Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, Kesha, Martin Garrix to Headline Loveloud Festival
By Jem Aswad
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds today announced the lineup for his third annual Loveloud Festival, which will take place June 29 in Utah and will feature him, Kesha, Martin Garrix, Tegan & Sara, Daya, Grouplove, K. Flay, PVRIS, and Laura Jane Grace. Additional performers and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
The festival, held at the Usana Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah and “powered” by AT&T, “seeks to progress the relevant and vital conversation about what it means to unconditionally love, understand, accept, and support LGBTQ+ youth in our communities,” according to the announcement. Its date is no accident: it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village. Madonna honored Stonewall this past New Years Eve with an appearance at the Inn.
The Loveloud Foundation will again aim to raise more than $1,000,000 from this year’s event, a goal that was surpassed at last year’s festival. The festival will be livestreamed in its entirety on AT&T’s social media handles.
“Loveloud is back again this year and stronger than ever,” said Reynolds, who founded the festival in 2017. “We are excited to celebrate our LGBTQ youth through music and spoken word. My hope is that they feel loved, accepted and perfect just the way they are. I invite all the political and religious leaders of Utah to join us as we show our LGBTQ youth that they are not just loved, but truly accepted and appreciated.”
Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m. MST, and an exclusive presale offer for previous attendees of the festival will be available today at 10 am MST. will benefit past beneficiaries The Trevor Project , GLAAD , the Human Rights Campaign , Tegan and Sara Foundation , and Encircle , as well as other vital organizations that serve LGBTQ+ youth.
“I’m truly honored and humbled to be headlining Loveloud this year. I stand with my talented friend and in this fight for equality,” said Kesha. “We need to make sure that all LGBTQ+ people feel accepted and supported and that families have the support that they need. It’s important to try to keep families together and having positive open minded conversations and, for me, to be a part of something that can continue building the bridge to create a safe space for everyone sounds like a beautiful opportunity. A place that supports all people and all love. This festival has done so many wonderful things to help the LGBTQ+ community over the past few years, is a wonderful loving fun safe space, so I hope to see you all come out for Loveloud this summer!”
“We at the Tegan and Sara Foundation are honored to be a major benefactor again this year at Loveloud. We see this event already affecting great change not just in Utah, but also around the country,” said Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara. “By partnering with Loveloud, the Tegan and Sara Foundation is able to reach more young LGBTQ people, continuing our work to better the lives of the women in our community. As a member of the LGBTQ community and the music community myself, I couldn’t be more proud to be involved with Loveloud as both a board member and performer at this year’s event. Taking part in last year’s festival was the highlight of my 2018. The positive energy was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced as an LGBTQ person or as a musician. That feeling is still crackling around inside my heart, eight months later.”
Reynolds founded the Loveloud Foundation in 2017 “as a catalyst to bring communities and families together to help ignite the vital conversation about what it means to unconditionally love our LGBTQ+ youth,” according to the announcement. The Loveloud Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and offers hope to young people, letting them know they’re not alone and encouraging acceptance in the home and community.
Additionally, Reynolds created a documentary centered around Loveloud called “Believer. ” The film received runner up for the “Festival Favorite Award” at Sundance Film Festival 2018 and premiered on HBO last June.
