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Thousands of music fans are expected to fill Lerner Town Square on Sunday, May 31, as the DMV Summer Kickoff Music Fest celebrates 50 years of go-go.
The festival will run from noon to 8 p.m. in the parking lot at 8025 Galleria Drive. Nearly all tickets have been sold, although a limited number of general admission tickets remained available for just under $80 as of press time.
Go-go pioneer Rare Essence will headline a lineup that also includes Junkyard Band, DCVybe, Sirius Company, the Kim Michelle Experience and Major League Band. DJs Dirty Rico, Biggs and 5’9 will provide music between performances, while Majic 102.3 radio host Asia and Sherell Rowe will host the event.
Organizers are inviting attendees to bring lawn chairs for a day of live jazz, funk, go-go and R&B. The festival will also feature food and drinks, artisan crafts and a photo booth.
More than 4,500 people attended last year. Organizers anticipate a similar crowd for the 2026 festival, the event’s fourth year in Tysons.
Tena and Byron Jennings, founders of The A-List of Entertainment and the McLean-based nonprofit 4th and 43, organize the festival. A 50/50 raffle will support the nonprofit’s work providing scholarships for students attending historically Black colleges and universities, with half the proceeds going to the winner.
Commemorative shirts and posters will mark go-go’s 50th anniversary. The milestone traces back to the 1976 formation of Rare Essence, originally known as the Young Dynamos.
The band began with elementary school students performing soul and funk standards before developing its own sound under the influence of singer and guitarist Chuck Brown. Brown later became known as the “Godfather of Go-Go,” and his album “Bustin’ Loose” emerged as an early landmark for the genre.
Known for syncopated rhythms, layered percussion and call-and-response performances, go-go became closely tied to Washington and its Black community. After once being blamed for violence, the genre gained official recognition from D.C. leaders, who designated it the city’s official music in 2020.
Tysons Community Alliance, a co-sponsor, said the anniversary gives the festival added significance for Tysons and the broader Washington region. Communications director Monique Blyther said events of this scale bring visitors, activity and community engagement to the district while supporting businesses and celebrating the region’s culture.
The alliance also thanked Lerner Enterprises, which owns the property and has hosted the festival for four years.