After a long year of classes, exams, clubs, friendships, and everything in between, Cornell students celebrate Slope Day, an end-of-the-school-year concert event that takes place on Libe Slope (short for “Library Slope”) in the spring. Spring 2023’s Slope Day brought pop-rock artists like COIN and Snakehips, popular for songs like “Talk Too Much” and “All My Friends.”

Whether you’re a current Cornellian or a prospective student, here’s what you need to know about Cornell students’ favorite event.

Event Stage

Unique to Cornell, Slope Day is funded by the Student Assembly, which oversees the staffing and set-up for the event. The Slope Day venue is divided into two sections — the Main Stage and Slope Fest. The Main Stage is where all the action happens, and it’s where the main lineup plays. Slope Fest, meanwhile, takes place at the top of the slope in Ho Plaza and houses carnival-style games, food, and photoshoot stations.

Artists

Under the Student Assembly, the Slope Day Committee provides organizational oversight and selects the artists for that year’s event. 2023’s Slope Day Committee selected COIN, Snakehips, and Coco and Clair Clair to perform, along with student DJs and rock bands like The Fuse and Paragon to perform on Ho Plaza. In the past, Cornell hosted artists like Snoop Dogg, Drake, Nelly, Kendrick Lamar, Ludacris, and Chance the Rapper.

First-Year Perspectives

Following the event, I chatted with Derek Z. COE ’26 and Lauren P. CALS ’26 about their impressions.

“My favorite memory about Slope Day was being with my friends as we navigated the crowds of people. You could feel there was an intense energy and excitement among everyone,” said Derek.

2023’s artist lineup saw a markedly shifted from the previous year’s event. At Slope Day 2022, hip hop artist Aminé took the main stage, while DJs Loud Luxury and Luna Li supported the performance.

“I would love it if Doja Cat could perform at next year's Slope Day,” Lauren shared. “I really looked forward to spending time with my friends and jamming out to good music. It’s always so fun to gather as a school and celebrate the end of the year.”

My Thoughts on Slope Day

I’m looking forward to next year’s performance, and I hope the Slope Day committee picks an electric/house performer like WRLD or Marshmello. For now, Cornell students are back to studying for classes, but once spring comes around again, it’ll be a whole new day of fun under the sun.