Concert Series to Benefit Women’s Refugee Commission Will Feature Three-City East Coast Tour

**Tickets Go on Sale Friday, July 30**

New York, NY – After a year-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-awaited “Lantern Tour: Concerts for Migrant and Refugee Families” will return this October. “The Lantern Tour,” which began in 2018, is an annual concert series that benefits the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), an organization dedicated to creating a better world for refugee women, children, and youth.

The three-city concert series will run from October 28 – 30, 2021 and will feature musicians Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Amy Helm, Gaby Moreno, and Thao.* Tour dates and locations are:

• 10/28 Capital One Hall – Tysons, VA
• 10/29 Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead – Pittsburgh, PA
• 10/30 Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ

*Not all artists will perform at all venues.

“The Women’s Refugee Commission does extraordinary work to advocate for a better world for refugees,” said Grammy Award-Winning Musician and WRC supporter Emmylou Harris. “This work has never been more important than it is right now. I can’t wait to get back on the road with this amazing group of passionate, committed musicians who have joined forces on behalf of migrant and refugee families.”

Reports show that more than 82 million people were displaced in 2020 as a result of conflict or crisis, an increase of 3 million over the previous year, with women and children making up more than half of those numbers. During the pandemic, displaced women reported being unable to access sexual and reproductive health care, saw their livelihoods disappear, faced increased levels of gender-based violence, and were subject to ongoing discrimination — especially for refugees with disabilities and other marginalized populations. And, as a result of the Trump administration’s anti-migration policies, the ability to claim asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico came to a virtual halt. Unfortunately, other countries also shut their borders or placed tough restrictions on seeking asylum, leaving countless women and girls who were fleeing for safety without recourse.

“WRC has been working tirelessly over the last year in partnership with refugees to both assess their needs during this unprecedented time and to ensure that — moving forward — displaced women, children, and youth have access to all they need to help rebuild their lives,” said Sarah Costa, executive director of the Women’s Refugee Commission. “We heard directly from displaced women in Afghanistan, South Sudan, and at the U.S. border — among other regions. The fact is that for the refugee community worldwide, the pandemic is still very much a threat to their well-being and the support they need has gotten scarcer over the past year. We are so grateful to Emmylou, Steve, and all the Lantern Tour musicians for their support and their dedication to lifting their voices so that refugee women and girls can lift theirs.”

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