Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival is more than a concert tour, hosted by Blackbird Presents. First launched in 2016 in Scranton, Pennsylvania and since expanded across the U.S. – Darien Lake performances on September 17 feature headliners Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp as well as Southern Avenue with more artists joining along the tour route.
Nelson’s concert series showcases his eclectic interests, featuring progressive country and Americana acts such as Celisse and Southern Avenue; rockers including Phil Lesh of Grateful Dead; as well as rocker Brandi Carlisle from Brandi Carlisle’s band Brandi Carlisle. Additionally, this concert series pays homage to rivers that have helped launch civilizations worldwide from Egypt’s Nile to America’s Mississippi riverbanks.
Since its creation, each summer of Outlaw Music Festival Band-backed performances has included Nelson & Family, Dylan and Mellencamp – as well as Luke Combs, Avett Brothers Sturgill Simpson Sheryl Crow Neil Young Promise of Real Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Raitt among others. Additionally an annual tribute is paid to Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson is part of this festival tradition.
At 89, Nelson still puts on an unforgettable show – with only an occasional misstep thrown in! His new songs and the legendary tributes to his heroes clearly delight fans; his Columbus show was no different and concluded with the timeless “On the Road Again.”
Few music festivals can rival the excitement of multi-day festivals like Boiler Room, Gathering and Outlaw Music Festival when it comes to excitement. Luckily, our area boasts such opportunities. Some noteworthy examples are Boiler Room, Gathering and Outlaw Music Festival.
Tickets are now on sale for the Outlaw Music Festival. To purchase them, visit this link. The festival will make stops at Hersheypark Stadium (100 Hersheypark Drive in Hershey), TD Pavilion at The Mann Center (5201 Parkside Avenue Philadelphia), and PNC Bank Arts Center 116 Garden State Parkway Holmdel.
The Outlaw Music Festival tour will run from June 21 through September 17 in Buffalo, NY and cover 15 cities between then. These performances include Raleigh (6/23), Mansfield, MA (7/23) and Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl (7/31). At its conclusion on 7/31, Dylan and Mellencamp will perform on both legs alongside Lukas Nelson of Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson Band (The Promise of Real), Southern Avenue’s Brittney Spencer for one-night-only shows as well.
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