ORLANDO, Fla. — The hip-hop music festival Rolling Loud will take place May 8–10 at Camping World Stadium, bringing one of the world’s largest rap festivals to the city as officials work to expand Orlando’s reputation as a destination for major music and entertainment events beyond its theme park tourism industry.

The three-day festival is expected to draw thousands of fans to Orlando, where city leaders say large cultural events can help diversify the city’s tourism industry beyond its well-known theme parks.

Shan Rose said attracting major music festivals is part of a broader effort to strengthen Orlando’s entertainment sector and create new cultural attractions for residents and visitors.

“My vision for downtown and District 5 is to create some signature outside of Disney,” Rose said.

Rose said Orlando officials have increasingly focused on expanding the city’s sports and entertainment offerings as a way to grow tourism and community activity.

“As a commissioner we are definitely moving into a space of sports and entertainment,” Rose said.

She said she contacted organizers about bringing the festival to Orlando and believes events like Rolling Loud can help position the city as a regular stop for major tours.

“The intent is to create a home for music here in Orlando,” Rose said.

City officials must also consider the impact of large events on surrounding neighborhoods. Rose said traffic, noise and public safety are key factors when approving major festivals.

“What we do take into consideration is traffic, noise and public safety,” she said. “Ultimately we want to make sure our venues do not create a deficit.”

Rose said the city continues to improve systems that manage traffic and crowds, though she acknowledged the challenge many cities face when hosting major festivals.

“I don’t believe any city has it down to a science,” she said.

Officials also hope the festival will provide economic opportunities for residents while boosting Orlando’s entertainment economy.

“Orlando is a stop to create opportunities for Orlando residents,” Rose said.

Local nightlife promoter Key Richey, cofounder of Connect Four Entertainment, said the festival could bring additional attention to Orlando’s nightlife and entertainment scene.

Richey organizes events throughout Florida and said large festivals often create opportunities for venues, promoters and entrepreneurs.

“I think it’s more beneficial for club owners more than certain promoters,” Richey said. “But it does put more eyes on the city.”

She said the attention generated by Rolling Loud could help Orlando attract more high-profile events in the future.

“If people see that we can get Rolling Loud, who’s to say we can’t get other major festivals?” Richey said.

Richey plans to host events during the festival weekend, including gatherings at a local venue and a potential daytime block party featuring artists from across Florida.

“I’m planning a block party right on OBT and Colonial,” Richey said. “I think it’s going to be free.”

Festivals also create informal economic opportunities for people in the community, she said, as vendors and small businesses sell merchandise, food and other items to visitors attending the event.

“You can figure out how to monetize it,” Richey said. “You can sell shirts, sell water or do whatever you got to do.”

Festival organizers say the 2026 lineup reflects a deliberate effort to introduce new artists and keep the festival evolving.

Tariq Cherif said during an appearance on the Off the Record Podcast that organizers intentionally expanded the lineup to include more emerging performers.

“If we want to stick around and evolve as a festival we can’t just give you the same lineup every time,” Cherif said.

He said the change was partly in response to criticism from fans who said previous lineups repeated many of the same artists.

“We made a conscious effort to bring a lot of new artists,” Cherif said. “Two of the three headliners have never headlined before and a lot of the artists on the bill have never performed at Rolling Loud.”

Cherif said the festival intentionally focused on younger performers as part of that shift.

“We made a real conscious effort to book young and book young artists,” he said.

For Orlando officials, the festival represents another step toward expanding the city’s cultural identity and entertainment offerings.

“We have to make sure we continue to create a city where everyone wants to live, work and play,” Rose said.

City leaders say the arrival of Rolling Loud reflects Orlando’s growing role as a destination for large-scale concerts and events.