Farm Aid Debuts in Virginia Beach Featuring Nelson, Young, Mellencamp

Farm Aid will make its debut in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in September, with an announcement inviting fans to “soak up the ocean air, enjoy incredible music and celebrate the farmers growing our food.” Board artists Willie Nelson, Neil Young (& The Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (& Tim Reynolds), Margo Price and Nathaniel Rateliff are set to take the stage.

The festival is set for Sept. 26 at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach. Along with the board members, the event will feature performances from The Turnpike Troubadours, Lukas Nelson, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Jesse Welles, Sierra Ferrell, Mon Rovîa, I’m With Her, Amythyst Kiah, Lily Meola and Chris Pierce.

“Family farmers grow our food and strengthen our communities. And when farmers struggle like they are now, communities feel it too. But we have fewer family farmers on the land now than when we started Farm Aid, and the threats they face put all of us at risk. We’re bringing Farm Aid to Virginia to stand with the farmers and fishers who feed Hampton Roads and beyond—and to grow a food system that works for everyone,” Willie Nelson said in a statement.

Over on the FarmYard Stage, attendees will get the chance to hear about pressing issues from farmers and artists. There will also be demonstrations to share agrarian skills and celebrate the culture of agriculture in the HOMEGROWN Skills tent, as well as plenty of family farm-identified, local and organic foods at HOMEGROWN Concessions®.

Nelson, Young and Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 “to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on the land” – and since then Farm Aid has raised more than $90 million “to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture.”

A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be available beginning at 10 a.m. ET on June 10, followed by the public sale starts Friday, June 12 at 10 a.m. ET. Visit www.FarmAid.org/tickets for more information.

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/06/09/farm-aid-set-for-virginia-beach-with-nelson-young-mellencamp-matthews-more/)._