The LOVELOUD Festival is a yearly music festival and benefit designed to support the LGBTQ community and raise money for causes that support LGBTQ individuals. The concert was first organized in 2017 by Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons. Naturally, Imagine Dragons performed at the first-ever LOVELOUD Festival and subsequent festivals. However, countless other performers have also shared the stage at the festival. With each year that passes, the LOVELOUD Festival grows in attendance and attention, helping raise money for LGBTQ charities.

Finding a Home

LOVELOUD festival takes place in the state of Utah. Although known as a religiously conservative state, the festival is held there with the hope of bringing communities together and helping LGBTQ individuals gain acceptance. Venues like Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City and USANA Amphitheater in West Valley City have hosted the festival, so there is no permanent venue, allowing the LOVELOUD Festival the freedom to move around.

On the Stage

In addition to Imagine Dragons, several other musicians have taken the stage at the LOVELOUD festival over the years. The likes of Krewella, Neon Trees, Grace VanderWaal, Tegan & Sara, Kesha, and others have performed at the festival, some even returning to the festival year after year. There always seems to be a good mix of artists from different genres, appealing to a wide variety of music lovers while adding to the inclusive atmosphere at the heart of the festival.

Speaking Up

Of course, the LOVELOUD Festival is about more than just music. Every year, the event also includes prominent speakers. Well-known members of the LGBTQ community, like X Gonzalez and Shannon Beveridge, have been among the speakers to headline the LOVELOUD Festival. It’s the combination of spoken word and music that helps to separate LOVELOUD from other festivals.

As Reynolds said when describing the festival: “We are excited to celebrate our LGBTQ youth through music and spoken word. My hope is that they feel loved, accepted, and perfect just the way they are. I invite all political and religious leaders of Utah to join us as we show our LGBTQ youth that they are not just loved but truly accepted and appreciated.”