Check Out Accessible Festivals!

There’s a wonderful new non-profit organization out there, supporting those who need accessibility at festivals! Accessible Festivals officially launches its Dan Grover Memorial Ticket Grant Program that provides a limited number of free access tickets to recreational experiences like concerts, festivals, and conventions for disabled music fans and their loved ones. This is HUGE and paves the way for more to come. Not only does this mean that the festivals are providing free access, but this also helps to ensure that all festivals are ADA compliant. The organization partners with major events across the US including Austin City Limits Music Festival, BottleRock Napa Valley, Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza, Rolling Loud NY, Stagecoach and more, to provide complimentary admission to a number of the country’s best festivals. Find more information and apply for admission via accessiblefestivals.org/ticketing.

The recent announcement is just the latest work from the organization, with much more to come. Several leading publications throughout the music industry have taken notice of Accessible Festivals’ meaningful work. Billboard included its founder on their 2021 Billboard Change Agents list, and Forbes featured the organization for their work with the first-ever sensory-friendly music festival, Inclusion Festival. Check out the information!

The idea for Accessible Festivals’ Dan Grover Memorial Ticket Grant Program was born from the organization’s founder, Austin Whitney’s, personal experience. In 2007, Whitney was injured in a car accident that caused severe damage to his spinal cord, which caused paralysis from the waist down. As a result, he was consumed with anxiety and depression. Shortly after, he attended Coachella, his first music festival. And if you have ever been to a festival, you know that life is something different at a festival. Music festivals like this helped Dan to cope with the new changes in his life. And this realization helped Dan to discover that he wanted to devote his life to making change at festivals so everyone can enjoy festivals.

The program also aims to keep the legacy of Dan Grover alive. He used his passion of music to become one of the first Accessibility Consultants in the live music industry. He led ADA Compliance operations on many of the nation’s largest shows including Electric Forest, Lockn’, Life is Beautiful, Outside Lands, and many more. Grover assisted thousands of disabled guests in enjoying music and was a fierce advocate for greater inclusion and accessibility.

Individuals impacted by newly acquired, temporary, or lifelong disabilities are encouraged to apply for free access to their favorite events. So far this year, Accessible Festivals has distributed complimentary admission this year to some of the nation’s largest festivals including Bottlerock Napa Valley Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza, Rolling Loud NY, Stagecoach and Tortuga Music Festival. This amazing grant currently has two dozen events this Fall that are currently accepting applications for complimentary admission. Upcoming events include Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando, Firefly Festival, Made in America Festival, Rolling Loud NY, and many others. 

All the festivals participating in the program have made a commitment to all their disabled fans and have well-established ADA Compliance programs. With many friends and partners in the industry, Accessible Festivals plans to add many more festivals and other recreational events to their list. With support from live music tastemaker Live for Live Music, Accessible Festivals aims to expand live event access for all across the U.S. for years to come.

To donate, learn more about or apply for Accessible Festivals’ Dan Grover Memorial Ticket Grant Program, visit accessiblefestivals.org/ticketing and keep up-to-date with Accessible Festivals on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and their official website.