Stars like Springsteen and Matthews headline politicized "Power To The People" festival
Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews and other musicians performed at the "Power To The People" festival, which paired concerts with voter registration and fundraising for left-leaning nonprofits ahead of the midterms.
At the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, the "Power To The People" music festival combined live shows with political activism, featuring headliners Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews and Tom Morello. The opening act, The Neighborhood Kids, delivered protest songs calling for a free Palestine and denouncing ICE. Throughout the day, the lineup promoted voter registration and raised money for nonprofits including Head Count Inc., VoteRiders, Indivisible and the ACLU, with proceeds pledged to these groups.
A "Freedom Village" hosted a roster of left-leaning organizations, some funded by billionaire George Soros. The festival’s livestream partner MS NOW offered paid access to daily Q&A sessions with Democratic figures such as Rachel Maddow and Jen Psaki. Merchandise and tiered VIP packages were sold, with claims that a portion of proceeds would support human-rights and social-justice causes. The event underscored how celebrity appeal is being used to mobilize voters and fund progressive agendas ahead of the upcoming elections.
Why it matters
The festival shows how pop culture is being leveraged to boost voter turnout and fund left-leaning groups before the midterms.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage highlights the festival’s peace-focused, community-action vibe and praises Jack Smith’s appearance, while right-leaning coverage portrays the event as a partisan, left-driven rally and emphasizes Trump’s attack on Smith.
LEFT
The coverage presents the festival as a positive, peace-and-justice-oriented gathering that encourages voter participation and celebrates Jack Smith’s investigative work.
RIGHT
The coverage depicts the festival as a politicized, left-leaning event, stressing its ties to Democratic figures and organizations and spotlighting Trump’s condemnation of Jack Smith.
The left emphasises
- promoted peace, justice, solidarity, music and community action
- sought to encourage voter participation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections
- fans praised Jack Smith’s investigative work
The right emphasises
- politicized "Power To The People" festival
- roster of left-leaning organizations, some funded by billionaire George Soros
- Trump rips Jack Smith, calling him a "Deranged" and "Crooked Prosecutor"
How this story developed
- Sep 22 Congress probes Jack Smith’s alleged seizure of lawmakers’ phone data amid Arctic Frost scandal
- Sep 29 The Senate Judiciary Committee held the hearing with Jack Smith.
- Sep 29 Sen. Eric Schmitt asked former special counsel Jack Smith about attending an Atlanta NBA game, but Smith said he was at a Maryland college basketball game, revealing a mix-up.
- Sep 30 A whistleblower disclosed that the Arctic Frost probe collected private messages from journalists at over a dozen news outlets.
- Oct 2 The hearing generated a meme‑worthy clip that spread online.
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