CNN BRINGS FARM AID LIVE TO AUDIENCES NATIONWIDE ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 AT 7PM ET

FEATURING LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM FARM AID BOARD MEMBERS: WILLIE NELSON, NEIL YOUNG, JOHN MELLENCAMP, DAVE MATTHEWS, MARGO PRICE AND NATHANEL RATELIFF 

NEW YORK - (August 20, 2026) - Following last year's live presentation, CNN will once again partner with Farm Aid to bring the annual music festival to audiences across its platforms. Farm Aid 2026: Music Festival Live, a CNN Special Event, will air live on Saturday, September 26 from 7pm ET to 11pm ET on CNN and stream live on CNN.com/Watch and the CNN app.

CNN's airing of the evening will include star-studded performances board member artists Willie Nelson and Family, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff and more.

CNN Anchors John Berman and Laura Coates will co-anchor the special coverage from the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia. CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir will provide on-the-ground reporting from the celebration of music and family farmers.

CNN returns as the exclusive broadcast partner for Farm Aid following a successful 2025 partnership, when CNN's live broadcast of the festival's 40th anniversary reached 3.88 million people globally and CNN audiences contributed more than $615,000 to Farm Aid.

Farm Aid 2026: Music Festival Live builds on CNN's growing slate of special live programming, from the network's landmark live broadcast of Broadway's Good Night, and Good Luck to its signature New Year's Eve and Fourth of July celebrations, bringing audiences together for major moments in culture and entertainment.

Founded by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, this annual festival raises funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and inspires audiences to choose family farm food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, raise funds to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

Farm Aid 2026: Music Festival Live will stream live for CNN subscribers and pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps on Saturday, September 26 at 7pm ET.

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About CNN Worldwide

CNN is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals through television, streaming and online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, people around the world can watch CNN International, which is widely distributed in over 200 countries and territories. CNN is also the #1 online news destination, reaching more than 140 million people around the world every month. CNN's award-winning portfolio includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and CNN Films for broadcast, streaming and distribution across multiple platforms. Audiences can experience the CNN offering through its All Access subscription, a centralized place with live channels, on-demand video, new releases and library content from CNN Originals, along with articles. The direct-to-consumer subscription offering is available across web, mobile and connected TV apps. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español channels via Pay TV.. You can also stream a library of CNN Originals content on HBO Max, discovery+ and via pay TV subscription on CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world's most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery.

About Farm Aid

Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host an annual festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $85 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.