Ludacris is Performing a Fourth of July "Freedom Festival" Concert at Guantanamo Bay

Ludacris will perform at Guantanamo Bay this Fourth of July for a "Freedom Festival."

Image via USA TODAY Sports/Brett Davis

Ludacris will be playing a Fourth of July concert at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, according to a report from The Miami Herald. The concert, called the "Freedom Festival," will take place at Guantanamo's Windward Ferry Landing, and only U.S. troops and their families stationed at the top secret Cuban Naval base will be able to attend. The venue is several miles from the Detention Center Zone, where 89 detainees of the War on Terror continue to be housed without trial, meaning they won't be able to hear or see the event.

This may sound strange, but "Freedom Festival" is actually a recurring concert series, with past acts including Magic! and Jimmy Eat World. According to the report, the Plain White Ts also performed there last October. In addition to the prisoners, Guantánamo is home to roughly 6,000 U.S. troops and their families. The base is on the island of Cuba, but is separated from the rest of the country by a minefield.

Ludacris has been in Cuba recently while filming Fast 8. It's boasted to be the first Hollywood movie shot in Cuba since the United States loosened its embargo on the island last year. Since then, several notable artists have performed concerts for the Cuban people, including Major Lazer and the Rolling Stones.

“Every year we get a special guest around the Fourth of July, but Gitmo hasn’t seen a star with as big a name as Ludacris in several years,” Navy Chief Monique Hilley told The Miami Herald. “The base is really looking forward to it.”

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