Attendees at Juicy Fest Whangārei farewell the artists with a haka. Video / Northland Events Centre
International rapper and movie star Ludacris is heading to New Zealand to perform for the first time as part of Juicy Fest 2025, and he’ll be joined by some of R&B and hip-hop’s most influential stars.
The Juicy Fest 2025 line-up can now be revealed, featuring American hip-hop and R&B icons, legends and stars also including Akon, Tyga, Keyshia Cole, Omarion, Fat Joe, SWV, Blackstreet and Jacquees, according to a media release.
Juicy Fest is a R18 one-day festival, scheduled for four shows across New Zealand in January 2025. The tour will begin in Christchurch on January 8, before moving on to Wellington on January 10, Auckland on January 11 and Tauranga on January 12. Juicy Fest then heads across the ditch for four shows in Australia.
Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges in Furious 7.
Ludacris is a three-time Grammy-winning, 20-time Grammy-nominated hip-hop icon.
With some of his biggest hits including What’s Your Fantasy, Pimpin’ All Over The World, Area Codes, Runaway Love, My Chick Bad, Rollout, along with Standup, Good Lovin, Get Back, Money Maker, How Low, and Act a Fool, Ludacris is sure to be a crowd favourite, the release said.
He has collaborated with some of the world’s most well-known artists, from Justin Bieber and Carrie Underwood to Usher, Mary J Blige and Nicki Minaj. On top of his musical accomplishments, Ludacris is a core member of one of the longest movie franchises - Fast and Furious - playing Tej Parker.
Akon will be at Juicy Fest next year. Photo / Supplied
Akon is a multi-genre artist who has hits spread across pop, R&B, hip hop and dance and collaborations with some of the biggest artists such as Michael Jackson, Eminem, Lady Gaga and Snoop Dogg.
Tyga has been a consistent presence in the hip-hop genre since he released Rack City in 2011. Since then he has released multiple chart-topping hits - Ice Cream Man, Ayo with Chris Brown, Loco Contigo with DJ Snake and J Balvin, Freaky Deaky with Doja Cat and Taste with rapper Offset, which has more than 1.3 billion streams on Spotify.
Keyshia Cole’s 2005 hit single and heartbreak anthem Love has had a massive resurgence in popularity nearly 20 years later, finding new life with a new generation thanks to TikTok.
SWV and Blackstreet are among the most influential groups of the 1990s and today they are recognised as among the greats of R&B music. SWV, or Sisters With Voices, are responsible for such R&B classics and hit singles as Weak, Right Here, I’m So Into You, You’re the One and Can We to name a new, while Blackstreet brought us the cultural phenomenon that is No Diggity, as well as hits Booti Call and Before I Let You Go, Don’t Leave and Fix.
Fat Joe is a titan in the world of hip-hop, renowned for his lyrical prowess and chart-topping hits. With bangers such as All the Way Up, Lean Back, What’s Luv, Make It Rain and Get It Poppin, the South Bronx native will bring nostalgia for many.
Omarion and Jacquees round out the line-up announcement - two smooth R&B singers with impressive careers.
Omarion’s career spans over two decades, achieving significant success both as a solo artist and as part of the acclaimed group B2K, with hits such as Uh Huh, Bump, Bump, Bump, Girlfriend,Ice Box, Entourage and Post to Be under his belt. Jacquees’ discography includes Come Thru, At the Club, B.E.D. and You.
Juicy Fest promoters Matthew Spratt and Glenn Meikle say the 2025 event has been put together with good vibes and positive memories in mind.
“This year’s line-up is packed with artists responsible for some of R&B and hip-hop’s biggest hits of the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s and we’re excited to see the crowd respond to the high energy of our artists,” Spratt said in the release.
“Every year we are excited to bring another line-up to New Zealand and we believe we’ve come up with a high calibre group of artists that people will be excited to see,” Meikle said.
“We’ve locked in some of the biggest names in R&B and hip-hop from the 1990s and 2000s era and they’re just excited about coming to New Zealand as we are to be hosting them,” Spratt said.
Juicy Fest 2025 will provide a sense of nostalgia for everyone who loves the R&B and hip-hop sounds of the 90s, 2000s and 2010s.
