Broccoli City Festival happens every year in Washington, D.C., and this year, we had the pleasure of attending! Before arriving, we were equipped with showtimes, lineups, site maps, and offers of free massages (for a select few festival goers). The sun was at its hottest, and so were the performances! The festival had two stages: Broccoli Stage, hosted by Mouse Jones, Bacon Bear, and City Stage, with Talk Tequila as their MC. Music was provided by DJ Flow, Jae Murphy, K Meta, and Bo.
The smell of food and the sound of fans screaming for their favorite artists is what festivals are known for. This particular lineup included GloRilla, Ice Spice, Kodak Black, Coco Jones, Finese2Tymes, Mariah The Scientist, Dess Dior, Lola Brooke, City Girls, as well as Brent Faiyaz, and that was just what the summer needed!
GloRilla
Photo courtesy of Stefan Bunbury / xoNecole
Broccoli City Festival, founded in the mecca of Chocolate City, is black-owned and operated. The #BCFest, an annual event that celebrates the rich tapestry of cultural diversity and music, is much more than what meets the eye. While many are drawn to the festival for its captivating performances and vibrant atmosphere, it is important to recognize its profound emphasis on environmental awareness. Since its inception in 2013, the festival has maintained a steadfast mission of promoting social consciousness and fostering a deep sense of environmental responsibility.
With over 30 dynamic live performances across two stages, the Broccoli City Festival was an electrifying experience for attendees. Beyond the music, the festival offers an array of interactive art, games, activities, and sponsor activations, allowing individuals to fully immerse themselves in a captivating world of creativity. Moreover, a diverse culinary landscape awaited festival-goers, featuring an extensive selection of food and drink options, including delectable vegan and vegetarian choices. Notably, the festival generously provides FREE hydration stations, ensuring attendees can stay refreshed and hydrated throughout the event. For those of legal drinking age, cash bars adorned with an array of cocktails, beer, and wine offer a sophisticated and enjoyable experience.
Coco Jones
Photo courtesy of Stefan Bunbury / xoNecole
At its core, Broccoli City is more than just a festival. It is a remarkable Black-owned social enterprise deeply committed to the progress and well-being of individuals. By curating innovative experiences that blend technology, music, art, and social impact, Broccoli City fosters a sense of community growth and propels creative expression to new heights.
Over the past decade, the impact of Broccoli City has been truly awe-inspiring. This remarkable enterprise has successfully mobilized over 20 million young people, both through its iconic festival events and its engaging online platforms. Through its unwavering dedication to social impact and its ability to inspire individuals to be agents of change, Broccoli City continues to be a driving force in shaping a brighter and more inclusive future.
Chloe Bailey
Photo courtesy of Muse.BlaQ/ xoNecole
The artists were on their A-game! Saucy Santana brought the bounce, the bops, and the booty to the stage, performing his hits "Walk Em Like A Dog," "Booty," and "Bop Bop Bop.” Chloe Bailey commanded the stage with her bubbly and fierce energy. This young star also continuously paused her set to check on her fans, who were trying to enjoy her in the scorching 93-degree weather, showing genuine care for her audience. Another fan favorite, Kodak Black, has a relationship with his fans that is to be admired. He has an incredible stage presence and a hype man for a DJ, but before, during, and after the show, he made sure to take selfies with his supporters. After his set, he walked through the festival grounds just to be closer to his fans and gave them yet another opportunity to take pictures.
Keke Palmer's performance at Broccoli City Festival was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Calling herself "The Boss," she effortlessly proved why she holds this title throughout her memorable career. From becoming the youngest Black female talk show host to gracing the legendary Met Gala red carpet and starring in culturally impactful masterpieces like Akeelah and The Bee and CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, Palmer has consistently showcased her immense talent. Despite recent personal challenges, Palmer demonstrated her resilience and determination by delivering an unforgettable performance at Broccoli City Festival. In an astonishing display of generosity, she made it rain on the stage, showering a preselected group of fans with a staggering $10,000 in 50s and 20s. This act of kindness exemplified Palmer's genuine love and appreciation for her fans.
Keke Palmer
Photo courtesy of Muse.BlaQ/ xoNecole
Keke remains unstoppable, conquering any scandal or controversy that comes her way. Her performance was a testament to her unwavering commitment to her craft and her ability to rise above any adversity.
Ice Spice took the stage, captivating crowds and igniting an unforgettable experience. With a remarkable display of talent, this rising star left no stone unturned, leaving the audience on their feet and craving for more. In a mesmerizing blend of music and style, Ice Spice effortlessly harnessed the power of her artistry, unleashing an energy that reverberated through the entire festival grounds. As the beats dropped and the atmosphere reached its peak, time seemed to stand still, a testament to the sheer magnetism of this extraordinary performer.
Ice Spice
Photo courtesy of Muse.BlaQ/ xoNecole
Enthralled by the incredible vibes radiating from the stage, every spectator became a part of the resounding chorus of accolades and admiration. From passionate fans to curious onlookers, Ice Spice's spellbinding performance left no one unaffected. This is an artist who is firmly cementing her place among the greats, capturing hearts and captivating minds with her undeniable talent and magnetic stage presence. Don't miss a beat from this rising star – tap into the extraordinary vibes, bask in the effervescent energy, and witness the unstoppable rise of Ice Spice.
Unfortunately, Lil Uzi Vert and Jazmine Sullivan were not able to perform on the first day due to severe weather concerns. Lightning beamed through the skies, piercing the darkness and warning the crowd to retreat. The festival staff ensured that everyone was accounted for from start to finish. Security is almost always hit or miss at large events, and some media were not able to capture key moments due to a series of interruptions, but it all worked out in the end.
Safety was the main concern for BCFest! From the first day to the second, the routes to the stage were updated, and protocols were increased. Dehydration took over many fans, but with the artists stopping their sets to allow them to be escorted to safety, security passing out water, and medics readily available, the festival-goers were in good hands.
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Feature image courtesy of Muse.BlaQ/ xoNecole
RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Last year, our inaugural It Girl 100 list featured the best of the best in their regions. This year, we are highlighting women from each field. Their impact can be felt across multiple industries as they continue to use their voices to uplift those around them.
The Category Is... Culture & Entertainment:
Culture and entertainment continues to be one of the most popular industries for creative women. Whether it's comedy or singing, these ladies keep the culture buzzing and timelines lit.
The Category Is... Sports & Wellness:
With the renewed interest in the WNBA, women are showing we can dominate in any field. Women are making waves in sports and wellness due to their strength, innovation, and determination.
The Category Is... Style Innovators:
From Instagram to Pinterest, these women are on our mood boards. Their love for beauty, hair, and fashion translates in their work and inspires others to be their best selves.
The Category Is... Business:
There's nothing like a woman about her business. From signing checks to closing deals, women are taking ambition to a new level.
The Category Is... Viral Voices:
Whenever they speak, people listen proving they can move mountains with their voices alone. You can find these women on the internet keeping us entertained and/or informed.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list here.
Featured image by xoStaff