A collision of rock royalty, folk pioneers, and hip-hop icons arrives in Columbia, Maryland, this Saturday, October 3, 2026. Curated by guitarist and activist Tom Morello, the inaugural Power to the People Festival takes over Merriweather Post Pavilion for a stacked day of boundary-pushing music and grassroots activism.
The day’s bill is anchored by Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, folk trailblazer Joan Baez, and hip-hop legends Public Enemy, alongside a headline-grabbing special guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen. Rather than standard sequential sets, Morello has structured the festival across two stages with a heavy emphasis on live collaborations, setting the stage for unexpected cross-genre sit-ins throughout the afternoon and evening.
A Masterclass in Genre-Bending Curation
The roster reflects Morello’s career-long mission of merging sonic intensity with social consciousness. The lineup features:
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Alternative, Soul & Punk: Brittany Howard, Dropkick Murphys, grandson, and The Linda Lindas
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Hip-Hop Pioneers: Cypress Hill, Public Enemy and Killer Mike
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Heavyweight Collaborators: Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), and Scott Ian (Anthrax)
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Roots & Folk Anthems: Stephen Stills, Nathaniel Rateliff, State Radio, and The Last Internationale
Adding to the spectacle, Jack Black is slated to perform a set backed by next-generation prodigies Roman Morello, Revel Ian, Yoyoka Soma, and Hugo Weiss. Renowned artist Shepard Fairey handled the official festival poster design and will take the decks for a DJ set.
“A portion of proceeds from all ticket sales, along with 100% of net proceeds from VIP tiers, directly benefits voting-rights organizations VoteRiders and HeadCount.”
Activism at the Core: Freedom Village
Beyond the stage, the heart of the grounds belongs to Freedom Village, an interactive hub spotlighting nonprofit organizations, community organizers, and mutual-aid networks. HeadCount will have an active presence on-site, offering nonpartisan voter registration directly to attendees ahead of upcoming elections.
Essential Attendee Information
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Date & Venue: Saturday, October 3, 2026 | Merriweather Post Pavilion (Columbia, MD)
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Schedule: Gates open at 12:00 PM; live music kicks off promptly at 1:00 PM.
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Parking: On-site parking is free for attendees.
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Lawn Chair Advisory: Merriweather’s venue policy explicitly bans outside lawn chairs for this event. Blankets and personal gear are subject to standard venue guidelines.
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Sold Out / Ticket Exchange: With tickets officially sold out, fans looking for passes should exclusively utilize the official face-value ticket exchange on CashorTrade and turn on platform notifications for incoming inventory.
