Farm Aid comes to Minneapolis in September, with Willie Nelson, Neil Young performing
Farm Aid — an annual festival organized by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp to raise money for family farmers — will come to Minnesota for the first time this fall.
The 40th anniversary show will be held at the University of Minnesota's Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Nelson, Young and Mellencamp will perform for a "full day of music, family farmers, homegrown food and agricultural experience," along with other artists listed below:
- Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds)
- Margo Price
- Billy Strings
- Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
- Trampled by Turtles
- Waxahatchee
- Eric Burton of Black Pumas
- Jesse Welles
- Madeline Edwards
According to the Farm Aid organization, Nelson was inspired after he heard Bob Dylan comment on stage during Live Aid about the difficulties facing American farmers. Six weeks later, the first Farm Aid was held in Champaign, Illinois. Since then the organization has raised more than $85 million and featured 500 artists.
"Willie always says we go where we're wanted, and so we have been trying to get [to Minnesota] where we have been so wanted, and the planets aligned," said Jennifer Fahy, communication's director at Farm Aid. "We're really excited to be here for the first time."
"Family farmers are the heart of this country, and we depend on each other for good food and strong communities," said Nelson.
Beyond the music, the festival will also feature a hands-on experience built to teach, taste and take action.
"We have our homegrown village where people can dig in, into hands-on activities and learn about food, agriculture, composting, all kinds of great things," said Fahy.
Nelson said for the last 40 years, the benefit concert has been helping farmers "stay on their land even when corporate power, bad policies and broken promises make it harder to keep going."
Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m., and range from $101 to $390. A limited number of presale tickets will be available at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. They'll be available at farmaid40.org.
