RAPPER WAKA FLOCKA TO PERFORM
AT DREAMHACK ATLANTA
FRIDAY, JULY 21
Atlanta-Based Artist To Kick Off World’s Largest Digital Festival
Featuring Esports Tournaments, 24-Hour LAN Gaming Party,
Gaming Exhibition, Cosplay Competition, Collegiate Grudge Matches,
Live Music Entertainment and More
ATLANTA — Atlanta-based recording artist and rapper Waka Flocka will perform at DreamHack Atlanta on the main stage Friday, July 21 at 10:30 p.m. DreamHack’s musical entertainment will begin that evening at 7 p.m. (complete lineup to be announced). Concert tickets are included with the cost of the Friday day pass or three-day weekend pass. Day passes for DreamHack are $20; weekend passes are $45. DreamHack Atlanta passes may be purchased here.
DreamHack, the world’s largest digital festival, is scheduled to run Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. Atlanta marks the second of three cities for DreamHack’s premiere U.S. tour. The festival made its U.S. debut during 2016 in Austin, Texas. It returned to Austin in April of this year and will make its final stop in Denver October 20-22.
Global icon and rapper Waka Flocka rose to prominence in 2009. That year, Waka put rap back on the map, dropping the first volume of his street classic Salute Me or Shoot Me that caught fire with songs, “We On The Way,” “Dreads N Gold” and his breakout single “O Let’s Do it.” Together with Southside and Lex Luger’s thunderous production, Waka has helped revive street raps, and his sound began to explode in the streets and on the airwaves. Following his sudden popularity, hip-hop’s mainstream elite, including T.I., Drake and B.o.B, wanted to collaborate with Waka while he spread his influence to a host of new rappers such as Wooh Da Kid and Frenchie. On Waka and Gucci’s 2011 collaborative effort Ferrari Boyz, and 2012’s Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family, Waka’s high energy resulted in his nickname, “Turn Up God.” That style translates into the EDM world Waka fell in the love with while touring in Europe a few years ago.
“DreamHack Atlanta’s attendees are going to be incredibly excited about Waka’s concert. We are grateful to Melvin Breeden and Radar Live for making this happen,” said DreamHack Chief Executive Officer Marcus Lindmark. “We are thrilled to be expanding into North America and look forward to our first Atlanta event, which will launch with this performance. When you add this concert to DreamHack Atlanta’s more than $800,000 in esports tournament prizes, live music, cosplay competition and more, DreamHack Atlanta promises to be an unforgettable experience.”
DreamHack is a meeting place for gamers. During the three-day, non-stop festival, DreamHack Atlanta will host its keystone event — a massive 24-hour-a-day LAN party — along with a host of other activities. Gamers can participate or watch professionals compete in esports tournaments offering a prize pool of more than $800,000. Major titles include: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Halo 5, H1Z1, Hearthstone, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Wii U, Overwatch, League of Legends, Tekken 7, Street Fighter V, Starcraft II, Smite and more.
In addition to DreamHack Atlanta’s entertainment and esports events, the festival offers a Gaming Exhibition, bring your own computer (BYOC) LAN, virtual reality demos, open play PC/console areas, video game tournaments open to the public, events for families, learning opportunities, local university video game grudge matches and the live concert with Waka Flocka.
DreamHack is a family-friendly event. Attendees range in age from elementary school to senior citizen, though most players are young adults ages 14-23.
Additional DreamHack Atlanta Highlights
24/7 LAN Party
DreamHack Atlanta is the ultimate social experience for gamers. Attendees can bring their own gaming rigs, hook into a LAN socket powered by one of the world’s fastest Internet connections, and get their game on. Attendees may also participate in BYOC tournaments for a chance to win prizes including gaming gear and hardware, and even cash. Since LAN party activity continues around the clock, gamers can rest in nearby sleeping halls using their own sleeping bags.
Esports Gaming Competitions
DreamHack Atlanta will feature Esports tournaments for all audiences — from the casual player to world-class pro gamers. With a prize pool
totaling more than $800,000, DreamHack Atlanta’s Esports competitions will feature top-ranking professionals. Live streaming enables millions of online viewers, worldwide, to watch the tournaments and other activities.
Cosplay Competition
Video game and fantasy characters will come to life in the DreamHack Atlanta Cosplay Competition, which will be hosted by the cosplay team from Atlanta’s Momocon. There are several skill tiers, so even beginners are invited to join in the fun. Spectators are also invited to dress in cosplay and participate in cosplay events and panels running all weekend long. The cosplay competition takes place Saturday evening.
Gaming Exhibition
At the Gaming Exhibition, exhibitors present the world’s newest hardware and software, games and gadgets, and gaming gear. They also host activities such as digital shootouts, giveaways, contests and more. Developers and programmers, streamers, pro gamers and other celebrities frequent the expo. Exhibitors include: Monster Energy, HyperX, Zowie, Asus, Astro Gaming, CybertronPC, Oculus Rift, AZIO, Cougar, Corsair, Leesa, Feetz, Sliver.tv, indie game companies and more.
PC and Console FreePlay Zone
DreamHack — together with Cybertron, HyperX and Rosewill — will bring the CybertronPC FreePlay Area to attendees. The area will include 100 PCs, headsets, mouse and keyboards, and all the best games pre-installed and ready to go. Some of these include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Day of Defeat, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, Team Fortress and more.
Tabletop Gaming Area
Attendees can play favorite tabletop titles (such as Munchkin, Fluxx and more), and can participate in tabletop tournaments for a prize totaling $10,000. Games include Pokémon TCG, Star Wars: Destiny or Magic: The Gathering.
Fan Zone & Stream Zone
Attendees can meet some of the biggest online celebrity streamers, professional gamers and YouTubers with autograph and photo opportunities in the Fan Zone and Stream Zone.
Panels & Learning Opportunities
DreamHack will host panels all weekend long where attendees can learn directly from gaming and Esports industry experts. Pharaoh’s Conclave, a local Atlanta company focused on connecting the community to Esports, will be hosting learning opportunities through workshops, panels, a hackathon and more. They will also be hosting the “Georgia High School Esports Invitational,” where high school teams will compete Olympic-style across several game titles to determine the overall winner. There will also be a co-located Kidz Zone and Parent Zone for parents and children up to age 12. This zone will serve as a place to find “lost parents” and where young children can engage in fun activities.
University Grudge Matches
Some of the biggest colleges in the South will go head-to-head on stage to settle who’s best, including: Georgia State, Georgia Southern, University of Georgia, Clemson, University of North Carolina at Charlotte and North Carolina State University.
Additional Information
Tickets
- Day passes: $20; three-day weekend passes: $45
- Kids under five are FREE
- Concert tickets for Waka Flocka are included with the cost of the Friday day pass or three-day weekend pass
Social
- Facebook: DreamHackFestival
- Facebook: DreamHack Atlanta 2017 Event
- Twitter @DreamHack
- Instagram: @DreamHack
- Snapchat: DreamHackLive
- YouTube
About DreamHack
DreamHack was launched in 1994 by a small group of friends and computer enthusiasts. The “event” occurred in the rented basement of an elementary school in Malung, Sweden. Today, Guinness Book of Records calls DreamHack the “world’s largest digital festival.” The three-day festival includes five, major components: LAN party, gaming tournaments, digital arts competitions, live concerts and expo. In 2002, DreamHack began hosting two, semiannual events: DreamHack Summer and DreamHack Winter. In 2012, DreamHack announced its partnership with Major League Gaming (MLG) and Electronic Sport League (ESL) to help facilitate the growth and development of the North American and European Esports industry. In 2015, the DreamHack enterprise was acquired by Modern Times Group (MTG), a Swedish digital entertainment company.
