With just one week left before Temple’s annual spring concert, Owlchella, Kaylah Coles is adjusting her expectations after a last-minute lineup change — rapper NLE Choppa is out, and Rob49 is stepping in to headline.
“I was really expecting NLE to be there, but I feel like Rob49 is a good replacement, and I hope he brings the same energy on stage that NLE would have,” said Coles, a freshman audio and live entertainment major.
Owlchella, Temple’s annual spring concert, will celebrate its 10th anniversary on April 17 in the STAR Complex after usually being held at The Liacouras Center. This year’s show will feature performances by Rob49 and Lay Bankz. The free concert remains a draw for students, even as a lineup change has sparked mixed reactions on campus.
The concert has evolved during the years and grown into one of Temple’s most anticipated events. Students have shown out to hear big names like Offset and Key Glock, who headlined last year. In 2023, the concert featured Lil Yachty, though it was marred by the no-show of G Herbo, much to the disappointment of students like Chris Pierre.
“I feel like the management of Owlchella has been one of the biggest factors in people deciding whether to go or not,” said Pierre, a senior finance major. “The first time I was gonna go, the main artist I wanted dropped out, G Herbo. He didn’t show up.”
The situation with NLE Choppa echoed past concerns about Owlchella’s changes with the lineup, and last-minute surprises have frustrated students, who’ve come to expect these disruptions. Pierre, in particular, remains skeptical about the concert’s consistency.
Owlchella has traditionally taken place in The Liacouras Center, Temple’s larger indoor basketball arena. But this year, Temple is moving the event to the STAR Complex, an on-campus rec center, and waiving ticket fees for students.
In previous years, students paid a small fee to attend, but this year’s concert is completely free for Temple students. For many, the change makes Owlchella feel more accessible and worth attending — even if the lineup wasn’t exactly what they were hoping for.
“It’s free,” said Antoinette Fitzgerald, a sophomore media studies and production major. “You can make anything fun, literally. If it’s free and I’m going with my friends, I’m gonna go.”
With the Main Campus Program Board’s decision to make the event free and limited to Temple students only, many are willing to attend despite changes in the lineup. This year’s approach appears focused on maximizing student turnout while previous concerts sometimes allowed guests or charged admissions fees.
Still, with recent events raising the bar, some students are wondering how this year’s Owlchella will compare to last fall’s surprise concert featuring Gunna and GloRilla, which Temple won through Tinder’s 2024 Swipe-Off Challenge. That high-profile show, which drew a packed crowd and went viral on social media, was especially well received by students.
“I feel like [Owlchella] hasn’t been the main attraction at Temple,” Pierre said. “With the Tinder concert, it kind of put into comparison what we could have versus what we’re getting.”
As Owlchella marks its 10th anniversary, students are hoping the event will prove to be a fun and memorable celebration — one that’s worth the anticipation, even if the headliners aren’t exactly what they expected. Free admission means many are eager to make the most of the experience.
Whether that approach continues in future years remains to be seen. But for now, MCPB’s decision to keep tickets free and limit access to Temple students has helped renew interest in Owlchella after NLE’s unexpected exit.
“It’s free, and also the artists aren’t that bad,” Coles said. “I know a lot of people are talking about how they don’t like the artists, but you know at least one or two songs by them, so I think it’ll be fun.”
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