Pitbullis ready for the slime of his life…
The 38-year-old Cuban American rap superstar has been set as a headliner for the second Nickelodeon SlimeFest in the US, which returns to Chicago June 8-9 and will feature Nick multimedia star Jojo Siwa.
Pitbull’s fellow headliners are Bebe Rexha and T-Pain.
The sophomore lineup signals a strong green light for SlimeFest—which has seen a strong following in markets including the U.K., Spain, South Africa and Australia since its debut in 2012. The event drew a crowd of primarily kids and their parents to the Huntington Bank Pavilionat Northerly Island in Chicago on a chilly June weekend last year to catch headliners Liam Payne, Flo Rida, Zedd and Siwa.
Round two in Chicago is a beacon of the growing drive at the company to connect families around content that appeals to multiple generations.
“Nickelodeon knows how to get the SlimeFest started! This festival is for everyone – kids, their parents and all of us who take the stage,” said Pitbull. “Nickelodeon has been a great partner throughout my career, so it’s always an honor to be part of their iconic events and this one takes green to a whole new level.”
It’s also a fit with the kind of offline, immersive experiences parent Viacomwants more of. Viacom chief Bob Bakish mandated more live events when he took over as CEO in 2016, and sister brands are also upping their drive to cement brand affinity including the expanded BET Experienceand Comedy Central’s ClusterFest.
Nickelodeon last year established new division Nick Experience to focus on granular, real-life experiences and extensions of its IP. Division executive VP Sharon Cohen told Billboard at last year’s Slimefest, “People are together and in the moment. It’s an area where we feel we really can grow the brand.”
“I’m so excited to return to Chicago for SlimeFest and see all the Siwanatorz with their bows,” says JoJo Siwa. “This is such a cool event for the whole family, plus there will be tons of slime!”
SlimeFest also provides an opportunity to interact with network talent, this year including Annie LeBlanc of Annie vs. Hayley; Scarlet Spencer and Dallas Dupree Young of Cousins For Life; Ella Anderson and Riele Downs of Henry Danger; and Owen Joyner and Daniella Perkins of Knight Squad.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 29, at 11:00 am.