Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Margo Price to headline event honoring the four-decade legacy of advocacy for thriving family farms
MINNEAPOLIS, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Farm Aid is heading to Minnesota for the first time for its 40th anniversary festival on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The event will launch a year-long celebration of four decades of impactful advocacy, historic cultural moments and unforgettable music.
Farm Aid 40 — a full day of music, family farmers, HOMEGROWN food and agricultural experiences — will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young (and the Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), and Margo Price, as well as Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Jesse Welles, Madeline Edwards and more artists to be announced.
Since the 1980s, Minnesota has offered a groundswell of strength in the farm movement, championing rural advocacy, sustainable and equitable agriculture, and forward-thinking policy reform. Farm Aid President Willie Nelson says Minnesota is an ideal host as Farm Aid commemorates this milestone anniversary.
"Family farmers are the heart of this country, and we depend on each other for good food and strong communities," said Nelson. "For 40 years, Farm Aid and our partners have stood with farmers, supporting them to stay on their land even when corporate power, bad policies and broken promises make it harder to keep going. This year, we're proud to bring Farm Aid to Minnesota to celebrate the farmers who sustain us and to fight for a food system that works for all of us. Family farmers aren't backing down, and neither are we."
Farm Aid festival attendees will experience farmers' contributions firsthand with HOMEGROWN Concessions®, which offers a delicious and fresh menu with ingredients that are grown or raised by farmers who use ecological practices and are paid a fair price. Farm Aid's HOMEGROWN Village features hands-on activities engaging festivalgoers with exhibits about soil, water, energy, food and farming.
The year-long anniversary celebration will feature a variety of special events and initiatives to honor 40 years of action, showcase historical music moments, highlight the strength of the farm movement, and create opportunities for long-time supporters and new ones to join in. Farm Aid Co-Executive Director Jennifer Fahy said this year's festivities are not only about looking back, but also about building the future.
"We're grateful to our dedicated board members and hundreds of generous artists who have brought us together year after year to celebrate family farmers and highlight the challenges they face every day. Our anniversary marks a critical time for the nation to come together in support of the family farmers we all depend on," said Fahy. "Our work isn't done. There are significant threats to the future of family farm agriculture and our food system. Farm Aid 40 is an opportunity to call those out and work for the food system that farmers, eaters and our planet all deserve."
"There is no farm movement without the people. Rural communities represent the heartbeat of this country. Farmers and rural and immigrant labor sustain our food system, care for the land, and strengthen our foodways and cultural connections," said Co-Executive Director Shorlette Ammons. "When we invest in rural communities, we uplift the well-being of our entire country, celebrating the vibrant and needful contributions of all."
Farm Aid was founded by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young in response to the growing crisis faced by American family farmers during the 1980s. The inaugural Farm Aid concert, held on September 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, marked a historic moment in the farm movement, raising more than $7 million to support struggling family farmers, but more importantly, raising awareness of the impacts of the crisis. More than 50 artists came together to highlight the urgent need to address the challenges farmers were facing, including skyrocketing interest rates, mounting debt, plummeting land values, crop and market failures, and policies that were tailor-made to push farmers out of business. Since 1985, Farm Aid has grown into an annual festival that has raised more than $85 million, featured performances by more than 500 artists who generously donated their time and talent and championed policies that support family farms, promote sustainable agriculture and strengthen rural communities.
Tickets for Farm Aid 40 go on sale on May 16 at 10 a.m. CDT. Ticket prices range from $101 to $390 (including fees, sales tax will be added) and will be available for purchase at farmaid40.org. A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be available beginning at 10 a.m. CDT on May 14. Visit farmaid.org/festival for more information.
Sponsors of Farm Aid 40 include Tractor Beverage Company, Explore Minnesota, Horizon Organic, Seven Sundays, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, REI Co-op and Frontier Co-op. Farm Aid welcomes the participation of the business community and offers corporate sponsorship and VIP hospitality opportunities. For more information, contact Anna Mulè at [email protected].
For festival and 40th anniversary updates, follow Facebook (facebook.com/farmaid), Instagram (instagram.com/farmaid), X (@FarmAid), Bluesky (@farmaid.org), Threads (threads.net/@farmaid) and visit farmaid.org/festival.
SOURCE Farm Aid
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