Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, Public Enemy, Brittany Howard, and other politically engaged artists are heading to the Washington, D.C., area for a new one-day festival curated by Tom Morello.
The Power To The People Festival is set for Oct. 3, 2026, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The official site describes the event as a nonpartisan celebration of peace, love, justice, music, and community action.
The timing gives the lineup its bigger charge. The Associated Press described the event as a protest festival set for the D.C. area one month before the midterm elections, with proceeds supporting VoteRiders and HeadCount.
Springsteen Announced the Festival During a Political D.C. Show
Springsteen and Morello announced the festival while performing together at Nationals Park in Washington during Springsteen’s Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, according to AP.
AP reported that Springsteen used the concert to criticize President Donald Trump and the White House, played political songs including “American Skin (41 Shots)” and “Streets of Minneapolis,” and led the crowd in an “ICE out” chant.
That setting made the announcement more than a standard festival reveal. Springsteen was already using the D.C. stage for political messaging before introducing a festival built around music, activism, and civic participation.
The Lineup Runs From Arena Rock to Hip-Hop and Punk
The Merriweather Post Pavilion event page lists Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Tom Morello, Joan Baez, Public Enemy, Jack Black, Dropkick Murphys, Cypress Hill, Killer Mike, Serj Tankian, Brittany Howard, Taylor Momsen, The Linda Lindas, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Matt Cameron, grandson, and The Neighborhood Kids.
The bill pulls from several generations and genres: classic rock, punk, hip-hop, folk, alternative music, and politically outspoken performers.
Morello’s name gives the lineup its organizing logic. His work with Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and The Nightwatchman has long linked rock music with labor, antiwar politics, protest language, and public activism.
The Festival Has a Civic Engagement Piece Built In
Power To The People is being promoted as a day of music and community action across two stages. The official site also says the festival will include a Freedom Village, where nonprofits and community partners will highlight voter engagement, grassroots organizing, mutual aid, and other ways for fans to get involved.
A portion of proceeds from all ticket sales will benefit VoteRiders and HeadCount. The festival site says HeadCount will also be on site to help fans register to vote and learn how to participate in upcoming elections.
The site also says 100% of net proceeds from VIP tickets will be donated to nonprofit organizations connected to the event’s civic and social-justice mission.
Ticket Sales Start This Week
General ticket sales begin Saturday, May 30, at 10 a.m. ET through Ticketmaster. The Merriweather event page lists gates at noon and showtime at 1 p.m. for the Oct. 3 festival.
Published ticket information lists $125 all-in lawn tickets, $225 all-in pavilion tickets, $375 VIP tickets, and a $1,500 VIP Super Suite package.
The lower-priced lawn ticket includes access to both stages and the artist performances, while higher tiers add pavilion access, reserved seating, VIP areas, or suite access.
Springsteen’s Trump Clash Gives the Announcement a National Frame
Springsteen has criticized Trump for years, and Trump has publicly attacked him in return. AP noted that Trump has called for a boycott of Springsteen’s shows and insulted him personally after the musician’s recent criticism.
The new festival arrives as that public clash has become part of Springsteen’s current tour coverage. AP reported that Springsteen told the D.C. crowd that “there is no one coming to save us” and urged people to act themselves.
Morello’s official festival statement keeps the focus on collective action through music, art, community, and activism. With Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Public Enemy, Joan Baez, Killer Mike, Brittany Howard, and younger acts on the same bill, Power To The People is being sold as both a concert and a civic event near the nation’s capital.
