Kevin Bacon will attend the final prom at the Footloose high school in Utah


Can you believe that Footloose turns 40 this year? 1984 was such a big year in film. Footloose was filmed at Payton High School in Utah. It turns out that PHS is relocating to a new building at the end of this year, so its students came up with an epic idea. They decided what better way to celebrate the end of an era than to have the school’s most famous non-attendee cut loose with them at the high school’s final prom? So, they launched a social media campaign called #BaconToPayson to lure Footloose star Kevin Bacon there. The campaign included a flash mob recreation of the big dance scene from the movie. Those students said this is their time to dance, and Kevin responded by saying, “Let’s dance!”

Bacon announced this week to a gym full of students from Utah’s Payson High School, where his iconic movie “Footloose” was filmed, that he will be making an appearance at the school’s final prom.

This comes after students launched a campaign to get the actor to attend the event. Payson High School is set to relocate at the end of the school year.

The #BacontoPayson social media campaign was a collective effort that got students involved in movie recreations and choreographed videos in hopes of getting Bacon’s attention.

In an announcement broadcast on the “Today” show, Bacon thanked the students for their invitation, calling the film and high school “a big part of my life.”

When he announced he’d be coming, the students, who were gathered together at the school for the announcement, cheered.

“Thank you, guys. Let’s dance,” Bacon said.

“Footloose” was released in 1984 and starred Bacon as a teenager who moves to a small town that forbids dancing and works to overturn the draconian measure. It all culminates in a prom scene that, surely in part thanks to Kenny Loggins, apparently still resonates.

[From CNN]

This is awesome. Now, that’s how you close out a school. It’s super cool of Kevin to agree to go to the PHS’s final prom, too. I wonder what the logistics will be. Will Kevin just get right in there and start dancing or will it just be a drive-by kinda thing, where he makes an appearance for like 15 minutes, tells the kids to have safe prom fun, and then peaces out? The students are also hosting a charity event at prom, with proceeds going towards Kevin’s Six Degrees charity foundation. Will he help host that? Ooh, imagine if Kevin got Lori Singer or some of his other castmates to show up as a surprise! The prom is being held next month, so I’m sure we’ll get updates after it happens. Oh man, this is so freaking cool. I hope Kevin and those students close down Payton High School properly. They better dance their asses off.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: Emilio Madrid/Netflix, Getty Images for Netflix, IMAGO/Barbara Hine/Avalon

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29 Responses to “Kevin Bacon will attend the final prom at the Footloose high school in Utah”

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  1. FancyPants says:

    That’s so cute! I’d buy a ticket to Footloose Prom for charity!

  2. Tulipworthy says:

    What a fun story

  3. ML says:

    This is a great way to close out an old high school! I love that the tag line to this story is “Good celebrity, Kevin Bacon.” Heart warming story.

  4. Christine says:

    This makes me feel so happy (albeit old)! I cannot wait for the inevitable Footloose dance to hit social media.

  5. L84Tea says:

    This is a great story. Kevin is such a good sport!

  6. Eating Popcorn says:

    What makes Kevin Bacon a great celebrity, and any celebrity for that matter, is he doesn’t take himself too seriously. His insta handle is sixdegrees of KB, he has been married to the same lady for years, he lost a small fortune which they earned with Bernie Madoff, no role is too big or too small for him. He never wraps himself in self-importance. Good on him for doing this.

    • AMB says:

      In other words, humility.

      Humility allows you to keep perspective on your place in the world.
      It enables you to raise up others.
      It separates the merely talented from the great.

  7. Lightpurple says:

    Kevin is going to make sure those kids have an epic prom night

  8. TIFFANY says:

    I always rolled with Kevin Bacon. Stories like this is why.

  9. Emme says:

    Love, love, LOVE Kevin Bacon ❤️

  10. Flamingo says:

    I love when actors lean into the fun. Also, it is just an organic grassroots campaign. Not some bloated product placement tie in.

    And so, so thankful the remake has blurred into history.

    You can’t improve perfection.

    • Nanea says:

      I seriously had no idea about a remake (lived mostly in central Europe all my life), so I looked around – no, completely blanked out.

      I didn’t even remember the theatrical poster, or the cast or anything.

      I’m so happy for the students to have KB at their prom and the fitting send-off for the high school and am looking forward to seeing photos and everything afterwards.

  11. smcollins says:

    That is so awesome! KB has always been one of the good ones and this is just another example of why.

  12. ChickieBaby says:

    As we say in the south, He’s Good People!

  13. wildwaffles says:

    I love this! So much fun for all involved!

  14. Surly Gale says:

    i have a Kevin Bacon story: Decades ago, I was at the dog beach with my dogs. One decided she adored a black dog, and they played and played together. Eventually I sat down on a bench, beside the guy who belonged to the dog. He was dressed in all black, I was wearing a bunch of bright colours. There was a stack of yellow pages beside him. I said something inane about the dogs as I plopped down, he laughed and we chatted about dogs and bright colours for clothing. After awhile chatting about the dogs, I got up and carried on w/our walk.
    After I moved away from the bench, a number of women came up to me asking do you know who that IS??? As I had kept my eye on our dogs, and only glanced at the guy I didn’t know who it was at all. So I glanced back and saw a tall, leggy man dressed all in black calling his dog to leave. Nope, no idea who. You were sitting beside Kevin Bacon, I was told. Whaaat? No, I don’t think so. We kept our distance out of respect, but we see him here often, they said. So, apparently I had this whole conversation with Kevin Bacon, sitting beside him, but never noticed that he was KEVIN BACON!! I’ve been a HUGE fan of his wife, Kyra Sedgewick since “Something to Talk About” (Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid starring), loved the sound track of the movie Footloose, loved Loggins & Messina, etc. but had no idea I was sitting beside Kevin Bacon while our dogs played together at the beach.

    • Eating Popcorn says:

      Your dog was separated by 1 degree!

    • KASalvy says:

      I have a Bacon dog story too! Years ago when I was at the vet checking in, my ridgeback sidled up to the guy at the next counter demanding to get head rubs. Immediately the guy replies and starts petting him “good boy”. Lo and behold, Kevin Bacon is hanging out with my dog while I’m doing paperwork.

      Kind gesture from someone who was just picking up his black lab, but then again – dog people are the best people 🙂

  15. ooshpick says:

    He is more handsome now than he ever was. I love his acting style and the way he interacts with his wife, Kyra.

    • BlueNailsBetty says:

      He really is more handsome now. He was a cutie back in Footloose but his face has aged in a way that makes him handsome and interesting.

  16. ncboudicca says:

    Aw, that was so cute! I love that he’s going to attend. It’s the icing on the cake after the serious planning and work the kids put into it. Congrats to all of them and I can’t believe it’s been 40 years!

  17. SIde Eye says:

    I love this so much! One of my favorite CB stories!

  18. Boomboom says:

    One might say they’re bringing home the Bacon…

    This story just warmed my cold heart!

  19. Cathy says:

    ❤❤❤

  20. Gabby says:

    Oh I really want to go to this prom! It would be funny if John Lithgow showed up too. Kevin still looks great. Damn.

    I will never forget seeing this movie when it came out (with my mom, LOL). The popcorn machine caught on fire and they had to evacuate us in the middle of the movie.

  21. therese says:

    I missed this story, and didn’t find it until today when I was catching up on Lainey, who referenced it. I confess it moved me to tears, and obviously it moved Kevin: how could it not. So now I am going to look up the kids line dancing and everything they did to try to get him to come to their prom. Think I may also look up the Footloose episode on YouTube. Yeah, that’s a very good look Mr. Bacon.