Farm Aid 40 may be cancelled if strikes aren’t resolved

Posted On September 12, 2025September 12, 2025

Organisers behind Farm Aid 40 have confirmed the event might be cancelled if ongoing strikes at the University of Minnesota aren’t resolved.

The event is currently scheduled to go ahead on September 20th at the Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis with Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Waxahatchee, Billy Strings, Margo Price, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp all set to perform.

However, due to the University of Minnesota labour strikes, the event is now up in the air, and organisers have stated they are examining all alternate options, including cancelling Farm Aid 40 or seeking a new venue.

Event organisers said in a statement, published on September 11th, “Today, the University’s Teamsters employees are on strike because of the University’s inability to come back to the table to resolve this contract dispute justly. We are deeply concerned that this jeopardizes our ability to hold Farm Aid 40 as planned but primarily puts these workers in a place of hardship as they labor to provide basic needs for their families.”

They continued: “Our artists, production team and partners have made clear that they will not cross a picket line. The team that is scheduled tomorrow to begin building our complex stage and set is made up of loyal production people who have an ongoing relationship with labor across the U.S. They also will not cross a picket line. These decisions reflect our own values: the farm and labor movements are inseparable, and we believe strongly that the University must return to the bargaining table in good faith.”

Organisers added, “We are currently looking at all of our options for hosting this event, but it is not an easy task to pivot at this point.”

They also said that “the financial impact could be devastating” if Farm Aid 40 is forced to move venues or be cancelled, and the costs already incurred could “threaten the survival of our organization after four decades of service to family farmers”.

The strikes began on September 9th when Members of Teamsters Local 320 over a pay dispute, which has led to 1,400 custodial, maintenance, food service, and sanitation workers striking. They are seeking a 3.5 per cent pay increase, and the final offer by the university only represented a 3 per cent pay increase to workers.

According to CBS News, 12 people have been arrested during the strikes so far. The University of Minnesota also issued a statement on September 10th, saying, “The actions of some picketers on our Twin Cities and Duluth campuses threaten the community’s safety and are extremely concerning.”

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