“It was heartbreaking to get all these emails,” he says.Ĭelebrate our diversity. Suicide is the leading cause of death in Utah teens. He realized he needed to be more vocal about his support when he learned that LGBTQ+ youth in unaccepting homes and communities are eight times more likely to commit suicide and 3 times more likely to engage in risky drug use. But the founder of LOVELOUD and LOVELOUD Foundation, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds, explained in an interview last year exactly why-and how-he created the idea of LOVELOUD, and why it’s so important to hold the festival in the state.Īfter receiving messages from LGBTQ+ teen fans who assumed he didn’t support them because of his orthodox Mormon faith, Reynolds “realized I had to speak out,” he explains. It’s likely surprising to many that the largest LGBTQ+ music festival happens in Utah. Created to spread the message of love and acceptance to LGBTQ+ teens, the festival is hitting even bigger strides in its second year with almost double the musical acts and a new venue. One of the biggest music festivals of the summer is a music festival unlike any other: The LOVELOUD Festival.
