Bruce Springsteen is set to return to the Washington, D.C. area this fall for a one-day music and activism festival curated by Tom Morello.
The event, tagged Power to the People Festival, will be held at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, just a month before the U.S. election.
The lineup features major acts including Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, Brittany Howard, Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black, Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill, Killer Mike, The Linda Lindas, and a special performance by Springsteen himself.
The announcement came on the same night Springsteen closed his Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour with a show at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., where Morello is also part of the touring band.
Opening the concert, Springsteen addressed the audience with a message tied to American values and civic ideals.
“Good evening, Washington. We are glad to be here tonight in our nation’s capital,” Springsteen said, adding that the E Street Band was performing “in celebration and defense of the American ideals and values that have sustained our country for 250 years,” while also praising the “righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in these troubled times.”
He also used the platform to criticise President Donald Trump and his administration, telling fans, “Our democracy, our constitution, our rule of law are being challenged right now,” and urging audiences to choose “hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unbridled corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division and peace over…”
Springsteen has previously been critical of Trump. In 2025, he described the president as “treasonous” during a concert, prompting Trump to respond on Truth Social that the singer “ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT.”
Organisers say the upcoming festival continues that same spirit of activism, describing it as a “non-partisan celebration of peace, justice, solidarity, music, and community action.”
“The Power To The People festival is about freedom, justice, equality and rock and roll,” curator Tom Morello said. “It’s about the power everyday human beings have when they come together through music, art, community, and action.”
The festival will feature two stages and a “Freedom Village,” where attendees can engage with nonprofits, advocacy organisations, artists, and community groups.
A portion of ticket sales, along with all net proceeds from VIP packages, will go to VoteRiders and HeadCount, with HeadCount also assisting with voter registration on-site.
Tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday, May 30, at 10 a.m., while a presale begins on Friday, May 29, at 10 a.m.
