#iVoted Festival Announces 50-Artist Event Tied To Georgia Senate Runoffs

#iVoted Festival returns in January as Georgians head to the polls to decide two runoff elections for U.S. Senate.

#iVoted Festival is returning for an encore.

After a successful event that brought together hundreds of artists for a 14-hour Election Day livestreaming marathon – and was the subject of an October Pollstar cover story – #iVoted announced Monday that it’s getting the bands back together for a final 2020 cycle hurrah, as it attempts to drive turnout for the Georgia Senate runoffs, scheduled for Jan. 5, 2021.

While #iVoted says the event’s lineup will continue to grow over the next month, the initial roster announced Monday features more than 50 artists, including Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Drive-By Truckers, The Revivalists, and Andy Mineo. 

The event will rebroadcast sets from #iVoted’s general election livestream by Greensky Bluegrass, Jukebox the Ghost and Umphrey’s McGee.

Once again, #iVoted utilized regional streaming data while booking the event to find Georgia’s most popular artists.

Like #iVoted’s general election program, livestreaming platform Mandolin will host the nonpartisan event. Georgians can RSVP for the event now via #iVoted’s website by taking selfies at home with their blank and unmarked ballot or outside their polling place on Election day. Non-Georgia residents, fans unable to vote and minors will also be able to RSVP.

Georgia’s Senate runoff elections features contests between two Republican incumbents and two Democratic challengers. Democrat Jon Ossoff is running against Republican Senator David Perdue, while Democrat Raphael Warnock is competing against Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler. In accordance with state law, the races proceeded to runoffs after all candidates failed to receive 50 percent of the vote in the respective Senate races.

Industry veteran Emily White began #iVoted after the 2016 election, and the initiative hosted artists for shows across the country the night of the 2018 midterm elections.

“The whole idea started because my home state was decided by 22,000 votes, and the state next door, Michigan, was decided by 10,000 votes,” she told Pollstar in October. “My tour manager brain was like, ‘Those are venues.’”

But due to the coronavirus pandemic, #iVoted pivoted to a digital model in 2020.

“The pandemic has been like making lemonade out of lemons,” White told Pollstar.

For more information about the #iVoted Georgia Senate election stream, visit the organization’s website, and to learn more about #iVoted generally, revisit Pollstar’s recent cover story.