SEE released a video at midnight Monday announcing that English pop star Jessie J will headline Art Attack XXXII on May 1 in Xfinity Center.
Two acts of different genres will open for the 26-year-old singer-songwriter: EDM duo The Chainsmokers and hip-hop artist Logic. The lineup will be finalized by the student winner of Student Entertainment Events’ Battle of the Bands competition.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday at umdtickets.com and at noon the same day at Stamp Student Union’s ticket office. For university ID holders, floor seats in Xfinity Center will cost $20, while seated tickets will cost $10. Members of the general public can purchase the same options for $40 and $25, respectively.
SEE is also offering a special VIP “Jessie J experience” package, which will include floor tickets and a meet-and-greet with the artist for $150.
This will be the first Art Attack held in Xfinity Center, as the event was previously held at Byrd Stadium. This change resulted from a scheduling conflict at the event’s usual venue.
The choice to bring Jessie J as headliner is a break in the trend of recent Art Attack performances, mostly male hip-hop performers. Last year, Wale and Big Sean headlined the event, and alternative band MGMT took the stage in 2013. B.O.B. headlined the show in 2012 and Nelly came in 2011.
This year’s announcement puts an end to speculation in recent weeks fueled by the release of a SEE Spotify playlist, which had the lineup hidden among its included artists. SEE released the playlist of more than 100 songs by different artists on March 4 and eliminated songs from it to lead up to the reveal.
All three acts will be arriving in College Park on the tail of recent commercial success. In the fall, Jessie J released her third studio album, Sweet Talker, which featured the Grammy-nominated, radio-dominating hit “Bang Bang” featuring Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. The Chainsmokers had their own ubiquitous top-40 anthem last year with “#SELFIE,” and Logic’s debut album, Under Pressure, opened at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 in October.
Doors to Art Attack XXXII will open at 5:30 p.m. May 1, with line formation starting at 3:30 p.m.