2012 Virgin Mobile FreeFest Presented by LG Set for Saturday, Oct. 6 at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Md

Virgin Mobile USA today made the long-anticipated announcement that Virgin Mobile FreeFest Presented by LG, the largest free festival of its kind in the world, will return to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., on Saturday, Oct. 6.

“For years, Virgin Mobile FreeFest has grown to become one of the cornerstone memories of summer,” said Ron Faris, head of Brand Marketing, Virgin Mobile USA. “And I’m proud to say that now more than ever, Virgin Mobile is steadfastly committed to our fans’ right to ‘FREE-dom,’ no matter what time of year. I just can’t wait to see what our Dance Forest looks like in all that fall foliage.“

The line-up for the 2012 Virgin Mobile FreeFest presented by LG, which will fill two Main Stages and the Dance Forest, will be announced soon. “Booking a free show for 50,000 people is the best. You get to simply pick who you think are the best acts and most interesting stories,” said I.M.P. chairman and concert producer Seth Hurwitz.

Followers will announce the line-up

Twitter Fans who follow Virgin Mobile Live (@virginmlive), Virgin’s culture and music feed, can be a part of the 2012 Virgin Mobile FreeFest line-up announcement by guessing which bands have been selected to appear at the festival. To enter, participants will need to follow @virginmlive on Twitter, add the official festival hashtag #VirginMobileFreeFest, and include their guess of which band will appear on the bill (also using a hashtag). Random winners will be contacted with further instructions to announce the lineup¹. Naturally, fans featured in the announcement video will also win VIP tickets to the FreeFest.

Last year’s Virgin Mobile FreeFest line-up included The Black Keys, Deadmau5, Patti Smith, James Murphy, Cee Lo Green, Big Sean and a dozen more. Fans can sign up to receive this year’s news alerts and the chance to win tickets at virginmobilefreefest.com.

Additionally, Virgin Mobile USA is proud to announce the return of its award-winning “Free.I.P.” program, an effort to reward fans with a premium experience at the sold-out festival for volunteering time at homeless youth shelters around the country. Details around that program will also be announced in the coming weeks.

To take the festival mobile experience to the next level, LG Electronics, maker of some of Virgin Mobile USA’s most popular Android™-powered smartphones, is the presenting sponsor of this year’s festival and will be designing an onsite experience catered to the hyper-addicted concert fan.

About Virgin Mobile USA

Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint's prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk™ No Contract plans with unlimited 3G and 4G data for mobile phone service including Android-powered smartphones and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access on the Nationwide Sprint Network. Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk monthly unlimited data plans, which start at $35, are ideal for those smartphone users hungry for the most connectivity and the least amount of voice minutes. Virgin Mobile-branded devices are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, RadioShack, and Virgin Mobile stores; Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide. Experience Virgin Mobile on the Web at Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and purchase Virgin Mobile USA products at virginmobileusa.com

About I.M.P.

Formed in 1980, I.M.P. is a Bethesda, MD-based concert promoter and event production company. In addition to launching Virgin Mobile Festival in the U.S., the principals at I.M.P. own Washington, D.C.’s award-winning 9:30 Club, www.930.com, renowned as the premier place to see and hear cutting-edge live music of all varieties. I.M.P. also programs and operates Merriweather Post Pavilion, www.merriweathermusic.com, in Columbia, Md. Over the last 32 years, I.M.P. and the 9:30 Club have put on nearly 12,000 events, hosting millions of music fans.

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $49 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and energy solutions, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

¹ Rules for the contest are available here