Willie Nelson’s 2023 Farm Aid Festival: Bob Dylan’s Cameo, Neil Young’s Return & More Best Moments

“Farm Aid is Earth Aid,” declared Neil Young, succinctly summarizing the role which the festival has taken on since 1985, focusing on how family farmers can help address the climate crisis, while also offering hours of extraordinary music Saturday (Sept. 23) at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana.

With an acoustic set which opened with “Comes A Time” and closed with “Heart of Gold,” Young returned to the Farm Aid stage after sitting out the festival in 2021 or 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the 2020 event was presented online. 

The festival was headlined by Farm Aid’s guiding board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Margo Price and Young — and featured an unannounced late-night set by Bob Dylan with the Heartbreakers.  

This year’s Farm Aid took place against the backdrop of discussions in Washington, D.C., over renewal by year’s end of the multi-part, multibillion dollar Farm Bill, which has a massive influence on how the nation’s food is grown. Farm Aid has joined more than 150 organizations in co-signing a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that Congress pass a Farm Bill that addresses economic inequality, racial justice and the climate crisis. Farming practices that sequester carbon in the soil are part of the answer to that crisis.

Farm Aid’s leaders were joined on Saturday’s bill by the Grateful Dead’s Bobby Weir & the Wolf Bros. featuring the Wolfpack, Lukas Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Allison Russell, The String Cheese Incident and Particle Kid. Also: Clayton Anderson, The Black Opry featuring Lori Rayne, Tylar Bryant and Kyshona, the Jim Irsay Band, featuring Ann Wilson of Heart, Native Pride Productions and the Wisdom Indian Dancers.

Here are the greatest moments from the 38th annual Farm Aid.