Sober-Supportive Community, 1 Million Strong, Returns to Jazz Fest to Unite Festivalgoers Impacted by Addiction
The 1 Million Strong retreat will be expanded this year to include daily mocktail happy hours and recovery meet-ups on-site April 25–28 and May 2–5.
1 Million Strong — an impact initiative created in partnership between The Phoenix, Stand Together Music Sports & Entertainment, and Stand Together Foundation that seeks to transform the way people think about and approach addiction and recovery — announced its return to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for the second year in a row. 1 Million Strong will host a sober-supportive retreat, featuring a VIP-like tent, mocktail happy hours, and daily recovery meet-ups led by The Phoenix to create a supportive community around sober festivalgoers, so all fans experience the best of Jazz Fest whether they choose to drink or not.
“We are proud to partner with 1 Million Strong for the second year to continue to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and has the support they need to have an optimal experience at Jazz Fest,” said Quint Davis, Producer/Director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. “Last year, festivalgoers, staff, and artists were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about 1 Million Strong’s presence and we’re excited that their expanded activation this year will create even more opportunities for individuals in recovery and their allies to connect.”
The 1 Million Strong experience at Jazz Fest, located in the Southeast corner by the Jazz Fest Kid’s Area and Gentilly Entrance, is open to all festival attendees on both weekends, April 25–28 and May 2–5. It provides a space for individuals in recovery or sober and their allies to connect and enjoy craft mocktails. The tent opens daily at 11:00am (CT), featuring a recovery meet-up at 12:30pm and a mocktail happy hour from 3pm to 4pm, fostering a sense of community for sober festivalgoers and their allies.
With more than 48.7 million people struggling with substance use, there is a need to change the approach to addiction which currently treats people as deficient and isolates them from society. The Phoenix — a national sober active community that provides free, active, and meaningful programming to anyone impacted by substance use, including those in recovery and their allies, and anyone who chooses to live a sober lifestyle — is harnessing the innate power of community, empowerment and belonging as a long-term recovery model, so members can reach their full potential. 83% of their members report remaining sober after three months and report increased meaning in their lives.
“Partnering with Jazz Fest for the second year in a row underscores the ongoing importance of 1 Million Strong and what it stands for,” said Bill Taylor, Director of Music Strategy and Programs at The Phoenix and proud New Orleans native. “1 Million Strong is all about creating a strong sense of community around those who have been impacted by addiction, or choose to live a sober lifestyle, and empowering them to live their best lives, so no one is left outside the gates.”
Over the past year and a half, 1 Million Strong has engaged thousands of fans in partnership with over a dozen renowned festivals across the country, including Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life, Stagecoach, and Luck Reunion, to name a few, catalyzing a movement around addiction recovery to create a more open society where everyone can reach their full potential.
“We are grateful to Jazz Fest for partnering with 1 Million Strong again to continue the important work of destigmatizing addiction recovery in the music industry and beyond, focusing on the power of community, so we can better support those impacted by addiction,” said Colette Weintraub, Head of Stand Together Music, Sports & Entertainment. “We are working to build a strong community of allies to the recovery movement so those in recovery can go from merely surviving to truly thriving and living their best life.”