Summer Nights & Country Concerts

'Tis the season for warm summer nights and country concerts. Whether your specialty stays in the tailgate parking lot or sings the word to every song, country concerts truly bring life to venues in the summertime. The biggest country artists purposefully plan major tours touring the summer to experience the electric crowds, and this time of year is no different. Most charting country stars are gearing up for their Summer 2018 tour trips including Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, and many more. Here is an overview of the most-anticipated country tours to watch for:

Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan continues his "What Makes You Country Tour" through the summer and into September. Major special guests will also join him on his stadium tour stops including Sam Hunt and Jon Pardi. "What Makes You Country Tour" is hitting stadiums after a first leg in late winter. After early summer dates, the tour will pick up again from August through September. Bryan is making the most out of the summer tour potential, and his huge country guests for his stadium dates will certainly be crowd pleasers. The stadium dates are scattered throughout the summer and fall months. 

​Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean is embarking on his "High Noon Neon Tour" beginning in mid-May. This will be his first major summer tour since last October's Las Vegas shooting during the Route 91 Harvest Festival when Aldean was onstage performing. The "High Noon Neon Tour" is named after a song on his upcoming album that is yet to have a solid release date, but fans can anticipate a new album sometime this year. Aldean is one of the biggest male country performers in the genre. Openers include Luke Combs and Lauren Alaina, two younger country stars that'll join the summer tour this year. 

Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton revives traditional country roots throughout his music. Stapleton's songwriter-turned-performer Nashville story has touched many in the industry, and it is one of the many reasons that the country star has become so successful since his debut album Traveller dropped in 2015. "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Nobody to Blame" are hits off of the debut album. In 2017, Stapleton released the two-part From a Room split into From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2. Stapleton is back on the road this summer and fall for the "All-American Road Show," a tour title continued from his 2017 tour run. Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb will open for him on the tour. With his iconic beard and gritty vocal tone, Stapleton is a country star not to miss live. 

​Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney is arguably the biggest country performer currently touring. His huge stadium shows and electric energy have sparked an enormous fan base for the singer. Chesney is embarking on his "Trip Around the Sun Tour" this summer. Beginning in late April and heading through August, the "Trip Around the Sun Tour" will feature Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett, and Brandon Lay. These openers are major country artists in their own right, so to join the tour with Chesney forms a lineup that resembles a tiny festival. A Chesney concert is country on its greatest stage at the highest level of performance. 

Miranda Lambert & Little Big Town
Can we hear it for our country women? Miranda Lambert is touring with Little Big Town this summer. Though the venues aren't stadiums, Lambert is still touring in support of her 2016 album The Weight of These Wings. After touring in 2017, Lambert is back with Little Big Town for a co-headlining tour. "The Bandwagon Tour" begins in mid-July and goes through late August. With Lambert's storytelling and Little Big Town's honky-tonk sound, the co-headliner tour will be a perfect collaboration.

By Jenna