Entertainment
Hard Rock and John Legend ‘Come Together for Good’ at Special Performance for Unity by Hard Rock™ Members
Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by Daily News Staff
Hard Rock International presents Legend with $100,000 donation for his The Show Me Campaign
Two lucky Unity members won a trip to Legend’s performance at Hard Rock Cafe London complete with a stay in the inaugural ‘Hard Rock House’ – a local home adorned with the iconic, music-inspired décor of Hard Rock Hotels
HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Last night, Hard Rock International hosted a private “Unity by Hard Rock Come Together for Good” performance with EGOT-winning critically acclaimed, multi-platinum artist and producer John Legend at the original Hard Rock Cafe London in continued celebration of the Unity by Hard Rock™ global loyalty program launch. To show their gratitude for Legend’s partnership and support for his philanthropic endeavors, Hard Rock presented a $100,000 check to his organization The Show Me Campaign, which is committed to ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to pursue their dreams through access to inspiring education, not just by chance, but by transforming the systems that shape our children’s futures. Show Me Campaign is a fiscally sponsored program of the Social Impact Fund.
Legend at the Hard Rock
Legend performed favorite songs “Ordinary People,” “Tonight” and “All of Me” for an intimate audience of Unity members and other guests. Two lucky Unity members from Yukon, Oklahoma were flown in and sat feet away from Legend after winning the Come Together Experiences sweepstakes. They received exclusive swag, signed merchandise, a $200 Rock Shop gift card and overnight stay in the inaugural ‘Hard Rock House’ – a local home adorned with the iconic, music-inspired décor of Hard Rock Hotels.
Legend has a long-standing relationship with Hard Rock, having performed at various Hard Rock Live music venues and helped open the Hard Rock Hotel New York. Most recently, he was part of the star-studded Unity global loyalty program launch ‘Come Together’ campaign which also featured Lionel Messi, Shakira and Noah Kahan who did a cover of The Beatles’ iconic song.
Unity by Hard Rock merges the best of casino, hotel, restaurant, retail and entertainment loyalty programs under one umbrella around the world and online. It offers an array of services for members to earn Unity Points and redeem them for free hotel nights, dining experiences and merchandise, while gaining access to offers, promotions and rewards.
“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to perform again at a Hard Rock venue, this time for Unity members and fans in the place where it all started, the ‘original cafe’ in London,” said Legend. “The night was special and made even more so with Hard Rock’s generous donation to The Show Me Campaign. Growing up, music was my passion, but it was my teachers who truly unlocked my potential. They taught me to write with creativity, passion, and clarity, which paved my way to becoming a successful musician. I recognize that my journey was not just about talent, but also the fortune of having teachers who believed in me. Thank you to Hard Rock for supporting The Show Me Campaign’s work to pay it forward and ensure opportunity and access to quality education for the next generation.”
“We are proud to support The Show Me Campaign and are thankful to John for sharing his talents and powerful music with our Unity members and special guests at another incredible performance curated by Hard Rock,” said Keith Sheldon, President of Entertainment & Brand Management at Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming. “We’re thrilled with the continued growth of Unity by Hard Rock membership since its global launch and supporting the ‘Come Together’ campaign that began this spring. Members have been discovering how they can earn points for doing what they love across Hard Rock’s amazing venues including hotels, casinos, restaurants, shops and more.”
Photos from last night’s Unity performance can be downloaded here.
To learn more about Unity member and sign up, visit unity.hardrock.com.
About Hard Rock®
Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in over 70 countries spanning 309 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. Its Unity by Hard Rock™ global loyalty program rewards members for doing the things they love across participating properties around the world. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 88,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. HRI became the first privately-owned gaming company designated a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal in 2021 and has since been honored fourfold. Hard Rock was also honored by Forbes among the World’s Best Employers, as well as Best Employers for Women, Diversity and New Grads and a Top Large Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming and Entertainment Industry. In the 2022 Global Gaming Awards, Hard Rock was named Land-Based Operator of the Year for the second time in four years. Hard Rock International currently holds investment grades from primary investment-grade rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (BBB-) and Fitch Ratings (BBB). For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.
SOURCE Hard Rock International
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Entertainment
BronzeLens Film Festival Returns to Atlanta for Two Weekends of Global, Diverse Storytelling
BronzeLens Film Festival Brings International Lineup to Atlanta Across Two Weekends
Atlanta becomes a hub for filmmakers and film lovers this month as the BronzeLens Film Festival marks its 17th annual celebration of cinema. Running August 21–23 and August 27–30, 2026, the festival brings together industry leaders, emerging creators, and audiences for two weekends centered on one idea: diverse storytelling deserves the biggest possible stage.
Founded to elevate underrepresented voices in film, BronzeLens says its 2026 lineup continues that mission with more than 150 Official Selections. The slate spans projects connected to creators and stories from across the globe, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, South Africa, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Festival organizers note that every film in the program is either produced by creators of color or focuses on stories about people of color.
Opening Night spotlight: “Love Patrick: Nothing is Impossible”
This year’s Opening Night feature is Love Patrick: Nothing is Impossible, directed by the Horne Brothers. The documentary chronicles the life and legacy of fashion designer Patrick Kelly, whose work and vision helped reshape how Black creativity and style were seen on a global stage.
For audiences, it’s a fitting kickoff: a story about artistry, identity, and ambition—exactly the kind of conversation-starter BronzeLens aims to put in front of the public.
A festival built for films—and the conversations after
BronzeLens founder and executive producer Kathleen Bertrand says the festival’s purpose goes beyond screenings.
“We believe the true magic of film happens both on the screen and in the conversations it inspires,” Bertrand said. “Our mission is to champion outstanding filmmaking while creating dynamic opportunities for filmmakers, creators, talent, and audiences to connect, collaborate, and help shape the future of storytelling.”
That emphasis on community and connection has helped BronzeLens become a key cultural event in Atlanta’s film ecosystem—one that continues to grow in reach as the industry increasingly looks for authentic, globally resonant stories.
Notable names tied to the 2026 Official Selections
This year’s Official Selections are associated with a wide range of acclaimed artists, including:
- Academy Award® winner Viola Davis, narrator of The Ebony Canal: A Story of Black Maternal & Infant Health
- Academy Award® winner Jordan Peele, producer of Spilled Milk
- Emmy Award winner Loretta Devine, co-star in Black Seeds Continue to Grow
- Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, producer and co-star in The Listeners
- Grammy Award-winning artist T.I., featured in The Birth of Trap Music and director of Da’Partments 2
- Ambyr Michelle, co-star in Escape Room
- The late Erica Ash, starring in The Making of a Classic
- Lauren E. Banks in Channels
Where it’s happening
Festival headquarters will be located at The Tara Atlanta, 2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE.
For the full schedule, the complete list of Official Selections, and ticket information, visit www.BronzeLens.com. The official hashtag is #BronzeLens2026.
If you’re looking for a late-summer event that blends culture, craft, and community—BronzeLens is positioning itself as one of the film festivals where the industry (and the audience) will be paying attention.
Source
- PRNewswire press release: “The World Will Be Watching as BronzeLens Celebrates Its 17th Annual Film Festival”(BronzeLens Film Festival), published Aug. 7, 2026
Related links
- BronzeLens Film Festival (schedule, Official Selections, tickets): www.BronzeLens.com
- Official hashtag: #BronzeLens2026
- Festival HQ venue info: The Tara Atlanta, 2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta
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amusement and theme parks
Six Flags and Travis Kelce Kick Off 2027 Season Pass Sales With Lowest Prices Through Sept. 7
Six Flags launches 2027 Season Pass sales at its lowest price through Sept. 7, with unlimited visits now through 2027, parking perks, and regional access.
Six Flags is officially in “season pass season” — and it’s starting with a headline deal. The company announced Aug. 7 that it has launched sales of its 2027 Season Passes at the lowest price guests will see this season or next, with a limited-time offer running through Sept. 7, 2026. To mark the 8/7 launch date, Six Flags teamed up with brand ambassador Travis Kelce, celebrating the biggest pass offer of the year on a number that’s become part of his legacy.
The big takeaway for fans: buy early, and you’re not just locking in 2027 access — you’re getting the rest of 2026, too. That includes major seasonal events like Halloween and holiday celebrations, plus the chance to start using the pass right away across participating parks.
What the 2027 Season Pass deal includes
Guests can purchase a 2027 Gold Pass or Prestige Pass at launch pricing and receive admission for the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027.
Kelce framed it in simple terms: unlimited visits, especially heading into fall and winter event season, is the kind of value that would have been “mind-blowing” as a kid — and it’s built for families and friend groups who want more reasons to get together.
Gold Pass: the value play for frequent park visits
The 2027 Gold Pass is positioned as the core option for guests who want maximum visits at the lowest price point. Benefits include:
- Unlimited visits for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027
- Free general parking (restrictions apply)
- Regional park access (East, West, Midwest, or Texas)
- Admission to fall haunt events and seasonal holiday celebrations
- Discounts on select food, merchandise, and tickets
- One bonus Bring-A-Friend Free ticket for renewing passholders and new members who purchase by Sept. 7
Prestige Pass: VIP perks and nationwide access
For guests who want more premium access and in-park benefits, Six Flags is also pushing its Prestige Pass tier. Prestige perks include:
- Access to all Six Flags parks across North America
- Preferred parking at many parks
- Complimentary fountain beverages
- VIP entrance access at participating parks
- Free Bring-A-Friend tickets
- One free single-use Fast Lane per visit
- A $20 in-park credit for new Prestige members and Prestige passholders who renew by Sept. 7
Memberships: month-to-month flexibility
Six Flags also announced 2027 Memberships for guests who prefer a monthly payment option. Memberships include unlimited visits and a range of benefits similar to Season Passes — including multi-park access (based on tier), parking benefits, discounts on food and merchandise, and member-exclusive rewards and offers.
Premium membership tiers add expanded park access and additional VIP-style perks, giving guests more ways to customize how they visit.
Why Six Flags is making a big push now
The 2027 pass launch arrives as Six Flags prepares what it calls one of its most ambitious attraction lineups ever, with major additions planned across regions.
Highlights announced so far include:
- East: Six Flags Great Adventure will debut Bakunawa, billed as the world’s tallest and fastest spinning coaster (382 feet, 100 mph), anchoring a renovated Boardwalk area inspired by Jersey Shore culture. Carowinds will introduce Rip Roarin’ Falls, a super-flume featuring a 100-foot drop.
- Texas: Six Flags Fiesta Texas will debut Werewolf Gorge, described as the world’s longest family launch coaster with immersive storytelling.
- Midwest: Six Flags Great America will open Camp Timber Trail, a family adventure area anchored by Sky Hawk, a suspended family coaster.
- West: Knott’s Soak City will introduce Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze, new family raft slides featuring ride systems making their West Coast and North American debuts.
Six Flags also teased that more major announcements are still on the way.
You can start using the pass in 2026 — and more is coming
Beyond the 2027 pipeline, Six Flags says guests who buy now can take advantage of new or recently opened additions in 2026, including:
- Quantum Accelerator (Six Flags New England)
- Tormenta: Rampaging Run (Six Flags Over Texas)
- Shoreline Pier (Six Flags Great Adventure)
- Daredeviler (Canada’s Wonderland)
- Speedway Stunt Coaster (Six Flags Mexico)
- Looney Tunes™ Land (Six Flags Magic Mountain)
- Phantom Theater (Kings Island)
- A major summer entertainment lineup (Kings Dominion)
And the calendar doesn’t slow down after summer. Six Flags says its 2026 Halloween lineup is coming soon, featuring new horror franchise experiences and new entertainment, followed by holiday events across parks — including the return of a newly reimagined Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Over Georgia.
The deadline to know
If you’re considering a pass, the timing matters: guests must purchase by Sept. 7, 2026 to receive launch pricing and promotional offers. For park-specific details and restrictions, Six Flags directs guests to visit sixflags.com.
For fans, Kelce summed up the pitch: more time at the parks now means more memories later — more rides, more laughs, and more reasons to bring your crew along for the season.
Source: Six Flags
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amusement and theme parks
Six Flags Unleashes Its Biggest-Ever Halloween Lineup for 2026
Six Flags is raising the fear factor for Halloween 2026 with new haunted mazes inspired by Jason Voorhees, Diablo, Final Destination and The Blair Witch Project.
Jason Voorhees, Diablo, Final Destination and The Blair Witch Project headline an expanded season of haunted mazes, scare zones and nighttime thrills
Six Flags is turning up the fear factor for Halloween 2026 with its largest collection of licensed horror attractions to date.
The amusement park operator announced 11 new haunted mazes inspired by major film and gaming franchises, including Friday the 13th, Final Destination, The Blair Witch Project and Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo. Returning attractions will feature characters and settings from The Conjuring Universe, SAW, Army of the Dead, The Strangersand Trick ’r Treat.
Altogether, Six Flags says its parks will offer 448 Halloween-themed experiences across North America, including 29 new and returning licensed haunted attractions, 196 scare zones and live shows, nighttime rides and 141 family-friendly daytime activities.
“We’re taking Halloween to an entirely new level in 2026,” Kelly Daugherty, Six Flags’ director of entertainment, said in the company’s announcement. “Guests won’t just watch these stories unfold—they’ll step inside them.”
New nightmares arrive at Six Flags
One of the biggest additions is JASON: Blood Reign, an attraction inspired by Jason Voorhees and the Friday the 13thfranchise. Guests will enter the dark woods surrounding the slasher’s legendary summer camp while retracing the events that transformed Jason into one of horror cinema’s most recognizable villains.
The maze is scheduled to appear at SCarowinds, Kings Island and Six Flags Great Adventure.
Fans of elaborate cinematic accidents can enter Final Destination: Death’s Playground, where death itself serves as the villain. Inspired by New Line Cinema’s Final Destination films, the attraction will place guests inside a chain of seemingly calculated disasters.
The maze is coming to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California.
At Six Flags Great America and Dorney Park, Blair Witch: No Signal will send visitors into a dark recreation of the Black Hills Forest. The experience will include abandoned camps, ritual sites, winding trails and the infamous Rustin Parr house.
Video game fans will also get their chance to enter the underworld. DIABLO: The Infernal Path will bring Blizzard Entertainment’s gothic franchise to Kings Dominion and Cedar Point. Guests will encounter characters including Diablo, Lilith, Mephisto and Baal while traveling through cursed cathedrals and scenes inspired by ancient rituals.
Familiar horror franchises return
Several previously featured horror properties will return following what Six Flags described as strong guest demand.
The Conjuring: Beyond Fear will appear at Canada’s Wonderland, SCarowinds, Cedar Point and Kings Island. The attraction casts visitors as paranormal investigators attempting to contain cursed artifacts and supernatural entities, including Annabelle.
A separate Conjuring Universe attraction will return to Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Over Georgia.
Other returning experiences include:
- SAW: Legacy of Terror, featuring scenes inspired by Jigsaw’s traps
- The Strangers: No Escape at Six Flags Over Texas
- Trick ’r Treat at Six Flags Magic Mountain
- Army of the Dead at Six Flags Great Adventure
Knott’s Berry Farm will once again stage Knott’s Scary Farm, the long-running Southern California Halloween event. Six Flags Mexico will also present Festival del Terror, with additional licensed attractions expected to be announced.
More than haunted mazes
The 2026 Halloween season will extend beyond indoor attractions. Six Flags parks will feature themed scare zones filled with roaming performers, elaborate sets, fog, lighting effects and unexpected encounters.
Six Flags Over Texas will introduce Varnum’s Traveling Pit Show of Oddities, described as a premium scare-zone experience combining immersive horror, themed offerings and live entertainment.
Halloween programming across the company’s parks will also include monster bands, musical productions, stunt performances, parades and nighttime spectaculars. Roller coasters and other thrill rides will continue operating after dark at participating locations, with fog, lighting and sound effects altering the experience.
Scare zones, live entertainment and most nighttime rides will be included with regular park admission. However, admission to the haunted mazes will generally require a separate Haunted Attractions Pass in addition to a valid park ticket, season pass or membership.
Knott’s Scary Farm operates under a different system as a separately ticketed event, with its haunted mazes and entertainment included in the event admission.
Halloween fun for younger visitors
Not every seasonal attraction will be designed to terrify guests.
Before the nighttime scares begin, participating parks will offer daytime activities for families and younger children. Programs such as Kids Boo Fest, Tricks and Treats and Camp Spooky will feature trick-or-treating, pumpkin-themed activities and interactive entertainment.
Select parks will also hold Oktoberfest celebrations featuring seasonal food, beverages and live entertainment.
The family-friendly activities will generally be included with daytime park admission.
Dates and ticket details are still coming
Operating dates, attraction availability and ticket prices will vary by park. Six Flags said individual parks will release their complete Halloween schedules and ticketing information between mid-August and early September.
Guests should also review each attraction’s age recommendations, health warnings and accessibility guidelines before purchasing tickets. Haunted mazes may include darkness, fog, loud sounds, flashing lights and intense imagery that may not be suitable for every visitor.
With iconic slashers, supernatural villains, video game demons and hundreds of seasonal attractions, Six Flags is betting that horror fans will be eager to spend part of Halloween 2026 inside their favorite nightmares.
For park-specific schedules and ticket information, visit Six Flags.
Source: Six Flags Entertainment Corporation press release. Attraction schedules and availability are subject to change.
Source
- Six Flags Raises the Fear Factor in 2026 — Original Six Flags Entertainment Corporation press release.
Related Links
- Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest — Details about the Southern California event, including Final Destination, The Conjuring Universe and Trick ’r Treat. The 2026 event runs on select nights from September 18 through November 1.
- Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest — Official information for the New Jersey event, featuring haunted mazes, shows and nighttime attractions.
- Knott’s Scary Farm — Official information for the separately ticketed Halloween event, scheduled for select nights from September 17 through October 31, 2026.
- Knott’s Spooky Farm — Family-friendly daytime Halloween activities offered on select days from September 24 through October 31, 2026.
- Six Flags Great America Fright Fest — Official details for the Illinois event, including haunted attractions and scare zones.
- Six Flags Great Adventure Seasonal Events — Calendar of Fright Fest, Oktoberfest and other seasonal events at the park.
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