Back in 1985, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp joined forces and organized the first-ever Farm Aid, with Dave Matthews joining the organization in 2001. The long-running nonprofit concert series seeks to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to support farming families, and since its inception has raised more than $50 million dollars. Following the highly successful 2017 edition of the event, today, Farm Aid has revealed its initial lineup and venue for 2018.
This year, the 33rd-annual edition of Farm Aid will be held at Hartford, Connecticut’s Xfinity Theatre on September 22nd. In addition to festival staples Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews (who will perform with frequent collaborator Tim Reynolds), Farm Aid will also see performances by Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, and Particle Kid. The festival is also slated to announce additional performers later in the year.
“Family farmers are the backbone of our country,” Farm Aid President and founder Willie Nelson said in a press release. “But today, they are endangered. Whether we live in cities like Hartford or the rural areas of New England, each of us has the power to create positive, lasting change in our farm and food system and strengthen farm families to help them stay on the land for generations to come.”
Tickets for Farm Aid go on sale on Friday, June 29th, at 10 a.m. (ET) online here and via phone at (800) 745-3000. A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be also be sold, with their sale beginning on Tuesday, June 26th, at 10 a.m. here. For more information on Farm Aid 2018, head to the event’s website here.
