CINCINNATI — Thousands of people will head to Paycor Stadium this weekend as the 64th annual Cincinnati Music Festival gets underway.
Thursday night's lineup features a tribute to hip-hop, including performances by DJ Spinderella and DJ Vader. Throughout the weekend, headliners such as Mary J. Blige and Charlie Wilson are expected to draw nearly 100,000 attendees to downtown Cincinnati.
According to Visit Cincy, the festival is projected to generate more than $100 million in economic impact for the region.
WATCH: Cincinnati Music Festival kicks off Thursday
Officials say hotels across the city are fully booked, while restaurants and businesses are seeing an increase in customer traffic. They expect businesses throughout downtown Cincinnati, The Banks, Fountain Square and neighboring communities like Covington and Newport to benefit from the influx of visitors.
This year's festival also marks the debut of Paycor Stadium's newly renovated CareSource Lounge.
"It's been a marquee event in this community," said Juli Kirkpatrick, president of Visit Cincy. "It's comparable to BLINK and Oktoberfest, the big events that we bring in. We always look forward to Cincinnati Music Festival weekend because we know we're going to welcome back visitors who have been here with us for many, many years."
The excitement won't end when the music does. Following the festival, Cincinnati will welcome another major event as the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity hosts its conclave, which is expected to bring an additional 30,000 visitors to the city.
The back-to-back events are expected to provide a significant boost to the local economy and businesses across the region.
You can find the full list of street closures at this link.
