The school from ‘Footloose’ lobbied Kevin Bacon to visit. He delivered.
In his mid-20s, Kevin Bacon walked through the halls of Payson High School in the 1984 film “Footloose.” Last month, Bacon, now 65, traversed those halls for the first time in 40 years and revisited his locker used in the film.
“I think it was unexpectedly profound in a weird kind of way,” Bacon said in a phone interview.
Bacon’s return to Payson High, in Payson, Utah, was the culmination of a campaign to bring him back to the school before it is torn down next year.
Much of the film, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in February, was shot at the school. Residents and students take pride in the film, and Bacon still has fond memories of the movie.
Those memories came rushing back as a crowd greeted Bacon when he stepped onto an outdoor stage at Payson High on April 20, the day of the school’s spring prom.
“You were all just tireless, unrelenting in your desire to have me return and you talked me into it,” Bacon told the crowd. “It’s amazing, the power that this movie has to bring people together.”
The school’s campaign for Bacon’s return included re-creations of the film’s opening dance in Tiktok posts last year, a “Footloose”-themed musical in November and fundraisers for Bacon’s nonprofit group, Sixdegrees.org.
In May 2025, the school will move into a new campus, which is under construction, and demolition of the current building will begin the next month. A few valued items, such as Bacon’s locker, will move to the new location.
‘All of our dreams came true’
Though Payson students, including student body president Rubie Raff, had long lobbied for Bacon to return - and, if possible, attend the spring prom - his visit still took them by surprise.
“It was surreal,” Raff, 18, said. “As soon as he started walking onstage and they played the ‘Footloose’ song, I started crying. I was so happy that this finally happened and all of our dreams came true in that moment. It was