Kevin Bacon Returns To High School Where ‘Footloose’ Was Shot For A 40-Year Reunion

Payson High School in Utah witnessed a remarkable event as Kevin Bacon fulfilled his promise to revisit the iconic location where his legendary 1984 film Footloose was shot.

Footloose, released in 1984, depicted Bacon’s character as a teenager who relocates to a small town where dancing is strictly prohibited. The film culminates in an unforgettable prom scene, which continues to captivate audiences after four decades.

Months after the students of Payson High School initiated the #BacontoPayson social media campaign, Bacon made a special appearance on Saturday. In a dedicated effort to catch the actor’s attention and have him attend their final prom before the school’s relocation at the end of the academic year, students recreated scenes from the movie and choreographed videos.

Bacon expressed his admiration for the students’ relentless dedication in a speech on the school’s football field. “When I first heard about this Bacon to Payson thing, I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy.’ But you were all just tireless…You talked me into it.”

Bacon commended the students for their extraordinary commitment and support. As part of Payson High School’s campaign to bring Bacon back to campus, they pledged to create 5,000 essential resource kits to contribute to his foundation, Sixdegrees.org. The foundation aims to assist underserved and under-resourced communities, and its “Footloose40” initiative strives to pack and distribute 40,000 kits.

In his speech, Bacon expressed his gratitude to the students for making what could have been a mere celebrity homecoming a profoundly positive endeavor.

As a token of appreciation, Bacon was awarded an honorary diploma from Payson High School. He also posed for photos with delighted students and even took a nostalgic trip to his locker, as captured in a video on Bacon’s Instagram Stories.