WBL Fest 2025 | Washington, D.C.
The 9th annual Words Beats & Life Festival turned Washington, D.C. into a four-day, citywide celebration of hip-hop culture— uniting music, spoken word, visual arts and interactive experiences that showcased both legendary artists and rising local talent.
Our 9th annual Words Beats & Life Festival transformed Washington, D.C. into a vibrant celebration of hip-hop culture from April 3rd through this 6th, 2025— weaving together an impressive tapestry of artistic expression with eight events across the district. From legendary hip-hop group Arrested Development headlining the Jazz & Blossoms Park Jam in Franklin Square to DJ Spinna commanding the decks at the Wild Days rooftop, to open mics, poetry showcases, interactive art experiences, and workshops WBL Fest 2025 delivered unforgettable performances and community events for the entire family. Experience the fun we had at WBL Fest 2025 by exploring below:
Photo highlights from each event at WBL Fest 2025
A video recap of Jazz & Blossoms
A special photo gallery of WBL Fest 2025 through the eyes of our staff
Jazz & Blossoms | Franklin Park
An official event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and our most popular WBL Fest experience, Jazz & Blossoms returned for its second year—and it was a hit. Guests of all ages filled Franklin Park, enjoying free activities, lawn games, and hands-on art zones featuring haiku writing, origami, and graffiti canvas painting. Families joined in on Double Dutch, roller skating, video games, caricature drawing, and face and body painting. The day was soundtracked by unforgettable live performances from Arrested Development, Masta Ace with Sound of the City, Kokayi, Black Folks Don’t Swim?, and Ra Brown.
Jazz & Blossoms 2025 | Recap Video
Jazz & Blossoms 2025 | Photo Gallery
Celebrating National Poetry Month at WBL Fest
Poetry is an integral part of WBL Fest each year and a great way to celebrate National Poetry Month. Throughout the 2025 four-day festival, attendees experienced the power of spoken word at four fun events throughout Washington, DC.
The Combine All-Stars Showcase
The Combine All-Stars showcase at Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage was a full house and thousands watched online as some of D.C.’s best wordsmiths took the stage for an electrifying evening of poetry, performance and wordsmith mastery.
Slamtastic Finals
Youth poets ages 13-22 competed in the Slamtastic Finals at Busboys And Poets for the chance to be a part of the 2025 DMV Youth Poetry Slam Competition Team, an opportunity for young poets to receive coaching from world renowned poets, develop their talents, gain performance opportunity and travel to compete at the 2025 Brave New Voices International Poetry Competition.
Word Power Poetry
Each year at WBL Fest, we honor the power of words through our Word Power series at Busboys and Poets. This year featured two standout events. The first, AESTHETIC, invited guests to catch a vibe with two of the DMV’s illest expressionists, Blackpicasso and Adamo. The second was a lively Open Mic hosted by Dwayne B., capped off with a powerful performance from poet Drew Anderson.
From Southside to Uptown: Gallery Exhibition
Visual arts took center stage at the From Southside to Uptown student gallery exhibition, featuring mosaics, aerosol paintings, and photography by middle and high school students in our free, citywide arts education programs. For us, offering free arts education to students ages 8 to 22 goes beyond classroom instruction—we believe in giving young artists real-world experience. That’s why part of our mission is not only to equip students with the skills to thrive in creative careers, but also to provide the opportunities and resources to build their portfolios, showcase their work, and take their first steps toward professional success. From gallery exhibitions to performances and creative employment, our festivals—WBL Fest and DMV Made—are key to making those opportunities possible.
Time Capsule 2040
The festival’s forward-thinking spirit came to life at Time Capsule 2040—an interactive multimedia experience inviting participants to explore the past, present, and future of hip-hop. Presented by our 2040 Fellows, the event advances the goals of our Towards 2040 vision: using hip-hop as an outcome-driven, design-centered cultural practice to achieve justice and equality for all by the year 2040. The fellowship empowers emerging leaders to create systems, platforms, and spaces that are accessible to everyone. Guided by mentors, collective learning, and skill-building, fellows transform their experiences into real-world solutions for a more just future. Learn more about our vision and how you can get involved here.
WBL Fest 2025 Photo Gallery
Curated by our amazing staff who were on the ground at all eight events during our four day festival, this photo gallery gives you a unique perspective of the energy of WBL Fest through the eyes of the people who helped make this festival happen.
From downtown rooftops to community spaces in Anacostia, WBL Fest 2025 brought hip-hop's energy to every corner of the District. We created spaces for both established artists and emerging talent to shine, while inviting the community to participate actively in the culture through workshops, open mics and interactive art experiences. As we close this chapter of our Spring 2025 WBL Fest, we are looking forward to our next WBL Fest coming in December 2025!
