Cincinnati Music Festival returns with headliners LL Cool J, Toni Braxton, Earth, Wind and Fire
Black Music Month may have wrapped up in June, but the celebration of Black culture and music has continued well into July for Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Music Festival is back this weekend at Paycor Stadium with a lineup that represents some of the best that hip hop and R&B have to offer.
Performances kick off tonight at Andrew J Brady Music Center with a Celebration of Hip Hop tribute performance featuring Scarface, Goodie Mob, The Sugarhill Gang, The Furious Five and Young MC. The festival’s performances will then continue at Paycor Stadium on Friday with the legendary Earth, Wind and Fire headlining. Grammy Award-winners Anthony Hamilton, Jazmine Sullivan and PJ Morton round out the night’s lineup along with the Zapp Band.
The Cincinnati Music Festival ends its 2025 iteration on Saturday, but not before giving attendees a finale to tide them over until next year. Lucky Daye, 112 and The Bar-Kays will open the night, followed by a tribute performance to Frankie Beverley featuring The TMF Band (formerly known as Maze), Jubu, Ronald Isley, Joe, After 7, Dave Hollister, and Raheem DeVaughn. Hip hop icon LL Cool J will close out the festival with special guest Toni Braxton. The duo were announced to replace Janet Jackson after the singer pulled out of the performance due to “personal matters” back in March.
The CMF Celebration Continues with the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame
Before the party continues at Cincinnati Music Festival Saturday night, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame is hosting a fete of their own during the day. The interactive musical attraction, dedicated to honoring Cincy’s rich musical history and contributions to the music industry, is honoring four musicians with their own stars on the walk of fame. This year’s inductees are R&B crooners The O’Jays, jazz singer Nancy Wilson, funk band The Ohio Players and gospel singer Dottie Peoples.
“I am excited to celebrate and build upon the momentum of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame as we welcome a new class of talented inductees,” said founder Alicia Reece in a prepared statement. “With over 200,000 visitors from around the globe, this free, family-friendly, state-of-the-art tourism destination honors the contributions of Black artists, producers, and songwriters who have shaped the soundtrack of our lives.”
The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame was founded in 2021 and had its grand opening in 2023. This year’s inductees will be cemented alongside previous inductees including Bootise Collins, The Isley Brothers, Shirley Murdock, James Brown and Donald Lawrence.
Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. You can reach Roshae via email at roshaehemmings@detourxp.com.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Cincinnati Music Festival returns with headliners LL Cool J, Toni Braxton, Earth, Wind and Fire."