Spring Fling 2022 will be the first in-person Spring Fling since 2019, when Playboi Carti and Flipp Dinero graced the Events Center stage. With the cancellation of Spring Fling 2020 and Spring Fling 2021 shifting to an online format, most undergraduate students have yet to experience a true Spring Fling. Much to the confusion of many students, on April 1, the Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) announced musical duo Social House and American rapper Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, or Gunna, as headliners.
Gunna has been active on the international music scene since 2013. After being introduced to Young Thug through a mutual friend, Gunna signed on to Young Thug’s record label, Young Stoner Life Records. Gunna rose to prominence with his debut mixtape “Drip Season” in 2016. Since then, mixtapes and albums like “Drip Season 3,” “Drip Harder,” “Drip or Drown 2,” “WUNNA” and “Slime Language 2,” featured Gunna rapping alongside artists such as Roddy Ricch, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and Lil Baby. This past January, Gunna released his most recent album, “DS4EVER.” With hits like “pushin P” and “idk that bitch,” students have the rare opportunity to listen to an artist perform recently released music live at no cost.
In addition to Gunna, Pittsburgh-based duo Social House will be performing at Spring Fling. One of the duo’s most popular songs, “Magic In The Hamptons,” led them to take off back in 2018. The Plasters, a student band and winner of Battle of the Bands, will be opening for the featured acts.
Olivia Le, SAPB concerts chair and a senior majoring in business administration, said this Spring Fling will be many students’ first.
“I think what’s most exciting about this one in particular, is that for many students (freshmen, sophomores and juniors), this will be their very first-ever Spring Fling,” Le said. “But even seniors like myself look forward to this because it’s the biggest annual event on campus.”
Spring Fling will include an outdoor festival during the day with clubs tabling, food trucks, carnival rides and games with prizes offered to winners. What sets this year’s Spring Fling apart from other pre-pandemic years’ events is that the concert will be outdoors rain or shine, in order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections. Le also mentioned the relocation of the Spring Fling concert from outside the Classroom Wing to the East Gym parking lot.
“We also decided on a different outdoor location — the East Gym parking lot (Lot E) instead of the Classroom Wing quad,” Le said. “This change will provide attendees with more space and better accessibility if needed.”
The SAPB will provide hand sanitizer and masks at water stations to provide students with safety options.
Spring Fling will take place Saturday, April 30, 2022 at the East Gym parking lot. Festivities include a carnival during the day and the concert at night. The event is free for all Binghamton University students and will be held outdoors, rain or shine.