BET Experience 2014: Faith Evans, Eric Benet, Mack Wilds to perform

Faith Evans, Warren G, Alice Smith, Mack Wilds, Tank, Eric Benet, Lacrae, Rico Love and Daley have all been tapped for the BET Experience Fan Fest, the network announced Thursday.

The acts will perform during the free expo offered during the three-day festival that will take over multiple venues at L.A. Live from June 27-29.

This year’s Fan Fest will be housed at the Los Angeles Convention Center during two days of the BET Experience. It’s a major improvement over last year’s events, which were held outdoors and felt sluggish as temperatures rose.

Scaled down to two days (June 28-29), BET has curated free shows for a range of tastes that will unfold on multiple stages.

Evans, Smith, Tank and Stacy Barthe are the first acts announced for “Acoustically Speaking,” an intimate showcase that will feature artists performing and sharing personal stories with the audience.

BET’s Music Matters showcase, which spotlights emerging acts, will include Eric Bellinger, Rico Love and Mack Wilds on June 28; and Elle Varner, Tiara Thomas, Lacrae, Jonathan McReynolds and Roman GianArthur on June 29.

Warren G., Sebastian Mikael and Daley will anchor the Centric Certified roster of acts on June 28; with Eric Benet, Calvin Richardson and Liv Warfield performing the following afternoon.

There’s also a gospel choir showcase set for June 28, which will feature five choirs from prominent Los Angeles area churches.

The 2014 BET Experience at L.A. Live is already proving to be one of the hottest tickets this summer. This year’s festival will again include concerts, wellness seminars, celebrity panels, exhibits, tapings of the network’s popular video countdown show “106 & Park” and a fan expo at multiple venues at L.A. Live. It’s anchored by BET’s annual award spectacle.

R&B crooner Maxwell and singers Jill Scott, Marsha Ambrosius and “American Idol” winner Candice Glover will kick off the festival June 27 at Staples Center.

OutKast will close the following night’s hip-hop-focused bill with Rick Ross, ASAP Rocky, K. Michelle, Ty Dolla Sign and August Alsina. DJ Khaled will host.

Mary J. Blige, Trey Songz and Jennifer Hudson will close the festival. Future and the Roots have been tapped for late-night club gigs that follow Staples Center shows.

BET launched the festival last year. More than two years in the making, the BET Experience was a way for the network to expand its awards show and make L.A. a destination for urban music fans in search of a big-ticket event.

More than 100,000 people flocked to L.A. Live last June to see Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, J. Cole and Miguel as well as R. Kelly, New Edition and the Jacksons. There were also comedy shows from Mike Epps and Cedric the Entertainer, a Kirk Franklin-led gospel showcase and late-night jam sessions topped by Erykah Badu and the Roots.

In 2012, the network signed a deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group to launch the event and move its award show to the Nokia Theatre. BET teamed with promoter Goldenvoice, a division of AEG Live, to select talent for the festival.

VIP packages, priced between $1,095 and $4,395, include access to the awards show and the Staples Center series. Single-day tickets to the concerts are $59.50 to $149.50, and buyers can bundle the Staples Center shows for $199 to $399.

The fan fest is free and open to the public, with no registration required.

More info, including ticket sales, can be found on the festival’s site.