In conjunction with a spirit that everyone belongs – and that entertainment is the secret to bringing all groups together – Airbnb announced this week that it will donate tickets for multiple festival mainstage concerts for the North to Shore Festival to various Newark nonprofits.
The festival, produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), returns for its fourth summer with a lineup of superstar artists — plus community events featuring New Jersey artists and arts organizations, and an extended schedule of gatherings that combine the arts with the excitement of a global soccer championship.
Airbnb, a sponsor of North to Shore Festival, will distribute tickets to concerts in Newark, Asbury Park and Freehold, including performances by Janelle Monae, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Marc Maron, Iliza Shlesinger, Joe Bonamassa, Kurt Vile & The Violators and The Head and The Heart.
“Airbnb was built on the idea that everyone deserves to feel like they belong and we’re proud to help make that real this summer in Newark,” Airbnb Public Policy Manager Alain Xiong-Calmes said. “Great music should be for everyone, and this summer, it will be.
“We’re grateful to partner with Mayor (Ras) Baraka, Clinton Hill Community Action, Community Safe Zone, the Ironbound Community Corporation, Newark Alliance, and La Casa de Don Pedro, for helping us get these tickets to the people who make this city so special.”
Baraka applauded the effort of Airbnb.
“We’re so pleased that Airbnb is not only making these concerts possible as a North to Shore Festival sponsor but also doing their part to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the incredible performances that will light up our city’s beautiful stages,” he said.
Clinton Hill Community Action, Newark Alliance, Community Safe Zone, the Ironbound Community Corporation and La Casa de Don Pedro are among the nonprofits that will receive tickets.
Sherri-Ann Butterfield, SVP, Social Impact at NJPAC, said the gesture will go far.
“This kind of moment — when the arts and sports come together like this — happens once in a generation. And we don’t want anyone in our community to miss it,” she said.
North to Shore Festival Welcomes the World, the Garden State’s largest summer arts festival, was extended by more than two weeks this year to include special events that celebrate not only all of New Jersey’s creativity, diversity and community spirit, but also the global passion for soccer and the culture of countries that boast the world’s best teams.
The festival will now run through July 19 and will include events from concerts and workshops to sports tournaments and watch parties.
NJPAC is producing the North to Shore Festival with support from sponsors including N.J. EDA, Prudential Financial, NJM Insurance Group, OUTFRONT Media Group, United Airlines, Mosaic – from NJ.com, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Health, as well as Airbnb.
