The No Kings movement is staging a nationwide “Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment” on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET at The Town Hall in New York City, with hundreds of watch parties streaming the 90-minute event across the country.
The concert features performances and appearances by Rufus Wainwright, Bette Midler, Patti Smith, Jane Fonda, Sasha Allen, Joy Reid, and others, according to The Town Hall’s event listing. The Committee for the First Amendment—a collective of artists and cultural leaders defending free expression—is hosting the concert to celebrate the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment: speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest.
The timing is deliberate. The concert takes place on Trump’s 80th birthday, when he is hosting a UFC event called “Freedom 250” at the White House. Rather than staging traditional street protests, organizers are using the concert as what Yahoo News described as an “anchor” for local events centered around celebrating community. No Kings is joining the Committee for the First Amendment to bring people together through music and action.
The June 14 event continues a series of coordinated No Kings demonstrations against the second Trump administration. The first No Kings protest took place on June 14, 2025, drawing an estimated 5 million participants, according to Britannica. In October 2025, organizers estimated nearly 7 million people attended the second round of protests, though independent analysts estimated 5 million to 6.5 million participants. The third No Kings protest on March 28, 2026, drew an estimated 8 million participants across more than 3,300 organized events nationwide, according to Britannica, surpassing previous turnout figures.
From Street Protests to Concert Celebration
The shift from traditional marches to a concert-centered event reflects a strategic evolution for the movement. According to Ms. Magazine, both the initial No Kings protest in June 2025 and the second in October 2025 remained largely peaceful with no major, widely reported outbreaks of violence. The concert format allows the movement to maintain momentum while emphasizing celebration and cultural unity rather than confrontation.
The Committee for the First Amendment, which draws inspiration from the original Committee for the First Amendment of the 1950s, frames the event as defending free expression against what it describes as government repression and intimidation. Jane Fonda, a leading figure in the movement, stated on social media that “The First Amendment is not a given. It has to be defended, again and again, by people who refuse to stay silent.”
Sources
- The Town Hall — confirmed event details, date, time, and performer lineup
- Britannica — provided turnout figures for all three No Kings protests
- Billboard — confirmed artist lineup including Rufus Wainwright, Bette Midler, Patti Smith, and others
- Yahoo News — described the concert as an “anchor” for local events centered around celebrating community
- Ms. Magazine — reported on the peaceful nature of previous No Kings protests
- Fast Company — confirmed the June 14 date and nationwide watch party structure
- The Guardian — reported on the concert as part of the No Kings movement’s fourth event
