Inaugural Freely Fest in Nashville to Feature Top Music Acts

The non-profit Freedom Forum unveils lineup for new festival celebrating free speech and the First Amendment.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 2:07pm

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The non-partisan nonprofit organization Freedom Forum has announced the lineup for its inaugural 'Freely Fest', taking place on April 8th at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena and streaming live globally. The festival will feature performances by popular music acts like The Killers, T-Pain, Dominic Fike, Janelle Monáe, and Avery Anna, along with artist stories and interactive experiences aimed at highlighting free speech and the First Amendment.

Why it matters

Freedom Forum has worked for over three decades to promote the vision of an America where everyone knows, values, and defends the core freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. Freely Fest represents the organization's effort to make the First Amendment more relevant by connecting it to popular culture and using music as a universal language for expression.

The details

The inaugural Freely Fest will blend musical performances with artist stories and interactive experiences to celebrate free speech and the First Amendment. The event is being organized by the non-partisan nonprofit Freedom Forum, which has spent more than 30 years working to advance its vision of an America where everyone defends core freedoms.

  • Freely Fest will take place on April 8, 2026.
  • The festival will be held at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.

The players

Freedom Forum

A non-partisan nonprofit organization that has worked for over three decades to promote the vision of an America where everyone knows, values, and defends the core freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

Jan Neuharth

The Chair and CEO of the Freedom Forum, who stated that Freely Fest will 'shine a light on freedom of speech — a foundational right that belongs to us all and fuels the free expression that shapes our culture.'

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What they’re saying

“Freely Fest will shine a light on freedom of speech — a foundational right that belongs to us all and fuels the free expression that shapes our culture. Music tells the story of America. Every generation has its defining anthems. Melodies that bring us to our feet or move us to tears. Lyrics that capture moments of joy or reflect times of sorrow. Songs that have sparked change and fueled movements. All powered by the First Amendment.”

— Jan Neuharth, Chair and CEO, Freedom Forum

What’s next

Tickets for Freely Fest will go on sale to the public on February 15, 2026 at FreelyFest.org.

The takeaway

Freely Fest represents a unique effort to celebrate the First Amendment and free speech by harnessing the power of music and popular culture. The festival's diverse lineup and interactive experiences aim to make these foundational rights more accessible and relevant to a wide audience.