Columbia, Md. (AP) — In the shadow of Washington, D.C., Bruce Springsteen and a few musical giants had a message for the world: “Let them hear you in Washington,” he cheered.
The Boss played a number of political songs during his headlining set at the inaugural “Power to the People” star-studded protest festival at Columbia, Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday. Organized by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, the festival aimed to celebrate “peace, justice, solidarity, music and community action,” according to its mission statement, and promote voter turnout.
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Bruce Springsteen performs during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Festivalgoer Paul Gimler poses for a photo during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Delila Paz of The Last Internationale performs during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Bruce Springsteen, left, performs Tom Morello with special guests during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Tom Morello announces the first act of the day during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales will benefit the organizations VoteRiders and HeadCount.
Many of the acts used their platform to denounce recent actions conducted by the U.S. government.
For example, Springsteen opened with “Streets of Minneapolis,” in response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents.
“The power and solidarity of the people of Minneapolis, of Minnesota, is an inspiration to the entire country,” he told the sold-out crowd. “Their strength and their commitment told us that this is still America, and this will not stand. They gave us hope. They showed us courage.”
For his second number, folk icon Joan Baez emerged, and the pair duetted Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” Later, Springsteen, Morello, Dave Matthews and Nathaniel Rateliff joined forces for Creedence Clearwater Revival's “Fortunate Son.”
In addition to the protest music on stage, fans in the crowd wore shirts with strong messages. “Immigrants Make America Great,” read one. “No Kings,” “No one is illegal on stolen land,” “Bring on the Matriarchy” read others.
And across the fest grounds stood a “Freedom Village,” an activation where attendees could engage with nonprofits like the ACLU, Farm Aid, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Oxfam and more.
“Power to the People” was revealed in May, around the same time several musical guests announced they had backed out of America’s 250th anniversary celebration, “The Great American State Fair,” over the event’s ties to President Donald Trump.
“Power to the People” stood in stark opposition. The one-day, two-stage festival boasted a stacked lineup heavy with veteran rock ‘n’ roll bands. It also included performances by acts like Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black, Serj Tankian, Killer Mike and the Linda Lindas.
And conveniently, “Power to the People” took place one month before the midterm elections.
“I think the timing is a reminder that showing up matters. I’m not here to tell anyone what to think or how to vote,” Taylor Momsen, one of the festival’s performers, told The Associated Press. “I hope people leave feeling connected, inspired to care about the people around them, and reminded that we all have a part to play in our communities. If the festival can create that feeling, I think that’s a win.”
Among those in attendance was former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who was photographed by fellow concertgoers wearing a black Springsteen T-shirt that said “No Kings” in images widely shared online.
His public appearance came just days after a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in which he firmly defended the two prosecutions he brought against President Donald Trump over the Republican’s efforts to undo the presidential election and his retention of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
After the news organization Just the News publicized Smith’s attendance, Trump lashed out against his long-running antagonist, sharing the story about the concert on Truth Social and adding the message: “Deranged Jack Smith is a Crooked Prosecutor! President DJT.”
Political messaging arrived fast and furious at the event. One of the day's earliest performers, the rap rock artist Grandson, performed a song with the refrain “My president's a felon” before launching into a cover of Bob Dylan's Cold War protest, “Masters of War.”
Later, a livestream broadcast of the “Power to the People” festival cut out as Grandson introduced two actors portraying Jeffrey Epstein and Trump, who joined him on stage, connected by a leash.
Other acts focused on a central message of the festival — directing attendees to the nonprofits at the adjacent Freedom Village and, more commonly, the importance of voting in the upcoming midterm elections.
“Vote locally in thirty days,” rapper Killer Mike said mid-set. “And hold the (expletive) you vote for accountable — on school boards, county commissions … and when you do, don't have an ounce of fear or trepidation because this republic is ran by you.”
Shortly after 3 p.m., the comedian Jack Black appeared on stage as “Jack Sabbath,” performing Black Sabbath covers while backed by a band of children — including the sons of Morello and Anthrax’s Scott Ian — in what read like both a real-life “School of Rock” set and a touching tribute to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne. In fact, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler joined them on stage for “War Pigs.”
In Morello's early evening set, he was joined by System of a Down’s Serj Tankian for a duet of Audioslave’s “Like a Stone” in honor of the late frontman Chris Cornell. It was the start of a trend: After Tankian came Chuck D, Run DMC, Flavor Flav for various covers; Morello and Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl also tackled Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Baez, Rateliff and Matthews joined forces for Woody Guthrie's protest song “Deportees,” before launching into Baez's “(Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody) Turn Me Around.”
As they exited, Stephen Stills took the stage to perform Buffalo Springfield's “For What It’s Worth.”
The festival, which Baez labeled a “magnificent antidote,” concluded with all the day’s performers singing Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” — with all its original verses — as well as John Lennon’s “Power to the People.”
“This festival means that peace, love, and justice do not have to remain nouns. They can become verbs — things that we can all contribute to — when we come together and rock out in the name of anti-fascist, radical equality,” a young fan named Evangeline Topete, who wore a shirt that read “Destroy American Fascism,” told The Associated Press. “Rock ‘n’ roll can save us. And so can giving the power where it belongs: to the people!”
Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.
Bruce Springsteen performs during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Festivalgoer Paul Gimler poses for a photo during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Delila Paz of The Last Internationale performs during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Bruce Springsteen, left, performs Tom Morello with special guests during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
Tom Morello announces the first act of the day during the Power To The People Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Md. (AP Photo/Alyssa Piazza)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) during a visit to Kyiv on Sunday, as Russia escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The aerial war has intensified, with Moscow menacing cities across Ukraine with hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, while Kyiv has been striking Russia’s oil industry and businesses.
About 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) of the package is military aid, including long-range strike weapons, combat drones and satellite technology, “so that Ukraine can also target Russian launch pads,” Merz said at a news conference. Germany is also providing some 350 million euros ($395 million) in energy aid ahead of winter for generators, substations and repair work, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the two countries also signed 15 agreements worth more than 8.5 billion euros ($9.6 billion), mostly covering security cooperation, weapons production and procurement, as well as a deal to expand their joint counter-drone efforts.
“This is weaponry that will help right now,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding they also discussed the need for air defense, which he called “key” at this time.
At the news conference, Zelenskyy said Merz’s visit amid Russian attacks was “an important signal of support for Ukraine and of the courage of Germany and all of Europe.”
Germany will fund the joint production of drones designed to intercept Russia’s jet-powered drones, Merz said, adding that “significant technical breakthroughs” in recent weeks were speeding up production. “This will quickly and tangibly strengthen Ukraine’s air defense,” he said. “And this strengthening is urgently needed.”
Zelenskyy called jet-powered drones a growing challenge, saying Russia had launched 900 of them this week alone and Ukraine was able to intercept only around half. He highlighted the role of F-16 fighter jets in countering the threat and said he would speak with U.S. President Donald Trump about securing more ammunition.
Germany is Ukraine’s largest donor, sending Kyiv more than 43.3 billion euros ($48.8 billion) since the war began, along with equipment and weapons.
Merz was accompanied by Economy and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche and a business delegation.
Zelenskyy said the U.S. was in contact with both Kyiv and Moscow and had proposed holding a trilateral meeting at the technical level by the end of October, possibly in the United Arab Emirates. He said he had told U.S. negotiators on Saturday that Ukraine was ready to take part, and that Kyiv was now waiting for Russia’s response.
He also accused Moscow of avoiding meaningful peace talks, and said Ukraine and Germany were working to advance diplomatic efforts with European participation.
Merz and Zelenskyy visited a building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv that was damaged in a Russian attack that killed two people on Monday, as air raid sirens sounded across the capital.
“These barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop. These are daily war crimes,” Merz said at the site, a few hundred meters (yards) from the German Embassy. Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin, he called on him to end “this senseless war,” adding: “We’re ready to talk.”
Speaking in English, Zelenskyy called the attack on the academy “absolutely terrible” and noted that Russia was carrying out strikes even while the chancellor was in Kyiv. He thanked Merz for the visit, saying Ukraine was buoyed by its “strong partners.”
Merz said Russia’s aggression toward Germany went beyond a failed drone attack at Leipzig Airport in early August, pointing to daily attacks on the country’s data centers and data networks. “None of this will stop if we stop helping Ukraine,” he said. “On the contrary, it will only get worse after that.”
Germany has blamed Russia for the incident at Leipzig and in early September announced the closure of the German Consulate in St. Petersburg, the latest in a cycle of tit-for-tat moves.
Merz said Germany would take further steps to defend itself, including against Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers in the Baltic and North seas, airspace violations and drone attacks.
He also accused Russia of waging systematic disinformation campaigns in Germany through bots and collaborators. “This is the political battle of ideas that we must wage in Germany,” he said, adding that he was “more determined than ever” to fight it because the country’s “peaceful and free future” was at stake.
The German and Russian foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly’s annual meeting last month in what was believed to be the first such face-to-face meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia’s Sergey Lavrov rejected German calls to ease off its “dangerous path of escalation” toward the country, and accused Germany of being Ukraine’s main sponsor and seeking to be a leading military power in Europe.
Russian attacks damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnieper River again on Sunday. Video circulating on social media showed a drone striking the bridge and exploding as vehicles crossed. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were wounded.
Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital.
Russia's Ministry of Defense said Sunday it would intensify its strikes against military-industrial facilities and related infrastructure in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine, in response to Zelenskyy's comments in an interview with Reuters published Saturday that Ukraine would escalate its attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Zelenskyy said Sunday Russia was escalating attacks on civilian infrastructure, including bridges, data centers and mobile networks. He said Russia had previously targeted warehouses of Ukrainian delivery companies Nova Poshta and Ukrposhta, and that Ukraine had given “a fitting response” with strikes on Russian online retailer Wildberries.
“Now they are attacking bridges. Do they really think we won’t respond?” he said.
In other developments, one person was killed and 16 wounded Sunday in a Russian aerial bomb attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, local officials said.
Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible. Fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line snaking through northern, eastern and southern Ukraine has been virtually deadlocked in recent months.
Dazio reported from Berlin and Morton from London. Associated Press journalist Pietro De Cristofaro in Berlin contributed to this report.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz before a commemorative ceremony at the memorial of fallen Ukrainian soldiers at Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attend a commemorative ceremony at the memorial of fallen Ukrainian soldiers at Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attend a commemorative ceremony at the memorial of fallen Ukrainian soldiers at Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks to media with National Academy of science building damaged after a Russian drone strike, on the background, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, centre, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speak to media with National Academy of science building damaged after a Russian drone strike, on the background, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
An apartment is seen burned out following a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Rescue workers extinguish a fire at a residential house destroyed by a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)
General of NATO Mark Rutte delivers a statemen during a visit of the 1. German-Netherlands Corps alongside the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Rob Jetten, in Muenster, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
