JUST IN: LGBTQ music festival led by Brandi Carlile coming to Wolf Trap

A music festival celebrating LGBTQ artists is coming to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts this summer.

In its first programming announcement for the upcoming season, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts said today (Monday) that it will host a family-friendly, two-day Out & About Festival headlined by folk-rock singer Brandi Carlile.

The festival will take place across three stages on June 24 and 25, coinciding with LGBT Pride Month.

“The Out & About Festival captures the spirit of Wolf Trap — we are a community where music and nature are for all to enjoy,” Wolf Trap Foundation President and CEO Arvind Manocha said in a statement. “Brandi is an inspiration to artists and audiences, both for her unmistakable sound and for standing proudly as an icon of the gay community. We are really grateful for the chance to collaborate with Brandi and all of the guest artists to realize a shared vision.”

Carlile has performed at Wolf Trap regularly over the past decade, starting as an opener for the Indigo Girls in 2008 and most recently during the park’s 50th anniversary season in August 2021.

A total of 11 artists are scheduled to perform at the inaugural festival, including singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, British soul singer Yola, who appeared in the movie “Elvis,” electric indie pop band Lucius, and spoken-word artist Celisse.

Saturday, June 24

• Brandi Carlile (Filene Center)
• Yola (Filene Center)
• Rufus Wainwright (Filene Center)
• Jake Wesley Rogers (Meadow Stage)
• Bad Moves (Meadow Stage)
• Alphabet Rockers (Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods)

Sunday, June 25

• Brandi Carlile (Filene Center)
• Lucius (Filene Center)
• Celisse (Filene Center)
• Brandy Clark (Meadow Stage)
• Oh He Dead (Meadow Stage)
• Jazzy Ash & The Leaping Lizards (Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods)

The festival will mark the first time in decades that Wolf Trap’s three stages — the Filene Center, the Meadow Stage, and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods — will all be used on the same day, according to the press release.

Each day will open with the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods performances, which will start at 10:30 a.m. and require separate $12 tickets.

Gates will open for the main festival at 3 p.m., with Meadow Stage performances running from 4-6 p.m. and Filene Center performances starting at 6:30 p.m.

Festival tickets will range in cost from $75 to $345, with VIP tickets for prime orchestra seats and added amenities going for $498. Tickets will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Feb. 17, though a presale for Wolf Trap members and the VIP ticket sales will start tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10 a.m.

Additional Pride Month activities are expected to be announced in the future.

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