'Power to the People Fest': Crowds head to Merriweather Post Pavilion for 'once-in-a-lifetime' show

Columbia, Md. — It sold out in minutes.

Now, just four months after it was announced, the "Power to the People Fest” will be taking place at Merriweather Post Pavilion this Saturday, Oct. 3. The lineup is stacked, but there’s no schedule posted and there are rumors online of special guests and collaborations.

“It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I hear rumors that there may be other people showing up,” Missy Michaels said. “The unknown is actually very exciting for me.”

“I have some friends who went to Woodstock, and they also went to Watkins Glen. I was too young back then, so this is my chance to catch up,” John Butkus, who drove down from New Jersey, said.

The concert, organized by rock guitarist and activist Tom Morello, will feature headline acts like The Foo Fighters, Joan Baez, Dave Matthews and special guest Bruce Springsteen, whom Morello was performing with when the festival was originally announced.

But it’s not just music. This one-day festival is billed as a day of encouraging community and civic engagement.

It will feature the Freedom Village showcasing several non-profits.

That includes “VoteRiders,” which will receive a portion of ticket sales. Their goal is to reach 10 million voters ahead of November, including a writing campaign to first-time voters in Pennsylvania that’ll take place during the festival.

“We are so honored and excited to be receiving much-needed funds at this point in time. We are really excited about putting every dollar we raise on Saturday to immediate use, helping eligible voters get what they need to cast a ballot,” CEO Linda Kunis said.

“OK, I really need to track down tickets to this festival,” Heather Boughey recalled saying after she was unsuccessful during the first round of ticket sales.

The music, yes, but the civic engagement portion of the event was the icing on top for her. So, last minute, she made sure to snag two tickets for her and her daughter.

She says being politically engaged is a multi-generational family affair.

“You really need to speak up for what you believe and to speak up for those who can’t,” Boughey said.

“Voting in this country is a privilege. It's special,” Butkus said.

Doors open Saturday, Oct. 3 at noon.

Can’t make it to the festival? MSNOW will be livestreaming it on YouTube starting at 1 p.m.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.