AXS TV PRESENTS THE EXCLUSIVE TV BROADCAST OF THE 35TH ANNUAL FARM AID 2020 ON THE ROAD VIRTUAL FESTIVAL, AIRING SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 AT 8 P.M. ET

The Three-Hour-Plus Virtual At-Home Experience Features Appearances & Performances by Founder Willie Nelson and Board Members Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews; Other Artists Include Brandi Carlile, Nathaniel Rateliff, Bonnie Raitt, Black Pumas & More

AXS TV continues its long-standing support of Farm Aid, serving as the exclusive television broadcast partner of the landmark benefit music festival for the seventh consecutive year. The Network is proud to present a star-studded virtual at-home three-hour-plus broadcast of Farm Aid 2020 On the Road, airing Saturday, September 26 starting at 8:00 pm ET.

The 35th Annual Farm Aid 2020 On the Road virtual festival puts the spotlight on some of the biggest names in music, as they come together to raise funds and awareness for America’s hardworking farmers. Though the evening will look a bit different this year as a virtual at-home experience, Farm Aid 2020 On the Road continues the festival’s legacy of iconic artists and unforgettable performances featuring an all-star roster of over 20 artists including Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson and The Boys, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, as well as Black Pumas, Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs. Other 

featured performers are Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Jon Batiste, Kelsey Waldon, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, Particle Kid, Edie Brickell with Charlie Sexton, The Record Company, Valerie June and The War And Treaty, and many more.

Farm Aid 2020 On the Road marks the second collaboration between AXS TV and Farm Aid this year, following in the footsteps of the highly successful benefit simulcast At Home With Farm Aid. Joining forces with Verizon, AXS TV and Farm Aid presented the exclusive set on April 11, 2020, as part of the Network’s At Home And Social initiative. Powered by intimate performances from Nelson, Young, Matthews, and Mellencamp, the evening raised over $500,000 for family farmers impacted by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

“AXS TV is proud to continue our strong partnership with Farm Aid, in support of their invaluable efforts to benefit and uplift America’s vital farming community,” said Lucia McCalmont, Vice President of Programming and Scheduling, AXS TV. “Our viewers look forward to these exclusive Farm Aid broadcasts each year, and we are excited to have the opportunity to share the 2020 virtual at-home event with our audience, bringing them more of the up-close coverage, iconic artists, and unforgettable performances that only Farm Aid and AXS TV can provide.” 

The goal of the virtual festival is to raise critical funds for and awareness of the organization and its mission, which it typically does through ticket sales to the annual in-person music and food festival. Farm Aid accepts donations year-round at www.farmaid.org/donate.

For event updates, follow Farm Aid on Twitter (@FarmAid), Facebook (facebook.com/farmaid) and Instagram (instagram.com/farmaid), and visit farmaid.org/festival 

Viewers are encouraged to use the hashtags #FarmAid2020, #AXSTV and #OnTheRoad to join the conversation on social media around this year’s virtual festival.

THE GROUNDBREAKING FARM AID FESTIVAL RETURNS TO AXS TV FOR 6TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, AIRING LIVE SATURDAY, SEP 21 AT 7:30PM ET

Highlights Include Performances by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, Margo Price, Brothers Osborne, & More

Additionally, a Block of Classic Concerts & Candid Sit-Downs with Farm Aid Organizers Nelson, Mellencamp, Matthews, & Young Start Earlier in the Day at 9AE on AXS TV

Musical icon Willie Nelson’s groundbreaking festival for a cause Farm Aid returns to AXS TV, as the network presents a special live broadcast of Farm Aid 2019 on Saturday, September 21, from 7:30pm to 12:30am ET. This unforgettable five-hour event marks the sixth consecutive year that AXS TV will air Farm Aid, and the fifth year that the network will air the festival live.

(Editor’s Note: The 2019 broadcast will immediately repeat after its initial airing.)

Now in its 34th year, Farm Aid comes to the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, for the first time in the festival’s history, as some of music’s biggest names take the stage to raise awareness for America’s family farmers. Farm Aid’s festival to rally public support is especially critical now as farmers face another year of farm income slashed by half, which has caused a farm crisis similar to the one that sparked Farm Aid’s start in 1985. The Farm Aid 2019 lineup puts the spotlight on an eclectic blend of iconic trailblazers and modern favorites, headlined by GRAMMY-winning superstar and Farm Aid founder Willie Nelson. Other highlights include Nelson’s fellow board members John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews (performing with Tim Reynolds), as well as Margo Price, Tanya Tucker, Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real and Yola, among others.

As part of this landmark broadcast, AXS TV has compiled a block of candid conversations and classic concerts celebrating Farm Aid mainstays Nelson, Young, Mellencamp, and Matthews that will air earlier on Sept. 21. The day-long event opens at 9:00am ET, as John Mellencamp storms into the Windy City to share priceless stories and perform signature songs such as “Small Town,” “Pink Houses,” “Cherry Bomb,” and more in Plain Spoken: John Mellencamp. Next, at 10:30am ET, experience the best moments from the Dave Matthews Band’s 2005 set at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, featuring enduring hits such as “Crash Into Me,” in the 2005 concert compilation Dave Matthews Band: Weekend On The Rocks. Then, at 11:30am ET, Willie Nelson sits down with Dan Rather to discuss the history and impact of Farm Aid, and the state of marijuana in America on The Big Interview, before blazing through an intimate career-spanning set that includes “Whiskey River,” “Trouble In Mind,” and “Just Because You Asked Me To,” in Willie Nelson: Soundstage at 12:30pm ET.

The day continues at 1:30pm ET, as Dan Rather joins Neil Young for a wide-ranging conversation covering his fight against corporations, his childhood bout with polio, and his own mortality; followed by an encore broadcast of Plain Spoken at 2:30pm ET. Then, at 4:00pm ET, John Mellencamp opens up about his acclaimed career, his passion for painting, and the current political landscape. The block comes to a close with encore presentations of Dave Matthews Band: Weekend On The Rocks at 5:00pm ET, and Willie Nelson: Soundstage at 6:00pm ET, leading into the live broadcast of Farm Aid 2019 at 7:30pm ET.