Willie Nelson’s annual Farm Aid concert reaches its fortieth anniversary this year and it’s been confirmed this week that this year’s event will feature Nelson’s fellow co-founders, Neil Young and John Mellencamp.
The festival – which switches locations each year - is being held in Minneapolis in 2025. Other confirmed artists include Dave Matthews, Margo Price, Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Jesse Welles and Madeline Edwards.
"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," Nelson said in a statement written on the festival's website.
"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 literally grew out of Live Aid. Or to be more accurate, it sprouted from the comments made by Bob Dylan during his somewhat shambolic closing set at the Philadelphia show. Infamously, Dylan said: "I hope that some of the money... maybe they can just take a little bit of it, maybe... one or two million, maybe... and use it, say, to pay the mortgages on some of the farms and, the farmers here, owe to the banks."
Dylan’s words were much criticised at the time – comparing the bind some US farmers were in with the plight of starving African people was widely seen to be a bit wrongheaded. Nevertheless, they were acted upon. Nelson, Young and Mellencamp worked fast to organise a benefit gig that took place in September 1985. Performers included Billy Joel, BB King, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Dylan himself and $9 million was raised.
Farm Aid has since gone on to become an annual event. All three founders played at last year’s festival.
"We're fighting for our lives," Young said then at a pre-show press conference, referring to the importance of supporting family farmers rather than the large agri- corporations. "Remember that we're causing this (climate change).. Every day we have an opportunity to be more together than we were yesterday."
This year’s Farm Aid takes place on September 20. For more information click here.
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