ROB DeMARTIN
Bruce Springsteen, shown performing in Minneapolis on March 31.
At his May 27 concert with The E Street Band at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., Bruce Springsteen made news not just by exhorting “Let ‘em hear you at the fucking White House!” before the chant-along “ICE Out Now!” line of “Streets of Minneapolis,” but by telling the crowd about an upcoming protest concert.
“In the future, we want to keep raising our voices for hope and justice, together,” Springsteen said. “Tom Morello and I will be back again here in D.C. on Oct. 3 for another night of music and resistance. The first-ever Power to the People Festival will be announced to the world, tomorrow. But you’re hearing about it first, here, tonight!
“Tom will be there, Dave Matthews, The Foo Fighters. My friends The Dropkick Murphy will be there. I’ll be back guesting and playing on a few songs with Tom and his band. We encourage you to come out and make a goddamn ruckus along with us.”
Morello, of Rage Against the Machine and other bands, has been performing with Springsteen and the E Street Band on their current tour, which will end May 30 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
This artwork, by Shepard Fairey, is featured on the powertothepeoplefest.com website.
11:30 P.M. UPDATE: The website powertothepeoplefest.com adds the following information:
For Immediate Release: May 28, 2026 – Today, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist and acclaimed activist Tom Morello is proud to announce the Power To The People Festival — a non-partisan celebration of peace, justice, solidarity, music, and community action — taking place Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Tom Morello is currently on tour with Bruce Springsteen and announced the festival on-stage at Nationals Park last night during the set. Pre-sale begins Friday, May 29 at 10AM ET — sign up here — with general on-sale happening this Saturday, May 30 at 10AM ET. For more information visit www.powertothepeoplefest.com.
The one-day festival will feature intimate, collaborative and special performances from an extraordinary lineup of artists and activists including Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Brittany Howard, Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black (featuring Roman Morello, Revel Ian, Yoyoka Soma and Hugo Weiss), Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill, Killer Mike, grandson, The Neighborhood Kids, Taylor Momsen, Matt Cameron, The Linda Lindas, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Tom Morello, alongside artwork and a DJ set by legendary artist Shepard Fairey.
Curated by Tom Morello, Power To The People Festival brings together artists, fans, activists, organizations and community leaders for an unforgettable day celebrating the power of music and collective action to inspire change.
“The Power To The People festival is about freedom, justice, equality and rock and roll,” says Tom Morello. “It’s about the power everyday human beings have when they come together through music, art, community, and action. We’re honored to bring this incredible lineup to the DC area for a day that celebrates the spirit of activism, creativity, and hope.”
In addition to performances across two stages, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, artists, and community partners in the festival’s Freedom Village — an immersive space highlighting opportunities for civic engagement, grassroots organizing, education, mutual aid, and social impact initiatives. A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales plus 100% of the net proceeds from VIP tickets will be donated to VoteRiders — a pro-democracy, pro-voter organization working to restore and strengthen democracy by eliminating confusing and restrictive ID-related barriers to the ballot box — and HeadCount who will also be on site to help fans register to vote and learn more about how to participate in upcoming elections.
Additional participating organizations, activations, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tom Morello has a long history of organizing activism-oriented concerts, rallies, and events, including 2011’s L.A. Rising at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which featured performances from Rage Against the Machine, Muse, Rise Against, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and Immortal Technique. Morello continues to be a leading voice for social justice causes and labor movements across the country and around the world. In addition to his solo work with The Nightwatchman and his role in Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Morello remains one of modern rock’s most influential guitarists and outspoken activists.
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