(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- WXPN's Free At Noon concert series, a cornerstone of music discovery and community for two decades, will celebrate its 1000th show on September 26, 2025 with Philadelphia legends, The Hooters, in their first appearance on the Free At Noon stage. The Hooters will perform an "unplugged" set to a sold out audience at World Cafe Live. The concert will be broadcast live on 88.5 WXPN and will be streaming live on xpn.org giving listeners the ability to see and hear the show from anywhere.
"The fact that this show has lasted over 20 years and 1000 episodes on the air is the direct result of the hard work and belief in the concept by everyone at WXPN, and - of course - our listeners and members who have supported Free At Noon from the outset,” says Dan Reed, WXPN Music Director, on-air personality, and Free At Noon talent booker. “Here’s to a thousand more!"
“Playing the 1,000th Free At Noon at World Cafe Live is especially meaningful as we were also there for the Grand Opening of the venue over 20 years ago,” The Hooters shared in a statement. “And for some of us, we’ve been listening to and a part of the WXPN radio community for much longer than that. We are musical ‘lifers’ along with the listeners of this cherished radio station, with such strong ties and connections to the city of Philadelphia and to our friends and fans in West Philly in particular. The band is flattered and honored to be a part of this Free At Noon celebration - long may WXPN run, long may WXPN rock, and we’re excited to initiate the next thousand shows of new musical horizons.”
The yearlong celebration of Free At Noon’s 20th anniversary launched in February with two sold out events featuring Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory and The Lumineers. Both of the performances were live-streamed, making them accessible to audiences everywhere.
A Legacy of Legendary Performances: The first Free At Noon concert, held on February 11, 2005, featured Donavon Frankenreiter, marking the start of a tradition that has since showcased nearly 1,000 performances. That first year alone brought artists such as Old Crow Medicine Show, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Ben Folds, Richard Thompson, Hanson, Buddy Guy, and G. Love to the stage. Over the years, the series has introduced audiences to rising stars like Adele, Brandi Carlile, Michael Kiwanuka, and Amos Lee, while celebrating legends like Willie Nelson, Carly Simon, Joe Jackson, The Pretenders, and Brian Wilson.
Since its inception, Free At Noon has welcomed over 295,000 attendees to its intimate live shows, with broadcasts listened to over 5.2 million times by fans worldwide. These concerts embody the power of live music to bring people together and inspire connection.
Celebrating 20 Years of Music Discovery: Free At Noon’s unique midday format and free admission have made it a staple of Philadelphia’s music scene and a launchpad for countless artists. With the support of WXPN members and business partners like Xfinity and Rafferty Subaru, the series continues to thrive, bridging generations and musical tastes.
“When we moved into this facility 20 years ago, we challenged ourselves to create new ways to give back to our community,” says Roger LaMay, WXPN General Manager. “Free At Noon is one of the programs that grew from that challenge, and it remains a shining example of what’s possible when music and community come together.”
WXPN, the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots and folk, is the non-commercial, member-supported, public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN produces World Cafe, public radio’s most popular program of popular music that is distributed by NPR to 297 U.S. radio stations, and the Peabody Award-winning Kids Corner which now offers a 24-hour family music streaming service. WXPN produces XPoNential Radio on XPN2 as its secondary radio channel in HD, also available online.
