HOT 97 Summer Jam is preparing to bring another major celebration of hip-hop to the New York and New Jersey area, with French Montana, Ice Spice and Yung Miami among the leading names announced for its 2026 edition.
The annual concert is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 24, 2026, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event will unite established stars, hometown favorites and rising performers for a packed evening built around the different sounds currently shaping rap and R&B.
French Montana’s inclusion gives the lineup an artist with a deep connection to New York hip-hop and a catalog filled with high-energy records designed for large crowds. His Summer Jam appearance also continues a long relationship with the event, where collaborations, unexpected guests and major New York moments have frequently played an important role.
Ice Spice will bring a distinctly Bronx presence to the stage. Her appearance places one of New York’s most recognizable contemporary rap voices in front of the Summer Jam audience, adding to a bill that balances artists from different generations and sections of the culture.
The lineup received another notable addition with the announcement of Yung Miami. HOT 97 confirmed that the former City Girls rapper will perform at this year’s event, with her recent song “Spend Dat” expected to be part of her appearance. She joins the festival at a time when she has been developing her identity as a solo performer and building a catalog outside of the duo that introduced her to a wider audience.
Together, French Montana, Ice Spice and Yung Miami give the concert three performers with very different approaches. French Montana brings years of club records and major collaborations, Ice Spice represents the newer generation of New York rap, while Yung Miami adds the confident Southern energy that has defined much of her music.
The supporting roster makes the night even more expansive. Mariah the Scientist, Max B and DaBaby are currently listed among the artists scheduled for the main stage, giving fans a mixture of melodic R&B, street rap and energetic mainstream performances. (HOT 97 Summer Jam)
Max B’s appearance is particularly meaningful because of his close creative connection with French Montana. Having both artists on the same bill immediately creates anticipation around the possibility of shared moments, especially given the influence their music has had on a particular era of New York rap.
The show will also feature a special welcome-home performance from Fetty Wap, giving the New Jersey artist an opportunity to perform in front of a local crowd. His inclusion adds another significant regional element to an event already rooted in the musical relationship between New York and New Jersey.
Other artists advertised as part of the broader 2026 lineup include G Herbo, Cash Cobain, Zeddy Will, Omah Lay, Honey Bxby, Sleepy Hallow and 41, the Brooklyn collective made up of Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, Tata and Dee Billz. The Prudential Center also lists Natalie Nunn among the scheduled names, widening the range of personalities involved in this year’s production.
The official event schedule also highlights performances from Conway the Machine, Stove God Cooks, 38 Spesh, Albee Al, Nems and Kocky Ka during the earlier section of the main-stage program. Their inclusion brings a harder lyrical edge to the concert and gives the bill additional representation from artists associated with independent, underground and street-focused rap.
That range is one of the strongest aspects of the 2026 lineup. Rather than building the entire show around one sound, Summer Jam is bringing together melodic performers, veteran hitmakers, emerging New York acts and lyric-driven rappers. The result is a program designed to reflect several sides of modern hip-hop within a single night.
Summer Jam has also earned a reputation for delivering more than what initially appears on the poster. Surprise appearances, spontaneous collaborations and unannounced performances have traditionally helped create some of the event’s most discussed moments. With several artists on this year’s bill already connected through previous collaborations and regional ties, the potential for unexpected reunions will be one of the biggest points of anticipation.
The choice of Prudential Center once again places the concert close to its core New York audience while giving New Jersey artists and fans a prominent role in the celebration. The venue has confirmed that tickets are currently available and notes that the lineup remains subject to change. (Prudential Center)
With French Montana, Ice Spice, Yung Miami, Mariah the Scientist, Max B, DaBaby, Fetty Wap and several other performers scheduled to appear, the 2026 edition is positioned as a wide-ranging showcase of hip-hop’s current landscape.
HOT 97 Summer Jam 2026 takes place on Friday, July 24, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
