Festival Bringing Love, Service, and Music to New Orleans' 9th Ward on Feb. 8

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- He Gets Us Presents Jon Batiste's Love Riot Festival is coming to the Desire Area of New Orleans' 9th Ward on Saturday, Feb. 8. A festival experience of music, love, hope, and action. The big game weekend event that also celebrates giving back features a concert from Batiste — the Kenner, Louisiana, native and 2025 Super Bowl LIX National Anthem performer. Batiste will also be joined by local artists and surprise guests to be announced closer to the festival day.

New Orleans community members can reserve tickets at no cost beginning Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. CST by visiting loveriotfestival.com or jonbatiste.com.

"I am grateful to lead my first festival and couldn't be happier to collaborate with He Gets Us. Being of service by bringing love, light and healing through music is something I am called to do. At its core that is what the Love Riot Festival is all about. Radical love, celebration and cultural expression through music making and community service. Get ready to dance in the streets and sing to the heavens!"

New Orleans artist Brandan "BMIKE" Odums — a high school classmate of Batiste's — created the festival artwork and collaborated with He Gets Us, Batiste, and Sing for Hope to lead 10 New Orleans-based visual artists in the design of hand-painted pianos placed in the 9th Ward to invite the community to the festival and celebrate a vibrant expression of the city's culture. The pianos will find permanent homes in local schools and community centers after the festival.

As the event wraps, Batiste will lead one of his signature Love Riots through the festival grounds, accompanied by the 9th Ward's own Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club.

The He Gets Us project — which was acquired by the nonprofit startup Come Near in 2024 — will have a commercial in this year's big game titled "What is Greatness?", inviting the audience to explore what Jesus showed and said greatness is and the contrast to how culture defines greatness today. This is the third year He Gets Us has a presence in the big game to raise the public conversation about Jesus.

"In a society struggling with division, loneliness, and a crisis of meaning, Jesus' life and teachings offer a countercultural path toward healing," said Ken Calwell, CEO at Come Near. "We've been challenged and inspired by how Jesus said greatness is defined not by our achievements, wealth, or power, but by how we love and serve others, and we wanted to invite people to experience that alongside Jon Batiste in New Orleans."

HE GETS US PRESENTS JON BATISTE'S LOVE RIOT FESTIVAL

All ticketed festival attendees can access festival food free of charge thanks to the service and support of community partners. Groups and organizations partnered in the Saturday, Feb. 8, festival include:

• Eternal Seeds
• George Washington Carver High School
• Giving Hope Foundation
• Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club
• Sing for Hope
• Sprout
• Thrive New Orleans

"Jon Batiste could play any stage or party in New Orleans, and for the big game, he and He Gets Us chose to bring an act of love to the 9th Ward. That validates the work being done by so many to cross divides, recognize the worth in others, and change perceptions about the 9th," said Troy Duhon, co-founder and president of Giving Hope Foundation.

He Gets Us Presents Jon Batiste's Love Riot Festival will be hosted on the grounds of George Washington Carver High School and near the site of a future home sports field planned to serve 9th Ward high schools and middle schools.

"One of the most beautiful things you can show a community is progress. The 9th Ward is a place that so many of us are proud to have grown up and feel called to come back to serve and work to make great for each generation after us," said Dwana Caliste, athletic director and teacher at George Washington Carver High School and youth director at Thrive 9th Ward. "True greatness is lifting other people up."

To request press credential access, contact: press@hegetsus.com.

Press visuals are available on Dropbox here.

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SOURCE He Gets Us Presents Jon Batiste's Love Riot Festival