— Grammy-nominated Hip-Hop duo, Run the Jewels, will headline #iVoted Festival 2022 amongst a huge lineup of diverse acts.
In 2020, #iVoted Festival built the largest single night digital concert in history and now they’re back for midterms in their continued effort to increase voter turnout while simultaneously changing the face of the music industry by mentoring the next generation of activists and leaders. This year, the festival will take place on election day — November 8th — as fans RSVP to access the Mandolin-hosted stream with a selfie from outside their polling place or at home with their blank and unmarked ballot.
Underage fans will be able to RSVP by letting #iVoted Festival know what election they will be 18 for and why they’re excited to vote. Non-citizens and other ineligible voters can RSVP by letting the group know which artist they’re most excited to check out. The RSVP portal will open later this year, however fans can sign up for the festival’s email list to be alerted.
For #iVoted Festival 2022’s election night webcast, the 100% women-led non-partisan 501(c)3 non-profit voter turnout group has unveiled a lineup of over 250 artists. Talent is booked per the data of the top streaming and trending artists in key states whose electoral margins are often decided by the size of a concert venue. Highlights include Run the Jewels, Lake Street Dive, CNCO, Carl Craig, Rise Against, Umphrey’s McGee, Lil’ Scrappy, Halestorm, Jamby El Favo, Shakey Graves, An Exclusive Video Message from Piper Perabo, 3OH!3, DeVotchKa, Yonder Mountain String Band, Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, The Suffers, Eliot Sloan of Blessid Union Of Souls, Doll Skin, Lotus, Twiztid, The Starting Line, Duane Betts, ACRAZE and more.
Regarding #iVoted Festival’s work, Billboard has stated,
“The initiative, which launched in 2018, is admirable given that young people in the U.S. are more likely to attend live music events (53% of teens and 63% millennials, Nielsen Music 360 report) than vote (35.6% for 18-29 and 48.8% for 30-44 in 2018, US Census).”
#iVoted Festival aims to bridge this gap and increase turnout by meeting potential voters where they already are.
#iVoted Festival is also announcing new board members including Run the Jewels’ Co-Manager, Amaechi Uzoigwe, Live Nation’s Jay Byrd, Biz 3’s Kathryn Frazier and Dana Meyerson, SongHero CEO and former Blondie touring keyboardist Kevin Patrick, and LOUD Capital CMO and former Vans Warped Tour drummer Brian Penick. They join previously announced board members Kevin Lyman, Evangeline Elder of Roc Nation, Mandolin CEO Mary Kay Huse, Joyce Dollinger, Steve Ferguson, tenured M.I.T. Economist John Gruber, Kennita Hickman, WNYC’s Rebecca Kennedy, Lyte’s Lawrence Peryer, and Melanie Shark.
The group is also launching The #iVoted Festival Podcast simultaneously, with the first episode out now, where Founder and CEO Emily White interviews voting experts and artists performing at the event. The podcast takes listeners through the journey of voting, from registration to researching one’s ballot, leading to turning out and tuning in for #iVoted Festival 2022 on Election Day. The debut episode, supported by Songtrust, features #iVoted Festival alum and 2022 artist Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee along with board member and Billboard Hip-Hop Power Player Jay Byrd of Live Nation. Additional episodes are split into two themes — a guide for listeners through the election year paired with interviews of #iVoted Festival 2022 artists from and trending in key states. Episode two’s “There’s No Democracy Without Your Participation” features artists from and trending in North and South Carolina. This is followed by episode three, “Check Your Registration!” with Amanda Hollowell, National Organizing Director at Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote and spotlights #iVoted Festival 2022 artists from and trending in Pennsylvania. The podcast drops twice a month wherever you listen.
For a list of all #iVoted Festival 2022 participating artists and talent, you can visit the official #iVoted Festival website. Also be sure to follow their Instagram and Twitter pages for regular updates on the event.