Berklee Announces Full Details for Inaugural Block Party, a Music Festival Next to Fenway Park
Berklee has announced full details for the Homecoming Block Party, a music festival during Berklee's first-ever Homecoming Weekend. Taking place on Saturday, September 19, from 1 to 6 p.m. at 73 Brookline Avenue, adjacent to Fenway Park, the event will celebrate Berklee’s deep roots in Boston and global influence across music and the performing arts. Tickets are on sale now.
The Block Party brings five headlining acts, all Berklee alumni, to a single outdoor stage: Grammy-winning roots powerhouse Susan Tedeschi BM ’91, chart-topping Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage PD ’07, Emmy-nominated cuatrista and composer Fabiola Méndez BM ’18, psychedelic jazz-funk quintet Dogs in a Pile, and soul-funk showman Dreion BM ’20, whose performance will feature special guests Morris Hayes, Tia Fuller, and Zalissa Stewart. Berklee’s alumni network comprises nearly 90,000 members who collectively have won more Grammy Awards than the alumni of any other educational institution, making it one of the most accomplished networks in contemporary music.
The day opens with a performance by the Hamilton-Garrett Drumline, featuring dancers from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, under the direction of alums Gerami Groover of Hamilton-Garrett and Mila Thigpen, chair of dance at Boston Conservatory.
The Block Party is the public centerpiece of Berklee Homecoming Weekend, taking place September 18 and 19. The rest of the weekend is programmed for the Berklee community, with artist clinics, a welcome reception, and student performances on Friday, and an alumni brunch at Fenway Park on Saturday morning. The Block Party follows in the afternoon, and the weekend closes that night at House of Blues Boston.
Berklee's Homecoming After-Party is built around first-time collaborations and in-the-round performances, led by alumni Louis Cato ’04, JR Robinson ’75, and Terri Lyne Carrington BM ’83, ’03H, with Grammy winners Lalah Hathaway BM ’90, ’22H, Arooj Aftab BM ’10, and Miguel Zenon BM ’98, session bassist Neil Stubenhaus ’75, and more than a dozen additional alumni performers. Christelle Pascal ’23 and Shalyah Fearing ’23 will serve as MCs for the evening. The night ends with an open jam session hosted by faculty members Lil John Roberts ’92 and Chris Loftlin BM ’92 and alumni Taku Hirano BM ’95, MA ’24 and Cheche Alara BM ’94. Created for the Berklee community, the After-Party is open to alumni, students, faculty, and staff, as well as VIP Block Party ticket holders.
General admission and VIP tickets are on sale now, with discounted pricing for all students in the Boston area and Berklee alumni. VIP tickets add access to two exclusive lounge areas, priority viewing close to the stage, and entry to the After-Party. Tickets are sold and managed by MLB.
The Block Party is a standing-room, rain-or-shine event, open to all ages with children accompanied by an adult. Food and beverage will be available for purchase onsite. To learn more, please visit the FAQ page.
About the Headliners
Susan Tedeschi BM ’91 is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose work has made her one of the most respected artists in American roots music. A Boston-area native, she broke through with her landmark album Just Won’t Burn and has since earned acclaim both as a solo artist and as a member of Tedeschi Trucks Band. Her music combines emotional depth, technical command, and a lifelong commitment to the blues tradition.
Tiwa Savage PD ’07 is one of the most influential voices in contemporary Afrobeats, known for helping define the genre’s global rise while continuing to push her sound in new directions. A singer, songwriter, and performer with an international following, she has built a career marked by major hits, cross-genre collaboration, and lasting impact on the global music landscape. Her Homecoming appearance follows the announcement of a new Berklee on the Road program in Lagos, Nigeria, created in partnership with the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation.
Fabiola Méndez BM ’18 is a Puerto Rican cuatrista, singer, educator, and Emmy-nominated composer whose work explores culture, ancestry, and identity. In 2018, she became the first Berklee alum to graduate with the Puerto Rican cuatro as her principal instrument. She has brought her music to venues and platforms including NPR Tiny Desk, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and major festivals, while building a body of work that centers storytelling and Puerto Rican musical traditions.
Dogs in a Pile is an eclectic quintet waking people up to the ineffable joys of psychedelic-tinged jazz-funk rock ’n’ roll. One of the busiest touring bands of today, the band has averaged 130 live shows each year since 2022. Besides being a lyric from the Grateful Dead song, “He’s Gone,” the name Dogs in a Pile is an apt description of the five-piece band’s stylistic breadth. The sonic image it conjures is a heap of storyteller Americana, bluegrass, jazz improvisation, eccentric instrumental excursions, pop-rock sophistication, and deep-pocket grooves, ranging from funk to Latin to reggae and beyond.
Dreion BM ’20 is a singer-songwriter, producer, and performer whose music blends gospel, soul, funk, and R&B with a strong sense of purpose. A four-chair-turn contestant on season 26 of The Voice and a member of the inaugural Team Snoop Dogg, he has shared stages with major artists while building a career rooted in performance and advocacy. A survivor of the foster care system, Dreion also uses his platform to champion foster youth and systemic reform.
