Rich Brian, NIKI, Beabadoobee Join Head in the Clouds’ First New York Festival

Since its first festival in Los Angeles five years ago, 88rising’s Head in the Clouds music festival will travel to New York for its East Coast debut.

Label 88rising has since introduced the festival to Manila and Jakarta, and will produce the New York installment with The Bowery Presents and Southern California-based collaborator Goldenvoice, the group behind Stagecoach and Coachella.

Some of the world’s top Asian acts will take over Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, N.Y. from May 20 to 21. Indonesian rapper Rich Brian,  South Korean group ITZY, Indonesian songwriter and producer NIKI, and Filipino-British singer beabadoobee were part of the lineup announced on Monday. DPR Live and DPR Ian, MILLI, XG, Masiwei, Atarashii Gakko!, P-Lo, Raveena, and Warren Hue are also slated to perform at the festival. Head in the Cloud’s East Coast show will also coincide with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Presale ticket sales for both days start Friday, March 17 at 10am E.T., while fans can sign up for early access on the festival website.

In 2018, 88rising act Rich Brian became the first Asian to top the iTunes hip-hop chart with his debut album Amen. In 202I, he collaborated with Rick Ross and DJ SNAKE on “Run It” for Marvel Studios’ film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Last year, Bea Kristi, who writes as beabadoobee, released her second album, Beatopia, following her 2021 debut Fake It Flowers. During an interview with Rolling Stone, the singer-songwriter said that while she considers music-making a hobby, her main purpose is “to be that person I really needed when I was growing up, for girls that look like me, that feel like me.”