Live Nation Urban Partners With Black on the Block to Expand the Festival Into Multiple Markets Across the US in 2025

Los Angeles, CA — Wednesday, January 29 — Live Nation Urban has partnered with Black on the Block, a dynamic platform propelling Black-owned businesses, creatives, and professionals, to expand the one-of-a-kind vendor festival to seven cities throughout 2025. The expansive run will officially kick off on March 23 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Founded in June 2021 in Los Angeles by sisters Lanie and Char Edwards, Black on the Block joins with vendors, attendees, and the broader community to help shape the future of Black culture, entrepreneurship, and wellness. Each market offers a unique shopping experience, showcasing over 100 Black-owned businesses across a diverse range of industries, including apparel, jewelry, skincare, technology, and art. The event also features a vibrant food court, impactful activations, gaming, dance battles, and live performances—all designed to support local communities and boost their economies. In addition, the brand established Black on the Block Community Outreach, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, to provide vendor fee grants, training programs, resources, and funding, further empowering Black entrepreneurs and fostering long-term growth.

The partnership with live event and media powerhouse Live Nation Urban is a significant step forward for the community. By leveraging Live Nation Urban’s resources and expertise, Black on the Block will be able to expand its reach and impact, bringing its innovative vendor festivals to multiple markets across the country. By creating more opportunities for vendors to showcase their talents and connect with wider audiences, the partnership strengthens the foundation of support for Black business owners and enriches the communities they serve.

“Part of the ethos of Live Nation Urban has always been identifying and empowering Black founders and their brands, as evidenced by our many partnerships with brands like Broccoli City Festival, ONE Music Fest, and others,” said Shawn Gee, President of Live Nation Urban. “Lanie and Char have built a phenomenal purpose driven brand that holds a unique place in the live event ecosystem. They’ve been able to use live events to build true economic opportunity for so many small businesses, while at the same time providing a fun and uplifting environment for their community. Our goal is to pour into them and allow the world to benefit from their vision.”

“The partnership with Live Nation Urban is a collective win for our entire community—vendors, attendees, and Black on the Block alike,” said Lanie and Char Edwards. “Together, we’re harnessing Live Nation Urban’s resources and expertise to expand into new markets, creating spaces where small Black-owned businesses can thrive and where attendees can consistently celebrate Black joy while shopping with local entrepreneurs and circulating the Black dollar. This collaboration is about more than growing events—it’s about fostering a stronger, more unified community that amplifies voices, showcases talents, and builds lasting connections.”

Photo by Randijah Simmons (@yungdij)

In addition to dedicated and consistent attendees over the past 4 years, Black on the Block has garnered support from major artists including Chance the Rapper—a frequent shopper at the event—along with Tinashe, Keke Palmer, Omarion, and Romeo Miller. The festival has also showcased electrifying performances from artists like Sevyn Streeter, Durand Bernarr, LaRussell, Kiana Ledé, and DVSN. In addition, notable brands such as Disney, NBC, Amazon Prime, Smirnoff, Walmart, AT&T, and Hulu have partnered with the festival to bring exciting activations to life.

Black-owned and Black-founded, the festival will include stops in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Dallas, TX along with new markets in Houston, TX Atlanta, GA, and Detroit, MI, before wrapping in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, please visit blackxtheblock.com.

2025 Markets:

Arlington, Texas

Atlanta, Georgia

Houston, Texas

Los Angeles (Juneteenth Festival)

Detroit, Michigan

Washington, D.C.

Charlotte, North Carolina

About Live Nation Urban

Live Nation Urban (LNU) remains North America’s preeminent producer of concert experiences, festivals, and platforms headlined, curated, and owned by black talent. Operating in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, the company sets the tone for culture with over a dozen sought-after festival brands such as Roots Picnic, Broccoli City, Exodus Music & Arts Festival, ONE Musicfest, Strength of a Woman, and more.

Beyond their captivating live events, Live Nation Urban has established themselves as key social architects in black culture with their innovative initiatives that include Juneteenth: A Global Celebration (broadcast on CNN), Kerry Washington’s THICKER THAN WATER book tour, and a special Hip-Hop 50 event at the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in addition to tours by artists such as Ari Lennox, Kirk Franklin, Davido, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Jodeci, and Raphael Saadiq. The LNU-produced “A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop” special garnered a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards for “Outstanding Variety Show.” Live Nation Urban continues to grow across hip-hop, R&B, soul, and gospel as the most trusted purveyor of live urban music. For additional information, visit https://livenationurban.com/.