Spelhouse’s annual homecoming is making history in 2025.
On Sept. 5, Morehouse’s Campus Alliance of Student Activities (CASA) announced that this year’s concert will be held off-campus for the first time, moving from its traditional location at Forbes Arena.
After the announcement, questions arose about why CASA changed the venue, the event’s layout, and who would be performing.
Morehouse CASA has the answers, and The Maroon Tiger sat down with CASA’s president, Jordan Dunston ’26, to find them out.
Jordan Dunston conversation
The Dome is a 39,375-square-foot venue that has a maximum capacity of 7,500 people. This is a 500-person increase on the 7,000 person facility of Forbes Arena. Dunston says the reason is simple: to try something different.
“Objectively just something different,” said Dunston when asked about the move off-campus. “I have seen what we are capable of, but I know Spelhouse and the concert itself could be much more.” “For that to happen, we had to leave the campus.”
Additionally, the move off-campus allows members of the Atlanta community to attend the show. Dunston also sees the off-campus move as a way to give back to the city of Atlanta.
“Morehouse has yet to tap in the market of artistry and music culture,” Dunston said. “We have tried to do that through student musicians, but nothing mainstream has touched the heights that the Spelhouse concert has.”
Dunston mentioned Morehouse’s TwinSoundz and Asani Vibes, Spelman’s Naespeaks, and Clark Atlanta’s Big Qui as a few artists the AUC has highlighted so far.
Inviting the Atlanta community to the homecoming concert is considered a risk to many students, but Dunston says that CASA will be prepared for any dangers.
“Having APD is one of the biggest things to ensure safety to and from the concert,” Dunston said. “We also will have medical staff present.”
Benefits of the change
CASA understands the sudden change is shocking. Students have asked why and what the benefit of the change is. Dunston says the security will be more secure than Forbes as the number of access points will be limited. Dunston noted that the lack of air-conditioning at Forbes during big events has been a significant issue.
He also stated that the change will help bring in bigger artists in a business sense.
“If you want to have those bigger artists and persuade individuals to attend, you need to give them what they are asking for,” Dunston said. “The optics are slightly better to sell for those artists that the students wanted.”
The tickets for the concert will be available for everyone, but in the eyes of Dunston, it’s to “reach a new market.” All promotions have been done on platforms filled with age groups 18-24, so the presence of the AUC can be felt.
Included in the tickets is transportation to and from the event. On another note, Dunston also viewed the early release of the tickets as a way for students to manage their money properly.
“It allows us to push for a format of buy now, pay later, where they can pay their ticket in increments,” Dunston said.
As CASA ramps up toward the reveal, students are making their guesses on the headliners for the concert. In 2024, CASA brought Coco Jones, Real Boston Richey, Hunxho, No Cap, and JT. Veeze, Young Nudy and Lil Durk headlined in 2023 and 21 Savage brought out Drake in 2022.
The tension is building in the Spelhouse community, but Dunston reassures everyone that the concert will be worth the wait.
“If we didn’t have a big announcement to make, I doubt we’d be putting all of this effort in,” Dunston said. “I think this concert might be the best one we’ve ever had, but who knows.” “Next year might blow it out of the water…because CASA cares.”
Homecoming concert date
The Spelhouse Homecoming Concert 2025 will take place in the Dome in the City Atlanta on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 6:00 PM EST.
