Overview
- The inaugural fundraiser, billed by organizers as poised to be the largest HBCU fundraiser, will be held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on March 26, 2026.
- Live Nation Urban and the Student Freedom Initiative are leading the event in partnership with the City of Atlanta and Mayor Andre Dickens.
- The announced performers include Jill Scott, John Legend, Earth, Wind & Fire, Common, GloRilla, Jeezy, Metro Boomin, Kirk Franklin, Tems, Coco Jones, PJ Morton, Mickey Guyton, Yolanda Adams, and Travis Greene.
- Ticket presales began November 19 at 10 a.m. ET, with general on‑sale starting November 21 via awarefest.org.
- Programming runs March 21–26 with workshops, panel discussions, and guest appearances from Robert F. Smith, Chris Paul, Angel Reese, Ryan Clark, Big Boi, 2 Chainz, and Mayor Andre Dickens.