LOVELOUD Festival has announced its final artist and speaker line-up for the 2nd Annual Festival on July 28th, 2018. The festival, which will be held at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, is designed to ignite the vital conversation about what it means to unconditionally love, understand, accept, and support LGBTQ+ youth in our communities.
On the day of the event, LOVELOUD Festival will be live streamed in its entirety on AT&T’s social media handles HERE. In addition to the live stream, AT&T will donate $1 for every use of the hashtag #LOVELOUD on Twitter, up to $50,000. AT&T, a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community, recently announced a $1 million sponsorship and multi-year initiative with The Trevor Project. Together, through music and an inspiring message, LOVELOUD and AT&T share a vision of the future where LGBTQ youth are loved and accepted.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will cap off an exceptional lineup of speakers and performers at the festival that includes actress, singer and dancer Julianne Hough, actor and singer Jussie Smollett, Ellen Show star Kalen Allen, Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara, Grammy-nominated songwriter Justin Tranter, musician WRABEL, singer Mary Lambert, Olympic Freeskier Silver Medalist Gus Kenworthy, actress and dancer Heather Morris, comic Dana Goldberg, and singer-songwriters VINCINT & Parson James. The event will also feature performances and choreography by several notable celebrity all star dancers. A complete list of guest speakers and performers can be found below.
The 2018 LOVELOUD Festival will feature performances by Grammy-Award-winning artists Imagine Dragons, Zedd and Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda along with Grace Vanderwaal, Neon Trees’ Tyler Glenn and A.W. Stand-up comedian, actor and writer Cameron Esposito will also perform and emcee the day’s festivities.
LOVELOUD tickets are available for purchase HERE. Doors open at 2pm and the music begins at 3:30pm. The festival will feature food, beverages and various activities for fans of all ages. The LOVELOUD Foundation will donate proceeds from this year’s event to LGBTQ+ organizations including Encircle, the Tegan and Sara Foundation and the Trevor Project.
“LOVELOUD’s inspiring goal is to raise $1 million dollars for LGBTQ+ organizations in one day, and we know that this amazing program of music and speakers will entertain, educate and inspire everyone who comes out in support on July 28th,” said Tegan and Sara. “We started the Tegan and Sara Foundation to bring resources and attention to issues affecting the LGBTQ community, and we are proud to work with the LOVELOUD team to amplify their urgent message of acceptance and unconditional love.”
As part of this quest, Dan 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 in June.
LGBTQ+ teen suicide, often caused by a lack of communication or an absence of acceptance, is one of the most troubling issues in the community. The numbers are staggering:
* Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the US for youth (teenagers) according to the Center for Disease Control.
* LGBTQ+ youth that come from a home or community where they are not accepted are eight times more likely to commit suicide.
The LOVELOUD Foundation is a catalyst to bring communities and families together to help ignite the vital conversation about what it means to unconditionally love our LGBTQ+ youth. It all begins with talking about, sharing and showing the realities of what LGBTQ+ teens face daily. The LOVELOUD Foundation is a 501(c)(3).
The LOVELOUD 2018 Festival is proud to have sponsorships and overwhelming support from AT&T, MGM Resorts, lululemon, Pluralsight, Vivint Smart Home, Qualtrics Experience Management, DOMO. Lyft is also the official ride share partner for this year’s festival and Hilton is the official hotel partner. The generous commitment of these sponsors can help knock down the negative and offer hope to young LGBTQ+ people, letting them know they’re not alone.
2018 LOVELOUD Festival Featured Speakers and Performers
Alexia Meyer
Alfonso Ribeiro
Ash from Encircle
Benji Shwimmer
Blair Imani
Brooklyn Fullmer
Carmen Carrera
Chelsie Hightower
Dana Goldberg
Dan Reynolds
Drew Scott
Gus Kenworthy
Heather Morris
Jaxon Willard
Jaymz Tuaileva
Jonathan and Oksana Platero
Julianne Hough
Jussie Smollet
Justin Tranter
Kalen Allen
Lt. Governor of Utah Spencer Cox
Kathy Tu
Malece Miller
Mary Lambert
Parson James
Steve and Barb Young
Tegan Quin
Tim Cook
Tobin Low
VINCINT
Westminister Slam
WRABEL
LOVELOUD was founded in 2017 by Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, to help ignite the relevant and vital conversation of what it means to unconditionally love, understand, accept, and support LGBTQ+ youth in an effort to keep families together. LOVELOUD is the catalyst for bringing communities together to start the conversation and celebrate individuality. Talking, sharing and showing the realities of what teens in our society face daily is where it all begins. Find out more at: http://www.loveloudfest.com.
