Taylor Dayne to headline Women Who Rock™ benefit concert, presented by Gibson Gives

PITTSBURGH, PA – The annual Women Who Rock™ Benefit Concert, presented by Gibson Gives, will return to Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA on Saturday, October 17, 2026, headlined by global pop icon Taylor Dayne. More than just a concert, Women Who Rock™ (WWR) is a movement that brings together music, advocacy, and philanthropy to support critical women’s health research. Tickets will go on sale Friday, June 26 at 10 AM ET HERE.

This year’s concert will feature a dynamic, all female-fronted lineup. In addition to Taylor Dayne, the evening will showcase groundbreaking guitarist and vocalist Malina Moye, who will open the show with her signature National Anthem performance. Returning to the WWR stage, The Vindys will deliver their high-energy blend of rock and soul, while Kalie Shorr will perform her empowering anthem “Fight Like A Girl” as part of the SURVIVORS WHO ROCK tribute presented by UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. The event will also include DJ Formosa and a special appearance by the 2026 WWR Rising Star Contest winner.

Beyond the music, attendees will experience the signature Pink Carpet entrance presented by UPMC Health Plan, a Beauty Bar featuring complimentary beauty activations, a social sharing photo booth, and the Rockstar Silent Auction. A limited number of VIP tickets will provide access to an exclusive VIP Lounge, Gifting Suite, and pre-show happy hour. Kelly Dzanaj of 100.7 Star FM will return as the event’s emcee. To see all event details visit: https://womenwhorock.info.

Women make up more than half of the global population, yet women’s health research receives less than 10 percent of federal funding. At a time when funding pressures continue to grow, the mission of Women Who Rock has never been more urgent. The benefit concert brings together artists, fans, and partners to raise awareness and provide critical funding for research that impacts women at every stage of life. All proceeds directly benefit the Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation (MWRI), the nation’s first and largest research institute dedicated to women’s health.

Funds raised through Women Who Rock support research across a wide range of critical areas, including breast and gynecologic cancers, heart health, infectious diseases such as HIV and COVID-19, infertility, maternal and infant health, mental health, substance use disorders, and more. MWRI currently supports hundreds of active studies and has engaged more than 160,000 clinical trial participants globally, helping to advance life-saving discoveries and improve outcomes for women worldwide.

Women Who Rock™ Benefit Concerts feature a 100% female-fronted lineup—powering a global movement to elevate women in music and beyond.

“Women’s health continues to face significant gaps in clinical research, clinical trials, and funding. As federal funding cuts and uncertainty impact research nationwide, the need for community support has never been greater. Partnerships with organizations like Women Who Rock and Gibson Gives help close critical funding gaps, fuel innovation, and raise awareness about the importance of investing in women’s health. Together, we can accelerate progress and change the way the world understands and treats women’s health,” says Michael Annichine, CEO, Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation.

“Women Who Rock was built on the belief that music can spark real change. As women’s health research faces critical funding gaps, our mission has never been more urgent,” adds Melinda Colaizzi, Founder & CEO, Women Who Rock “We’re proud to welcome an extraordinary lineup of women who embody strength, resilience, and purpose, while helping raise vital funds for the life-saving work taking place every day at Magee-Womens Research Institute. Together, we’re proving that when women come together, we don’t just amplify voices—we accelerate progress and create meaningful, lasting impact. This concert is more than a performance—it’s a movement uniting voices to drive progress, fund life-saving research, and put women’s health where it belongs: center stage.”

“At Gibson, we’ve always believed in the power of music to inspire, connect, and create lasting change,” continues Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer at Gibson. “Through Gibson Gives, we are proud to support Women Who Rock and its mission to elevate women in music while advancing critical women’s health research. This partnership reflects our deep commitment to empowering women and investing in their future—on stage, and in our communities. Together, we’re not only amplifying incredible talent, but we’re also helping drive meaningful impact where it’s needed most.”

Malina Moye

Headliner Taylor Dayne is a global pop powerhouse whose career spans more than three decades. She rose to international fame with her breakthrough hit “Tell It To My Heart” and went on to achieve 17 Top 20 singles, including No. 1 hits “Love Will Lead You Back,” “Prove Your Love,” and “I’ll Always Love You.” Dayne remains one of the most versatile and influential artists of her generation. With over 75 million albums and singles sold worldwide, she has earned three GRAMMY® nominations, an American Music Award, multiple New York Awards, and New York Music Hall of Fame honors, and was ranked the No. 18 female dance artist of all time by Rolling Stone. She is one of the very few artists in music history to successfully cross over into nearly every genre, charting hit singles in pop, dance, R&B, adult contemporary, and rock.

Women Who Rock™ is a female-founded global brand dedicated to supporting women in music, empowering women across industries, and advancing women’s health. Through its concerts, campaigns, and partnerships, the organization works to amplify women’s voices and close the gender gap in healthcare. Gibson Gives, the philanthropic arm of the iconic and leading instrument brand Gibson, continues its longstanding support of the event, furthering its mission to advance music education, health, and wellness initiatives worldwide.

Kalie Schorr

The Vindys

DJ Formosa

For tickets to the 2026 Women Who Rock benefit concert on Saturday, October 17, visit HERE. To donate directly, visit: HERE.

Taylor Dayne:

TAYLORDAYNE.COM

Women Who Rock:

WOMENWHOROCK.INFO

Magee-Womens Research Institute:

MAGEE WOMENS.ORG

Gibson Gives:

GIBSON GIVES.ORG

About Women Who Rock™:

Women Who Rock™ is a trailblazing, female-founded movement dedicated to amplifying women’s voices in music, advancing empowerment, and championing women’s health. Through impactful partnerships with both corporate and nonprofit organizations, Women Who Rock™ brings its mission to life through a dynamic range of initiatives, including global campaigns, pop-up events, and signature benefit concerts featuring a 100% female-fronted lineup of today’s most powerful artists. At the core of its mission is a commitment to closing the women’s health gap through its partnership with Magee-Womens Research Institute, a 501(c)(3) and the largest institute in the world dedicated exclusively to women’s health research, helping fund groundbreaking, life-saving work. Extending beyond the stage, the Women Who Rock™ brand includes a signature line of apparel and accessories designed to inspire empowerment and unity while directly supporting the cause. Together with its community of artists, partners, and supporters, Women Who Rock™ is building a global movement to uplift women in music and drive meaningful change in women’s health—because when women rise, we all rise. Visit Women Who Rock™ for more information.

About Magee-Womens Research Institute:

MWRI, a 501© (3) based in Pittsburgh, is the nation’s largest research institute dedicated to women’s health research and reproductive biology, which is historically underfunded and understudied. MWRI’s current research includes 319 active studies spanning 292 different conditions and 162,000 clinical trial participants worldwide. Proceeds from Women Who Rock™ will support MWRI’s research on breast and gynaecologic cancers, heart health, infectious diseases (including HIV & COVID-19), infertility, maternal & infant mortality, pelvic floor & vaginal health, pregnancy and newborn medicine, substance use disorders, and more.

About Gibson Gives:

As the presenting sponsor of the Women Who Rock™ Benefit Concert since its inception, leading global guitar brand Gibson continues to shape the sound of generations of musicians around the world. Gibson supports the global music community through its philanthropic division, Gibson Gives. The mission of Gibson Gives is to make the world a better place by supporting nonprofit organizations and developing programs that advance musicians through music education, as well as health and wellness initiatives worldwide. One hundred percent of all donations to and from Gibson Gives go toward giving the gift of music. Over the past five years, Gibson Gives has raised more than $5.6 million and enabled $57.8 million in funding for key organizations through product donations and meaningful giving worldwide.