Billboard Music
Julia Roberts, More Join Rise Up, Sing Out With Bette Midler
By Ashley Iasimone
June 1, 2026
Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, with performances and appearances by artists including Bette Midler, Patti Smith and Rufus Wainwright, added more star power to its lineup on Monday (June 1). Billboard can reveal actresses Julia Roberts and Lily Gladstone are among those who will take part in the special event in New York City celebrating U.S. freedoms protected by the First Amendment.
Wilson Cruz, Peppermint, Jenn Colella, Alex Joseph Grayson, Singing Resistance, Rude Mechanical Orchestra, Kayla Davion and Rev. Adriene Thorne were also added to the list of Rise Up, Sing Out participants on Monday.
Previously announced appearances include Jane Fonda — who serves as founder of the Committee for the First Amendment — plus Joy Reid, Sasha Allen and Broadway Inspirational Voices.
Rise Up, Sing Out takes place at NYC’s Town Hall on June 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets can be purchased now at riseupsingout.com or on Ticketmaster. Viewers will also be able to livestream the concert event for free.
All ticket proceeds will support the work of the Committee for the First Amendment, who describe the event as “an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action.” Its intent is to be “a moment for people around the country to stand in unity against the authoritarian shifts threatening our democracy today.”
“We can’t sit idly by while our rights are at stake,” says Jane Fonda in a statement about the event. “History shows us that when democracy is threatened, song becomes one of our most powerful weapons. Right now, we are at a critical crossroads. It’s time for us to rise up, raise our voices, and stand up against a government that refuses to put its people first. We are fighting back the best way we know how to: with our community and in solidarity.”
Rise Up, Sing Out will be directed by Schele Williams, music directed by Mary Mitchell Campbell and produced by Bruce Cohen and rigor + ruckus (Robb Nanus, Heather Shields & Rachel Sussman). The event is written by Bess Kalb, and features lighting design by Jamie Roderick, sound design by Cody Spencer and projection design by Daniel Brodie & Olivia Sebesky. Linda Marvel is production stage manager.
To coincide with the event, No Kings Coalition is launching a nationwide organizing day on June 14 to bring people together at public and private watch parties in support of our First Amendment rights.
