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Usher, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz will headline the 2016 BET Experience

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Usher, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz are among the first headliners announced for the 2016 BET Experience, the network and Anschutz Entertainment Group announced Tuesday morning.

For a second year in a row the festival — which is built around the network’s annual awards show — will be stretched across four days. It is set for June 23-26 at multiple venues at downtown’s L.A. Live.

The weekend of concerts, wellness seminars, celebrity panels and a free fan expo will once again begin with comedy headliners, with embattled comedian Katt Williams and Mike Epps headlining Staples Center.

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R&B megastar Usher and rising alt-R&B/hip-hop singer Bryson Tiller will headline the second night.

Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz will close the weekend of shows at Staples Center when they perform from their recently released collaborative album, “ColleGrove.”

Late-night shows at the Novo (formerly Club Nokia) will be announced soon, as will details on the fan fest expo, set for June 25-26 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

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Before last year’s festival, BET and AEG renewed their deal to continue the multi-day festival through 2018.

The companies partnered in 2012 to transform BET’s annual awards show into a multi-day event that would serve as an alternative to the long-running and popular Essence Festival in Los Angeles. AEG and promoter Goldenvoice, a division of AEG Live, helped curate a bill of top-tier R&B, soul and hip-hop artists.

Anchored at L.A. Live’s multiple downtown venues, the BET Experience’s inaugural year in 2013 featured performances by Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Miguel, R. Kelly and others. Last year’s installment featured Nicki Minaj, Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Miguel and the Roots.

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Tickets go on sale April 1 at 10 a.m. through Axs. Single-day Staples Center show tickets start at $49.50, with three-day packages starting at $148.50. Novo ticket prices vary by artist.

VIP packages, which include a ticket to the awards show, range from $1,095 to $4,395. More information can be found on the festival’s website.

Here is the lineup so far:

June 23

Staples Center — 7:30 p.m.: Katt Williams and Mike Epps

June 24

Staples Center — 7:30 p.m.: Usher and Bryson Tiller

June 25

Staples Center — 7 p.m.: Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz present ColleGrove

June 26

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Microsoft Theater — 5 p.m.: BET Awards

For more music news follow me on Twitter: @gerrickkennedy

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