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Bruce Springsteen has announced a protest festival set to take place in the Washington, D.C. area a month before the 2026 midterm elections. The festival will feature a star-studded lineup including Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Brittany Howard, and Joan Baez.
Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello made the announcement during a performance at Nationals Park in Washington. At the concert, Springsteen played several of his politically charged songs, including "American Skin (41 Shots)" and "Streets of Minneapolis," addressing issues such as police violence and immigration.
The one-day, two-stage Power to the People festival is scheduled for October 3 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, and is themed around "freedom, justice, equality, and rock 'n' roll." A portion of the ticket sales will benefit organizations like VoteRiders and HeadCount. Morello emphasized the power of people coming together through music and art to create change.
The festival will also feature performances from Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black, Serj Tankian, Killer Mike, Taylor Momsen, and the Linda Lindas, among others. Springsteen has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, who has called for a boycott of Springsteen's shows.
During the concert, Springsteen led the crowd in an "ICE out!" chant, urging them to make their voices heard. He warned that democracy and the rule of law are being challenged like never before by the current administration. Before concluding the night with "Chimes of Freedom," he paid tribute to victims of violence and injustice.