Normani to headline 2026 Fall Lawnparties, first pop headliner in two years

Pop singer Normani is set to headline Princeton’s Fall 2026 Lawnparties, the Undergraduate Student Government Social Committee announced Tuesday. The majority of Lawnparties headliners in the past five years have been rap artists.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Princeton USG Social Committee (@princetonsoccomm)

Two student openers will take the mainstage before Normani’s performance — band Superbloom, which plays a mix of different music from classic rock to modern pop, and student disc jockey Soa Andriamananjara ’29, or “DJ 504.” Both student openers have performed at a number of Princeton’s eating clubs.  

Normani, whose full name is Normani Kordei Hamilton, is an American singer and dancer, known for her time as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. She rose to fame in 2012 with the group’s performance of “Impossible” by Shontelle on the second season of the British singing competition show “The X Factor.” 

Fifth Harmony achieved major success in the 2010s, releasing three Top Five albums on the U.S. Billboard 200. Their singles “Work From Home” and “Worth It” have both gained over one billion streams on Spotify.

In 2018, Normani left to pursue a career as a solo artist. Shortly after, she released her debut single “Love Lies” with Khalid, which peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Her first solo single, “Motivation,” debuted at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 2019, while her debut album, “Dopamine,” reached No. 91 on the US Billboard 200 in June 2024. 

Normani’s discography blends pop and R&B, both of which were featured in “Dopamine.”

According to USG Social Committee Chair Vivian Chang ’28, the decision to choose Normani as this semester’s headliner was based on student feedback from a survey conducted in May. 

“The committee closely evaluated students’ qualitative requests, such as a popular female pop singer who had a dance-forward stage presence,” Chang wrote, adding that “Normani has long been a contender for Lawnparties.”

According to a student feedback survey, pop was the most requested headliner genre, with 81.6 percent of respondents selecting it as a preferred genre. It was followed by R&B — at 36.1 percent — and hip hop — at 35.4 percent — making the move away from rap a clear preference. 

The USG Social Committee also announced the theme of this semester’s Lawnparties, “Princeton Riviera,” via an Instagram post last week, encouraging students to dress for “St. Tropez, yacht parties, citrus, and blue-and-white summer.” 

“We felt it embodied the carefree summer spirit that students will be coming into the school year with,” wrote Chang about the theme. 

Additionally, the Social Committee announced a wider variety of complimentary food options compared to previous years, as well as expanded kosher and halal options. 

The lineup will include usual options like Nomad Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, Taco Bell, Cheesecake on a Stick, Alfalfa, bagels and juice from Tico’s, and Rita’s Italian Ice. The new vendors will feature Jeremiah’s Food Truck Company, which specializes in Philly cheesesteaks; Zac’s Burger, a halal restaurant; and kosher wings, hot dogs, burgers, and sandwiches from Silverline Events.

Lawnparties will be held Sunday, Sept. 6, after the first week of classes. Normani’s performance will take place on Frist North Lawn at 3:15 p.m.

Giselle Moreno is a staff News writer who typically covers town and university affairs. She is from Dallas and can be reached at gisellemoreno[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

A correction was made on September 1, 2026: A previous version of this article stated that the headliner was announced on Monday, August 31. In reality, it was announced on Tuesday, September 1. The ‘Prince’ regrets this error. 

Editor’s note: This piece was updated to better describe the student feedback that informed the decision to choose Normani.