Live, in Photos: Rolling Loud Miami 2024 with Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Future, and More

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Live, in Photos: Rolling Loud Miami 2024 with Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Future, and More

Don Toliver, Sexyy Red, Lil Yachty, TiaCorine, Denzel Curry, CLIP, and more from the 10th anniversary of the annual festival at Hard Rock Stadium.

Words: Valerie Magan

Photos: Valerie Magan

December 20, 2024

This year’s Rolling Loud was a movie. Or at least it was when Owen Wilson showed up. While the Rolling Loud stage isn’t the most likely place you’d expect him to be, his appearance during Travis Scott’s headlining set (reportedly for a comedy centered around the festival) to sing "Fe!n" seemed to fit right in with the rest of the chaos of the weekend.

From Travis Scott's helicopter entrance, to Don Toliver’s massive Globe of Death, to Owen Wilson singing “Fe!n," to Playboi Carti debuting new tracks against a backdrop of fireworks, the 10th iteration of Rolling Loud was nothing short of a fiery spectacle—in a good way. And with the whole festival moving from December to June, folks didn't have to worry about the heat other than what was happening on stage. Although it rained on and off all weekend, temperatures were mild (compared to previous years, where the asphalt of Hard Rock Stadium was so hot it could burn through skin), and it was a festival of pyrotechnics, raging, and quite frankly, some really cinematic downpours, leaving no doubt that Rolling Loud— and Mother Nature— knows how to put on a show.

And why wouldn’t they? Although others have tried, no other festival has come close to holding as much cultural relevance in hip-hop culture as Rolling Loud. This may be owed to its humble beginnings and staggeringly organic growth: the first Rolling Loud may have been a scaled-down, one-day festival in 2015, but it took full advantage of Miami’s fast-growing prominence in the hip-hop and art scenes at the time, quickly solidifying itself as a household name amongst fans of up-and-coming Soundcloud rappers that would later become synonymous with the Rolling Loud brand. Fast forward 10 years, the festival still does well to champion smaller artists (most notable this year were TiaCorine, CLIP, Anycia, and skaiwater), even as promotion and production initiatives have soared and the festival has expanded internationally.

It was almost as if the festival held up a mirror to one of the most dramatic years in hip-hop culture (re: Kendrick and Drake)—surprises and melodrama were the theme of the weekend, and the cult of booming bass was in full attendance. Despite the December gloom, Hard Rock Stadium was packed to the brim with a mix of 305 natives and world travelers alike, all brought together by their love for hip-hop and rap. Between intricate pyrotechnic shows, a packed lineup that never veered off course, incredible set designs, and Playboi Carti finally premiering new music, there was never a shortage of amazing things to see at this year’s Rolling Loud, and this year was the most thrilling extravaganza the festival has put on to date.

Day One