Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello has announced a new music festival titled “Power To The People“, scheduled to take place on October 3 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The event shares its name with the 1971 John Lennon song “Power To The People“, a track Tom Morello has previously covered.
According to the official press release, the upcoming festival is designed as a “non-partisan celebration of peace, justice, solidarity, music, and community action.”
Despite the non-partisan label, the event features several artists who have been highly critical of the current United States administration. Both Tom Morello and special guest Bruce Springsteen have actively participated in protests against policies enacted under U.S. President Donald Trump, who has previously directed public criticism toward Bruce Springsteen.
Regarding the purpose of the two-stage festival, Tom Morello released the following statement:
“The ‘Power To The People‘ festival is about freedom, justice, equality and rock and roll. 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 the musical performances, the venue will host a “Freedom Village” to provide a platform for various advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations. A portion of the proceeds from all VIP ticket sales will be directed to Headcount and VoteRiders, two organizations dedicated to assisting voters with registration and navigating the U.S. voting process.
The current roster of performers for the “Power To The People” festival includes:
- Foo Fighters
- Dave Matthews
- Tom Morello
- Joan Baez
- Jack Black (featuring Roman Morello, Revel Ian, Yoyoka Soma, and Hugo Weiss)
- Dropkick Murphys
- Cypress Hill
- Killer Mike
- Serj Tankian (System Of A Down)
- Brittany Howard
- Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless)
- The Linda Lindas
- Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (Run-D.M.C.)
- Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, ex-Pearl Jam)
- Grandson
- The Neighborhood Kids
- Shepard Fairey (DJ set)
- Bruce Springsteen (Special Guest)
Event organizers note that additional special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
The collective featuring actor and musician Jack Black alongside Tom Morello‘s son Roman Morello, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian‘s son Revel Ian (also of XCOMM), Yoyoka Soma, and Hugo Weiss previously collaborated last year. The group performed a cover of Ozzy Osbourne‘s “Mr. Crowley” during the 2025 “Back To The Beginning” festival—the final live show for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, which was also curated by Tom Morello.
The official promotional artwork for the October festival was illustrated by noted artist and activist Shepard Fairey, who is also scheduled to perform a DJ set at the event.
Tickets for the “Power To The People” festival are scheduled to go on sale this week. A pre-sale event will begin on Friday, May 29, at 10:00 a.m. EST, with signups available through powertothepeoplefest.com. The general public on-sale will follow on Saturday, May 30, at 10:00 a.m. local time.
