City of Rochester
News Release
(Tuesday, June 1, 2021) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren was joined today by City Council President Loretta C. Scott, Former Mayor William A. Johnson Jr, Varick Baiyina, President and CEO of Xperience Live Events, and Dan Mason, General Manager of the Rochester Red Wings to announce the full two-day lineup of entertainers and activities scheduled for the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival, which will take place Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27 and 28 at Frontier Field Downtown.
“Last year, the pandemic prevented us from celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Rochester Summer Soul Music Fest,” said Mayor Warren. “However, in Rochester, we are resilient, and thanks to our citizens who are protecting their circles, getting vaccinated and practicing COVID-19 safety guidelines, our city is emerging and recovering stronger than ever. We are giving this event new life while honoring the legacies of former Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. and City Council President Loretta C. Scott, founder end executor of the original Rochester Music Fest. We’re bringing back Xperience Live Events as the festival producers, and this year promises to be an even bigger success. We are all excited to safely come back together to enjoy great music, entertainment and fun activities. This year’s Summer Soul Music Fest is going to be an event you won't want to miss.”
The festival will kick off at 5 p.m., Friday, August 27 with the ROC Summer Soul Tailgate DJ tribute, hosted by RUFF RYDERS in the Frontier Field VIP parking lot. The evening will feature some of the area’s best DJs, honorary DJ performances, a DJ award tribute, food, drink vendors and family fun.
The festival will continue with the ROC Summer Soul Community Block Party from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 28 at the Frontier Field VIP parking lot featuring family fun, food, drink merchandise vendors, giveaways and presentations by local talent.
Saturday’s headliner will be multi-Grammy award winning platinum selling group Boyz II Men, known for hits like End of the Road, On Bended Knee, A Song for Mama and It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye. Sharing the concert stage with Boyz II Men will be Rochester’s own TWEET and 90s legends Sugar Bear and EU.
Ticket prices are as follows (general admission ticket sales are on hold until CDC guidelines allow them.)
• Premium 200 level tickets for both days: $89
• VIP 100 level tickets for both days: $129
• Premium 200 level tickets for Saturday only: $79
• VIP 100 level tickets for Saturday only: $99
• Admission to Friday’s ROC Summer Soul Community Block Party: Free
• Admission to Friday’s ROC Summer Soul Tailgate and 25th Anniversary DJ tribute: $15
• Premium level tickets for Friday only $29
• VIP level tickets for Friday only $49
Tickets can be purchased on the www.rocsummersoulfest.com website or in person at the Frontier Field Box Office, 1 Morrie Silver Way.
Xperience Live Events, LLC is a Maryland-based events planning company founded by Varick Baiyina.
“As a native son of Rochester, I'm honored to continue such a proud tradition in my hometown,” said Baiyina. “Since 1995, the City of Rochester has produced its heritage Rochester Music Festival as a family-friendly concert experience designed to offer authentic grassroots community engagement. Building on that legacy, 2021 will be even more momentous. Rebranded as the “Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival” in 2018, our aggressive four-month promotional plan will once again garner regional excitement by continuing media coverage in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, New York City and Toronto, Ontario Canada.”
For more information and updates on the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival, visit www.rocsummersoulfest.com.
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News Media: For more information, contact: Director of Media and Public Relations, Xperience Live Events, LLC, Rosetta Street, at (585) 224-6365 or rosetta.street@gmail.com
City of Rochester Communications Director, Justin Roj at Justin.Roj@cityofrochester.gov
View images of the press conference here:
https://cityofrochester.smugmug.com/News-and-Events/Press-Conferences/2021/25th-Summer-Soul-Fest-Announcement-/