History of Rolling Loud in Timeline
Rolling Loud is a globally recognized hip hop music festival established in 2015. The festival has gained immense popularity, being hosted in continents like Asia, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. Its reputation as a leading music event is highlighted by publications like Complex and Billboard, which acknowledge its scale and influence within the music industry. Notably, the festival attracted an impressive estimated attendance of 210,000 in Miami in 2019.
2010: Founders Begin Professional Live Music Events
Zingler and Cherif, the founders of Rolling Loud, started organizing professional live music events in 2010, beginning with an after-party headlined by Rick Ross.
2013: Founders Host Monthly Events in Miami
By the summer of 2013, Zingler and Cherif were hosting monthly events in Miami, featuring up-and-coming artists like Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar.
February 2015: First Rolling Loud Festival
The inaugural Rolling Loud festival took place in February 2015 at Soho Studios in Miami's Wynwood district, featuring artists such as Schoolboy Q, Juicy J, Currensy, and Action Bronson. The venue experienced temporary flooding due to rain.
2015: Rolling Loud Founded
Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif founded Rolling Loud in 2015.
2015: Rolling Loud Founded
Rolling Loud was established in 2015.
2016: Rolling Loud Held at Mana Wynwood
In 2016, Rolling Loud was held at the larger Mana Wynwood convention center in Miami, with Ty Dolla $ign, Young Thug, and Future as headliners.
2017: Lil Uzi Vert Stage Dives at Rolling Loud Miami
Lil Uzi Vert made a memorable stage dive from a two-story scaffolding into the crowd during Rolling Loud Miami in 2017.
2017: Lil B Allegedly Assaulted at Rolling Loud Mountain View
Rapper Lil B's performance at Rolling Loud in Mountain View, California, was canceled after an alleged assault by rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie and his crew. The cancellation was reportedly due to the theft of Lil B's equipment during the alleged assault.
2017: Revolt Broadcast
Rolling Loud festivals were livestreamed and broadcast on Revolt in 2017.
2017: Rolling Loud Moves to Bayfront Park and Expands
Rolling Loud relocated to Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami in 2017. This year also marked the festival's expansion to other cities with the first Rolling Loud Bay Area and Rolling Loud Southern California editions.
2018: Rolling Loud Moves to Hard Rock Stadium
Rolling Loud moved to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in 2018.
2018: Young Dolph Gifts Money to Fired Duke University Baristas
Young Dolph surprised Duke University baristas who were fired for playing his music by bringing them on stage at Rolling Loud Miami and gifting them $20,000.
2018: LiveXLive Broadcast
Rolling Loud festivals were livestreamed and broadcast on LiveXLive in 2018.
2018: Offset's Public Apology to Cardi B
Offset publicly apologized to Cardi B during her headlining set at Rolling Loud Los Angeles in 2018.
2018: Meek Mill Makes Surprise Post-Prison Performance
Meek Mill made a surprise appearance at Rolling Loud Miami in 2018, marking his second live performance following his release from prison.
2019: Rolling Loud Miami Attendance Reaches 210,000
An estimated 210,000 people attended Rolling Loud in Miami in 2019.
2019: Rolling Loud Expands to Australia and New York City
Rolling Loud expanded its reach in 2019 with Rolling Loud Australia in Sydney and Rolling Loud NYC.
2019: Be At TV Broadcast
Rolling Loud festivals were livestreamed and broadcast on Be At TV in 2019.
2019: Rolling Loud Miami Described as "Plagued by Chaos"
The 2019 Rolling Loud festival in Miami faced criticism and was described as "plagued by chaos" due to various incidents.
2019: Attendee Fatally Assaulted at Rolling Loud Los Angeles
Tragedy struck Rolling Loud Los Angeles in 2019 when 23-year-old attendee Kalvin Sanchez was assaulted, sustaining severe head injuries. He died four days later, and his death was ruled a homicide.
2019: Travis Scott Sued for Allegedly Inciting Stampede
Travis Scott faced a lawsuit for his alleged role in inciting a stampede during his 2019 Rolling Loud Miami performance. The lawsuit accused him of negligence for encouraging aggressive behavior in the crowd while people were getting hurt, suffocating, losing consciousness, fighting, and being trampled.
2020: Rolling Loud Announces First European Festival
In 2019, Rolling Loud announced their first European festival in Portugal, planned for July 2020.
2020: Loud Streams on Twitch
In 2020, Rolling Loud launched "Loud Streams," virtual live performances streamed on Twitch.
2020: Rolling Loud Portugal Postponed
Rolling Loud Portugal, initially planned for 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: European Rolling Loud Festival Postponed
The first European edition of Rolling Loud, planned for 2020, had to be rescheduled to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal.
July 25, 2021: Rolling Loud US Rescheduled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
The 2020 Rolling Loud festival in the US, originally scheduled for May 8-10, was postponed to July 23-25, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: Social Justice Initiatives with Black Music Action Coalition
Rolling Loud partnered with the Black Music Action Coalition in 2021 for social justice initiatives during Rolling Loud California, featuring panel discussions and fundraising.
2021: Post-Pandemic Rolling Loud Miami and WWE Collaboration
Rolling Loud returned to Miami in 2021 after the pandemic hiatus, drawing over 200,000 attendees. The festival featured a collaboration with WWE, which broadcast parts of SmackDown from the main stage.
2021: Rolling Loud Announces Partnership with WOO HAH! Festival
In 2021, Rolling Loud announced its first partnership with a European festival, collaborating with the 2022 edition of WOO HAH! in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands, held from July 1-3, 2022.
2021: Rolling Loud Portugal Further Postponed
Rolling Loud Portugal faced another postponement in 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: Fetty Wap Arrested on Federal Drug Charges
Rapper Fetty Wap was arrested on federal drug charges, including conspiracy to distribute hard drugs, at New York's Citi Field before entering the Rolling Loud New York festival grounds in 2021.
2021: Haiti Earthquake Relief
In 2021, rapper Zoey Dollaz and Rolling Loud Co-Founder Tariq Cherif organized relief efforts for Haiti following a major earthquake, using chartered jets to deliver supplies.
2021: Archived Performances on YouTube
In 2021, Rolling Loud uploaded archived performances from their 2017 Miami and Bay Area festivals to their official YouTube channel.
July 2022: Kid Cudi Cuts Performance Short After Objects Thrown From Crowd
Kid Cudi cut his performance short on the first day of Rolling Loud Miami in July 2022 after objects, including a water bottle, were thrown at him from the audience. He gave the crowd a warning, but after another object was thrown, he left the stage. Ironically, Kanye West, who had previously dropped out of the festival and been replaced by Cudi, joined Lil Durk on stage for a performance shortly after.
October 25, 2022: Rolling Loud Announces First Edition in Thailand
Rolling Loud announced its first festival in Thailand on October 25, 2022, which took place from April 13-15.
December 9, 2022: "Finger Food" Release
On December 9, 2022, Rolling Loud released their first single, "Finger Food," featuring Rae Sremmurd and Duke Deuce.
2022: Lil Tjay Returns to Stage After Shooting
Lil Tjay made his comeback performance at Rolling Loud NY in 2022, marking his first gig since being shot seven times in June.
2022: Miami Jr. HEAT Basketball Clinic
Rolling Loud and the Miami Jr. HEAT hosted a basketball clinic for 50 local children from After-School All-Stars at the 2022 festival.
2022: Nicki Minaj Becomes First Solo Female Rapper to Headline Rolling Loud
Nicki Minaj made history at Rolling Loud New York in 2022 by becoming the first solo female rapper to headline the festival.
2022: Travis Scott Performs with Future at Rolling Loud Miami
Travis Scott joined Future on stage during his headlining set at Rolling Loud Miami in 2022.
2022: South by Southwest Showcase
Rolling Loud held a two-night showcase at Stubb's Bar-B-Q during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, in 2022.
2022: Rolling Loud Continues Global Expansion
Rolling Loud continued its international expansion in 2022.
2022: Rolling Loud Announces Third European Location in Germany
Rolling Loud announced its third European festival location in 2022, debuting in Munich, Germany, from July 7-9, 2023.
July 1, 2023: Rolling Loud Rotterdam Launched
Following a successful partnership with Woo Hah! 2022 in the Netherlands, Rolling Loud Rotterdam debuted from June 30 to July 1, 2023.
2023: Don Toliver Brings Out Surprise Guests at Rolling Loud California
Don Toliver surprised the audience during his Rolling Loud California set in 2023 by bringing out Kali Uchis, James Blake, and Justin Bieber. Notably, this was Justin Bieber's first performance since canceling his Justice World Tour.
2023: DGK Skateboard Giveback
In 2023, Rolling Loud and DGK held a skateboard giveback at SoFi Stadium, donating skateboards and helmets to 40 students from Kelso Elementary.
2023: Black Music Action Coalition Panel Discussion
On the first day of Rolling Loud Miami 2023, a panel discussion was held in support of the Black Music Action Coalition's Restoring Artistic Protections (RAP) Act, advocating for the protection of artists' creative expression in legal contexts.
2023: Rolling Loud California Held at SoFi Stadium
Rolling Loud California took place at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium for the first time on March 3–5, 2023.
2023: Scholarship Giveaway with Rick Ross
Rolling Loud, the City of Miami Gardens, and Rick Ross awarded scholarships to eight graduating seniors from Miami Norland and Miami Carol City Senior High Schools in 2023.
2024: Silver Influencer Marketing Award
Rolling Loud received the Silver Influencer Marketing Award in 2024 for their collaboration with Forever 21 and Bunny Bae's Bar.
2024: ANA SeeHer REGGIE GEM Award
Rolling Loud won the Silver ANA SeeHer REGGIE GEM Award in 2024 for their Forever 21 x Bunny's Bae Bar collaboration.