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Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds to host 3rd annual LOVELOUD Festival June 29; Kesha and others to perform

Posted at 8:09 AM, Mar 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-13 10:09:44-04

WEST VALLEY CITY — The third annual LOVELOUD Festival will be held in West Valley City and will feature performances from Kesha, Martin Garrix, Dan Reynolds, Tegan & Sara and more.

A press release issued Wednesday states this year’s show will be held June 29 at USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. March 15 and will be available here.

The concert seeks to promote conversations about “what it means to unconditionally love, understand, accept, and support LGBTQ+ youth in our communities.”

The press release states the June 29 show date coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. LOVELOUD Festival will stream the full festival on AT&T’s social media handles.

“LOVELOUD is back again this year and stronger than ever,” stated founder and Imagine Dragons front-man Dan Reynolds. “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 the 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.”

Kesha will give a headlining performance at the festival, which will also feature Martin Garrix, Dan Reynolds, Tegan & Sara, Daya, Grouplove, K., Flay, PVRIS and Laura Jane Grace. More performers are expected to be announced.

“I’m truly honored and humbled to be headlining LOVELOUD this year,” Kesha stated. “I stand with my talented friend Dan Reynolds and Imagine Dragons in this fight for equality. We need to make sure that all LGBTQ+ people feel accepted and supported and that families have the support that they need.”

The press release states suicides among LGBTQ+ youth are “often caused by a lack of communication or an absence of acceptance” and “is one of the most troubling issues in the community.”

LOVELOUD aims to provide an affirming place while raising money to assist LGBTQ youth. The release provided these statistics:

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the US among young people ages 10 to 24 according to the Center for Disease Control.[i]
• LGBTQ+ youth who come from families that do not accept them are more than eight times more likely to attempt suicide than those that do.[ii]
• Each episode of LGBTQ+ victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times.[iii]

Last year’s event at Rice-Eccles Stadium raised more than $1,00,000, the press release states.