Sprint Nextel Corporation : Virgin Mobile USA Announces Lineup for 2012 Virgin Mobile FreeFest Presented by LG

Jack White, Skrillex, M83, NAS, ZZ Top, Santigold, Alabama Shakes and a dozen more to play the largest annual free music event in the country

Tickets go "On Free" to public Friday, Aug. 24

Today the lineup for the 2012 Virgin Mobile FreeFest presented by LG was announced by select fans who took part in a contest to guess the lineup on Virgin Mobile's Twitter page (@virginmlive). The Billboard award-winning festival, known for the inventive and unexpected experience in addition to unforgettable performances, will be hosted again for free. The festival will feature some of the most talked about, most appreciated, most relevant and most eclectic artists - filling two Main Stages and the Dance Forest.

Virgin Mobile FreeFest presented by LG will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. The lineup on the Main Stages includes Jack White, Skrillex, M83, NAS, ZZ Top, Santigold, Alabama Shakes, Ben Folds Five, The Dismemberment Plan, Allen Stone, Trampled by Turtles, Portugal. The Man, Das Racist, Future Islands and Justin Jones. The Dance Forest will feature Above & Beyond, Porter & Zedd (Back to Back), Thomas Gold, Nervo, Alvin Risk and Penguin Prison, plus others to be announced. You can view the photo gallery of fans announcing the lineup on Virgin Mobile Live.

"After three years of crazy press and feedback, bands start to line up early to be on the 'It-List,'" said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and Virgin Mobile FreeFest producer. "Fortunately, since the tickets go in minutes, we can wait until much later than most festivals to book the absolute best stories of the moment."

How to get tickets to FreeFest

Tickets to the 2012 Virgin Mobile FreeFest presented by LG will go "On Free" to the public at noon (EDT) Friday, Aug. 24, via ticketfly.com. Fans who choose to follow Virgin Mobile Live on Twitter (@virginmlive) will see a link to participate in the private presale, which will be held Thursday, Aug. 23. Virgin Mobile customers and prior Virgin Mobile Festival ticket buyers will get special notification of the presale in advance as well.

"We've had a really big year at Virgin," said Ron Faris, head of brand marketing, Virgin Mobile USA. "Now it's time to celebrate. FreeFest is back - bigger than ever. We can't wait to share this free day of music with all our fans, especially the ones who helped us announce it."

As always, fans will be encouraged to make a donation to The RE*Generation, Virgin Mobile's initiative to end youth homelessness. Proceeds raised to date built Virgin Mobile's new "RE*Generation House," a homeless youth shelter developed by Sasha Bruce Youthwork. This year's donations will open the house and provide support to a community of homeless youth. More details about this will follow shortly.

Last year Virgin Mobile FreeFest's free tickets were scooped up in just minutes, and 50,000 people attended. In keeping with the "free" mantra, Ticketfly is waiving all service charges on free tickets when fans pick them up at Merriweather or the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., or print their tickets at home.

There will be a limited number of FreeFest "FREEMIUM PACKAGES," which include admission to the festival, a charitable donation to Virgin Mobile USA's youth homelessness initiatives, a FreeFest T-shirt, a souvenir cup that comes with free fountain drinks throughout the festival, and early admission to the grounds. FREEMIUM tickets are available via Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club and Merriweather Post Pavilion box offices.

"Virgin Mobile FreeFest is one of the biggest, most talked about music festivals of the year, and LG is thrilled to be part of this cultural phenomenon," said Tim O'Brien, vice president of mobile phone brand marketing for LG Electronics USA.

LG Electronics will be presenting this year's festival and designing an onsite experience catered to concertgoers featuring the exclusive mobile phone for the event, the LG Optimus Elite from Virgin Mobile USA. This device comes equipped with the new application - The LG QuickMemo feature - so concertgoers can capture photos and other content, then draw graphics, write notes and share with their friends, all with just a few swipes of a finger.

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 and You Tube and purchase Virgin Mobile USA products at www.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 United States, 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. During 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

Virgin Mobile
Jayne Wallace, 908-660-0400
Jayne.wallace@virginmobileusa.com
or
LG
Conor Campbell, 858-805-6631
conor.campbell@lg-one.com
or
I.M.P.
Audrey Schaefer, 301-947-1133
Audrey@schaefer.com

Partner Area