rideshare: Uber, Lyft, and taxi designated drop off and pick up locations are along the 2100 block of Spring Garden Street and the 1900 block of Arch Street.
SEPTA has full specialty page in order to ensure travelers have full clarity on how to get to the shows and safely return home. The local subway service will be utilizing their regular Saturday and Sunday schedules. If you’re traveling on the Broad Street Line it’s best to hop out at the City Hall or Race-Vine stops. If you’re getting there on the Market-Frankford Like the best station to make your trek from is 15th Street. There will be special late-night Regional Rail lines on Saturday and Sunday nights departing from Jefferson, Suburban, and 30th Street Stations. On both days the trains will begin running about 20 minutes after the show ends. If you’re heading to the parkway via the trolley lines the best routes are the 10, 11, 13, 15, 34 and 36. The parkway is a close walking distance from the 19th and 22nd Street stations.
Be sure to always check the SEPTA status page the days of the concerts.
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Ticket Information
General admission tickets are $175 for two-day passes. There are special VIP passes and experiences available for $750 which includes lounge areas, behind-the-scenes perks, and more. New to 2019, Fixed Payment Plan option for individuals looking to budget the cost. One-day passes are also still available.
Click here for the lineup and ticket information for the Made in America 2019.
TIDAL members will also have access to exclusive member benefits during the festival, including fast-track entrance, lounge access, and artist meet-and-greets. The music streaming service will also livestream the festival across the globe.
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Ticket Giveaway
On Friday, August 30, TIDAL with DaBaby and Snipes are giving Philadelphia residents the chance to win a pair of Air Force 1’s signed by DaBaby, $1,000 Snipes shopping spree and tickets to Made in America Festival!
For a chance to win, fans will participate in a scavenger hunt around Philadelphia! To find out where the first location will be, fans can sign up at this link.
The location will be disclosed on Thursday, August 29. Participants must be subscribed to TIDAL or sign up before Friday. Fans can sign up for a 90-day free trial at this link.
You can follow Candis McLean on Twitter (@CandisRMcLean) and e-mail her at [email protected].
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