D'Angelo, Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne Join the Roots for NYC Picnic

The week after wrapping their ninth annual Philadelphia Picnic festival, the Roots have unveiled the eclectic lineup for their inaugural New York City edition, scheduled for October 1st and 2nd in Manhattan's Bryant Park. The first night will feature a marquee jam between the Roots, D'Angelo and John Mayer, while the second – dubbed "A Love Letter to New York" – will be headlined by the full Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne and Nile Rodgers, with backing from the Roots. 

Swizz Beats, Jeremih, Deerhoof, Trombone Shorty, X Ambassadors, Kevin Gates, EPMD, Black Thought's Live Mixtape (including Styles P and Freddie Gibbs) and comedians Jerrod Carmichael and Neal Brennan will also perform. Roots-curated chefs and pop-up food stalls will appear throughout the Park. 

Ticket on-sales begin Friday, June 10th at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.

"New York is a second home to us," Roots drummer-producer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson told Billboard about expanding the festival. "There's going to be pop up shops there, really good curated food, comedy, DJ parties there and acts that you wouldn't expect … This is gonna be much more than just some music and some expensive water. We've always had jam sessions or musical gatherings or concerts or just small jam sessions with friends in club spaces, and now I think the opportunity is there for us to do some other ideas."

"Bryant Park is an amazing location because it's so central to the city," added rapper Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter. "We're Philadelphians; we pride ourselves on being a Philadelphia brand gone universal. And we're kind of honorary New Yorkers because of the Tonight Show gig, so we thought it was a respectful way to pay homage to our second homes."

In other Roots news, the iconic Philly crew recently teamed with ESPN to create the fiery NBA Finals anthem "Show Me You're a Champion."