For some, horse racing is the least interesting part of Preakness.
Big-name musicians have graced the rowdy infield at Pimlico Race Course over the years, attracting their own crowds. And while attendance for musicians has gone down — about 47,000 people watched Bruno Mars last year versus 140,000 for Zedd and Sam Hunt in 2017 — InfieldFest is still betting on a well-known name.
Preakness LIVE will be headlined by rapper Jack Harlow Saturday night, with performances by Gryffin, Jordan Emanuel, Channel Tres, Frank Walker and Chantel Jeffries earlier in the day. The arrangement of artists was decided in order to “provide a diverse, exciting, and engaging lineup of talent that appeals to a wide range of music lovers,” said Tiffani Steer, vice president of communications at 1/ST, the group in charge of the event, in an email.
“By including an all DJ lineup alongside our headliner Jack Harlow, we aim to offer a diverse and immersive musical experience for our audience,” she added. “The DJs we have hosted in the past have always had the ability to elevate the energy and create a festival atmosphere that complements the day’s event and keep the crowd energized and entertained throughout the day.”
Read More
This will be the second year that the concert is timed to avoid interfering with the races, giving fans a chance to potentially enjoy both the horses and live music. It also appears to be the second year that inclement weather is in the cards: Last year’s headliner, Bruno Mars, performed after the Preakness Stakes under heavy rain, and this weekend looks to be just as wet.
Read more about this year’s artists — including what time they will perform — to get prepared for Preakness. Doors open for the event at 10 a.m., but make sure if you’re going solely for Harlow, you’re inside Pimlico before 5 p.m. — there’s no entry after then.
Jordan Emanuel
12:55 p.m.
Jordan Emanuel is perhaps best known for starring in Bravo reality shows “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard” and “Winter House.” On Saturday, the model and DJ will be the first to spin a set in the Preakness LIVE lineup. Emanuel was born in Baltimore, so the performance will be a return to her hometown.
Chantel Jeffries
2:15 p.m.
Chantel Jeffries is a DJ, YouTube personality and model who is making her return to Preakness after spinning at last year’s show. The California-born entrepreneur has released songs with artists like YG, Rich the Kid, Jeremih, Vory and Offset. Her single, “Wait,” with the latter two, hit No. 10 on the Billboard Dance chart.
Frank Walker
3:05 p.m.
Canadian DJ Frank Walker will also make his return to Preakness Stakes, where he last appeared at the infield for a set in 2022. Walker has been on the scene since 2016, the same year he dropped his debut EP “Nocturnal.” His appearance at Preakness is something of a family affair: Walker’s mother, Belinda Stronach, is the CEO of the Stronach Group, which runs the event.
Gryffin
4:15 p.m.
Gryffin is an international touring house music DJ and producer whose first album, “Gravity,” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s dance album chart in 2019. He has released songs with a wide array of artists, including Aloe Blacc, Carly Rae Jepsen, OneRepublic, Tinashe and Rita Ora.
Channel Tres
5:30 p.m.
Channel Tres is a rapper, singer and producer, but he will be performing a DJ set at Preakness LIVE. Tres began producing for artists like Kehlani and Wale before eventually branching out on his own. His single “Controller” was released in 2018 and has 2.5 million views on YouTube.
Jack Harlow
8 p.m.
The headliner of this year’s Preakness LIVE is Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow. Harlow first gained mainstream popularity after releasing his “WHATS POPPIN” single, which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Since then, the platinum-selling artist has released three commercially successful albums and collaborated with some of music’s biggest artists, including Lil Wayne, Drake and Eminem. As a Louisville native, Harlow has made frequent appearances at the Kentucky Derby, so performing at Preakness should be right up his alley.
