Allie Riegel, a junior public relations major, was recently named the executive director of Movin’ On 2026. Riegel has been preparing for this year’s free end-of-year music festival, slated for Friday, May 2, as its director of operations.

Riegel has previously served as a PROMO team member and PROMO team captain before taking on her role on the executive committee for Movin’ On 2025. With nearly three years’ worth of experience under her belt, Riegel is excited for the opportunity to continue to expand the music festival’s reach and give students lasting memories.

This year, Riegel has spent her time as director of operations developing a five-year sustainability plan for 2026 to 2030. Riegel’s five-month project will allow Movin’ On to reduce its ecological footprint and promote sustainable choices in the coming years.

With big plans and hopes ahead of next year, Riegel spoke with Onward State about her visions and responsibilities for Movin’ On 2026.

Onward State: What motivated you to lead Movin’ On? 

Allison Riegel: Being executive director has been my dream since my freshman year. I remember watching the exec board my first year and telling myself, “That’s where I want to be.” Since then, I have continued to be so inspired and in love with this festival, which continued to fuel my motivation to work hard and apply for the role of executive director for Movin’ On 2026. 

OS: As the Movin’ On executive director for 2026, what goals do you have going into next year’s festival? 

AR: Some of my goals for 2026 include working to produce a bold, diverse lineup for the Penn State community, keeping sustainability at the forefront, and working to continue enhancing our attendee activations onsite. 

OS: Why did you decide to get involved with Movin’ On? 

AR: I’ve always been so drawn and inspired by the behind-the-scenes of live music. When I came to Penn State, I wanted to go into something music-related, but felt like it wasn’t something achievable for me. When I randomly found Movin’ On, I knew that this could be my chance to achieve the goals and dreams that I originally felt were so out of reach. Additionally, as a freshman in my first semester, I was searching for a place where I belonged, and felt like this festival would be great for exploring both my personal interests and forming that community. 

OS: How do you think preparing for this year’s music festival has been different from years past? 

AR: Each year, the goal is to make Movin’ On better and better, so I plan on going into Movin’ On 2026 with this mindset. I have such a passion for the part of Movin’ On that’s “more than a music festival,” so I hope to continue growing other parts of the festival, such as sustainability, DEI, and sponsorships. 

OS: The Movin’ On lineup includes The All-American Rejects, Pusha T, Baby Tate, and Claire Rosinkranz. Describe the process of booking the acts for the festival. What do you and the rest of the organization have to do in order to prepare the final lineup? 

AR: It’s a long process that takes a lot of collaboration and work with stakeholders both at Penn State and beyond. 

OS: What changes will we see from last year’s Movin’ On festival? 

AR: For 2026, I want to keep growing the parts of the festival that most people don’t know about. This includes sustainability, DEI, and other exciting engagements that we’ve been fortunate enough to offer our attendees from year to year. Our goal each year is to deliver the full experience of a professional music festival, and I want to continue incorporating some of those engagements, activities, and memories that make large-scale festivals so memorable to people all over the world. 

OS: What has been the most rewarding part of being involved with the festival? 

AR: I’ve been a part of Movin’ On since 2022, and since then have been able to work my way up in leadership each year. In those positions, I’ve overseen a lot of teams, whether it be our PROMO team, operations team, or sustainability team. With that being said, I’m continuously moved when I see how much people in these various teams grow from year to year. There are some people who came into Movin’ On their first year feeling lost or unsure of what they wanted to do, and are now moving up in leadership and overseeing their very own teams. All I want to do is foster growth and support people who are a part of this organization, so it’s been very rewarding to see growth in our incredible members. 

OS: Describe what it’s like on the day of the festival. Walk us through your responsibilities and what you oversee from set-up to tear-down.

AR: The role of executive director means that you’re the first person on the field and the last person to leave. The role has me overseeing the operations and logistics of everything, whether it be production, creative, event logistics, or management.

For Movin’ On, the festival is one day, but our team is actually working on the field two days prior to the day of the show and stays on the field into the early morning hours of the Saturday after the festival. It’s hard to tell you exactly the role of executive director because they’re usually the ones making sure that everything from load-in or load-out to the festival itself is up and running, and our attendees are having the best time possible.

OS: What are you looking forward to the most about Movin’ On 2026? 

AR: Next year will be my last Movin’ On due to graduating next May, so I’m mostly excited to be able to close my college career with the organization that made the past few years so memorable. We have such an incredible, driven, and talented executive board for 2026, and I cannot wait to work with them, as well as our CORE and PROMO Teams, throughout the next year to create an unforgettable festival for both ourselves and festival-goers. 

OS: As per Onward State tradition, if you were a dinosaur, which one would you be and why? 

AR: Such a good question. I had no idea what to say for this one, so I tasked some of my friends to tell me. According to them, I’m a velociraptor because I’m ambitious and kind, but can show my claws if needed.