Las Vegas festival Lovers & Friends announced its 2024 lineup earlier this week, but Mary J Blige, who was listed on the poster, says she isn’t actually playing. In a statement on her Instagram story, she writes, “I am beyond humbled by the response from all of you about the announcement of me on Lovers & Friends Festival. Unfortunately my inclusion was an error as I will be busy in preparation for my Strength of a Woman Summit just one week later! I have the greatest fans in the world and can’t wait to see you in New York in a few short months!”
Lovers & Friends also features Usher (performing Confessions in full), Janet Jackson, Backstreet Boys, Lil Wayne (performing Tha Carter III in full), Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Nas, Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Ludacris, Ciara, TLC, Timbaland, Ja Rule, Ashanti, T-Pain, Akon, Ne-Yo, M.I.A., Timbaland, Brandy, Monica, Eve, Kelly Rowland, Sean Paul, 6LACK, Jodeci, 98 Degrees, Tyrese, Majid Jordan, Method Man & Redman, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Fat Joe, T.I., The-Dream, Mya, Kelis, Dru Hill, Lupe Fiasco, Too $hort, Cam’ron, Juvenile, Trina, and more.
The Strength of a Woman festival and summit hasn’t announced its 2024 lineup yet, but it’s happening on Mother’s Day Weekend (May 11-12) in NYC.
For its planned first year in 2020, Lovers & Friends got off to a surprisingly controversial start when, after being announced by Coachella producers Goldenvoice, Lil Kim called it “fake.” Snoop Dogg and Goldenvoice confirmed its veracity, but in the end the festival was cancelled, like so many otheres, due to Covid. That year was to have happened in Los Angeles, and since then it’s moved to Vegas.
