What happens to all of the catering from large festivals like Lollapalooza when the celebration ends? That’s where the non-profit organization Musically Fed comes in.
Musically Fed takes the unused and excess catering, backstage meals, and concessions to provide meals to non-profit areas. The initiative has fought hunger since 2016 by working with artists, management, venues and others in the music industry.
“I started Musically Fed in honor of my late husband, who was a proud Vietnam veteran,” says founder and director Maria Brunner in a press release. “Because I’ve worked in the music industry for the past 30 years, I decided to see if I could put together a viable program that would re-purpose unused backstage catering from concerts and festivals.”
Through this effort, Musically Fed has provided over 400,000 meals to people across the states.
The organization also coordinates all phases of the chain from getting the meals from one place to another. From food handling to transport, and distribution, Musically Fed makes giving back easy for even the busiest promoters and performers to give back when they leave each city.
“In a nation where nearly 40% of the food supply is wasted each year, no man, woman or child should ever go hungry,” Brenner continued. “We look forward to sharing our vision with everyone at Lollapalooza and encouraging fans to get involved in addressing food insecurity and sustainability in their own communities.”
Artists such as Jack Johnson, The Lumineers, Brantley Gilbert, Dierks Bentley and more have been apart of Musically Fed initiatives.
Musically Fed returns to Lollapalooza 2022. The festival takes place at Chicago’s Grant Park from July 28-31. This year’s lineup includes everyone from Metallica to Dua Lipa, J. Cole and Green Day.