Music News
Charlie Wilson, Babyface, K-Ci Hailey & El Debarge Join Forces For The Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour
R&B icon Charlie Wilson is bringing the ultimate soul-infused celebration to fans this summer with his Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour, produced by Live Nation Urban and P Music Group featuring an all-star lineup of legendary acts including Babyface, K-Ci Hailey and El DeBarge. The nationwide tour kicks off on August 27th at the prestigious Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and will travel across major cities, delivering an unforgettable night of timeless hits, powerhouse vocals, and feel-good vibes.
With decades of chart-topping success between them, Wilson, Babyface, Hailey and DeBarge will take fans on a journey through some of R&B’s most cherished classics. Charlie Wilson’s catalog includes anthems from his time as the co-founder and lead singer of The Gap Band, such as Outstanding, Yearning for Your Love, and Burn Rubber, along with solo hits like There Goes My Baby, I’m Blessed, and Charlie, Last Name Wilson. Together, this lineup promises a night filled with timeless music.
Babyface’s expansive catalog of love songs, including Whip Appeal and Every Time I Close My Eyes, is matched only by the chart-topping hits he’s written and produced for other artists—among them Whitney Houston’s Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Boyz II Men’s End of the Road and I’ll Make Love to You, Tevin Campbell’s Can We Talk, and Bobby Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel and Roni.
K-Ci’s signature voice and timeless discography will help set the tone for an unforgettable night. From Jodeci classics like Come and Talk to Me and Forever My Lady to K-Ci & JoJo’s chart-topping ballads All My Life and Crazy, along with his soulful take on Bobby Womack’s If You Think You’re Lonely Now, his set promises both nostalgia and raw emotion.
Rounding out the cookout line up is the incomparable El DeBarge, whose silky falsetto defined an era and helped shape the sound of modern R&B. As the lead vocalist of DeBarge, he delivered timeless hits like Rhythm of the Night and I Like It, songs that blended soul, pop, and funk in a way that resonated across generations.
Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour promises to deliver a must-see cultural experience that celebrates legacy, love, and the timeless spirit of Black music. More than just a concert, this tour brings the feeling of a family reunion to the stage, where generations come together, classics get a second wind, and soul meets celebration. With a lineup of legendary voices and chart-topping anthems, the tour is set to be a vibrant reminder of the power R&B holds in shaping culture, healing hearts, and bringing people together. From the cookout vibes to the sing-along moments, every stop on this tour is designed to feel like home.
“This tour is unlike anything I’ve done before. As someone who truly loves R&B, getting to share the stage with my friends Babyface, K-Ci, and El is something I’m really looking forward to,” says Charlie Wilson. “I’ve been performing for so long that my audience isn’t just made up of fans, it really has become a family. Over the years, I’ve come to recognize so many faces, and we’ve grown together through the music. The R&B cookout is gonna be one big family reunion for us and our fans.”
Michael Paran, CEO of P Music Group, shares, “The idea for Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour came naturally because of the bond Charlie has built with his fans and the relationships I’ve developed with Babyface, K-Ci, and El. I’ve seen firsthand how their music brings people together like family, laughing, dancing, and reminiscing on early memories. This tour is about more than just great performances. It’s about capturing that feeling—the joy, the energy, and the nostalgia you feel when you’re surrounded by genuine love. Instead of building the perfect cookout playlist, I wanted to bring it to life with some of the greatest songs we’ve shared memories to and grown up on.”
Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour isn’t just a concert, it’s a family reunion set to the soundtrack of R&B’s most timeless hits. Charlie Wilson, Babyface, K-Ci Hailey, and El DeBarge will bring the heart and soul of a classic cookout to every city, creating an atmosphere where fans are more than just an audience, they’re family. With electrifying performances, nostalgic anthems, and feel-good vibes, this tour is a celebration of community, connection, and the music that has defined generations. Get ready to sing, dance, and reminisce, because at this cookout, everyone is invited.
Produced by Live Nation Urban and P Music Group, Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour will visit 20+ cities, including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, and Houston. Fans can expect a high-energy, soul-stirring experience that brings the heart of R&B to life on stage.
In select cities, fans can elevate their night with an exclusive all-you-can-eat VIP cookout experience. This one-of-a-kind pre-show event brings the backyard to the venue with a curated menu of classic cookout favorites, specialty cocktails, and laid-back vibes inspired by the culture that raised us. From the food to the music to the fellowship, it’s the perfect way to kick off an unforgettable evening of R&B legends. Availability is limited and only offered in select markets.
Tickets will be available for pre-sale starting today at 12 PM local time through Thursday, April 17 at 10 PM local time with code: cookout. The public on sale will begin Friday, April 18 at 10 AM local time. All tickets can be purchased at unclecharliescookout.com.
UNCLE CHARLIE’S R&B COOKOUT TOUR – 2025 DATES
Wed 8/27 – Hollywood, CA – Hollywood Bowl*
Fri 8/29 – Concord, CA – Toyota Pavilion*
Fri 9/5 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Sat 9/6 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Sun 9/7 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Thu 9/11 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Fri 9/12 – New York, NY – Jones Beach Amphitheater
Sat 9/13 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
Sun 9/14 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at The Mann
Fri 9/19 – Raleigh, NC – Coast Union Music Park
Sat 9/20 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Arena
Sun 9/21 – Virginia Beach, VA – United Home Amphitheater
Fri 9/26 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
Sat 9/27 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheater
Sun 9/28 – Dallas, TX – Toyota Music Pavilion
Fri 10/3 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Arena**
Sat 10/4 – Atlanta, GA – Chastain Park*
Sun 10/5 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Fri 10/10 – Birmingham, AL – Coca-Cola Amphitheater
Sat 10/11 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater*
Sun 10/12 – Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum
(*No El DeBarge)| (**No Babyface)
Music News
Noah Kahan Announces a 31-Date Stadium run as part of The Last Of The Bugs World Tour
After a landmark year with his critically acclaimed #1 album and sold-out world tour, 2x GRAMMY®-nominated, multi-platinum artist Noah Kahan is stepping onto the biggest stages of his career. Following this year’s sold-out The Great Divide World Tour, Kahan announces his biggest global headline tour to date: a 31-date stadium run as part of The Last Of The Bugs World Tour. For the first time in his career, after selling out baseball stadiums across the U.S., he’ll bring his music to even bigger stadiums across North America, Europe, and the U.K.
The North American leg of The Last Of The Bugs World Tour, promoted by Live Nation, kicks off April 24th at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA, and stops at major stadiums across the U.S. and Canada, including Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, and East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium. It will also bring the beloved New Englander home for four nights to Boston’s Fenway Park, following his record-breaking, sold-out four consecutive show run this summer and induction into the Fenway Music Hall of Fame. Following the North American dates, Kahan will head to Europe and the U.K. to continue his stadium run overseas, including stops at Berlin’s Waldbühne, Seville’s Plaza de España, Paris’ Hippodrome ParisLongchamp, and more, as well as three previously announced nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.
See the full list of dates for The Last Of The Bugs World Tour below.
TICKETS (FOR NORTH AMERICA ONLY): To participate in the Noah Kahan Artist Presale on Tuesday, November 10th at 12pm local time you must sign up HERE by Thursday, November 5th at 11:59pm ET. Artist Presales for this tour are hosted by multiple ticketing sites, but anyone who signs up can join the sale. For Artist Presales on Ticketmaster, no code is needed – access is tied to your account. Artist Presales hosted on other sites may require a code for access. Working in partnership with Ticketmaster, extra protections will be in place to help block bad actors from signing up for the Artist Presale. Some fans may be asked to complete a quick selfie check, or in rare cases, provide an ID via Persona to sign up. Find out more about security checks HERE.
CANCELLED CITI FIELD TICKETHOLDERS PRESALE (FOR METLIFE ONLY): For the fans who had purchased tickets to the The Great Divide Citi Field July 18th, 2026 show that was canceled, you will have an opportunity to access an exclusive presale for the upcoming June 18th, MetLife Stadium show. To access the presale, tickets must have been originally purchased through Ticketmaster or Face Value Exchange, and you must use the native email connected to the Citi Field tickets. Cancelled Citi Field Ticketholders Presale will take place on Tuesday, November 10th from 9am – 11am local time.
RESERVED BY SPOTIFY (FOR NORTH AMERICA ONLY): The Reserved by Spotify presale will take place on Wednesday, November 11th at 9am local time. Noah Kahan Reserved by Spotify tickets may be available to eligible U.S. Spotify Premium subscribers through Ticketmaster. These fans will be notified by Spotify via email and app notification, and will have the opportunity to purchase up to two tickets during the Reserved presale.
FACE VALUE EXCHANGE (FOR NORTH AMERICA ONLY): Noah Kahan is using Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange to help fans get tickets at the original price. Tickets purchased on Ticketmaster will be non-transferable and can only be resold on Ticketmaster at face value. In New York where laws prevent resale restrictions, tickets can be transferred, but Ticketmaster will still honor Noah Kahan’s terms by keeping resale prices at face value on its site.
TICKETS (FOR EUROPE ONLY): Tickets for the European dates will first be available through an artist presale via Laylo, beginning Tuesday, November 10th at 12pm local time. Fans can sign up HERE by Monday, November 9th at 5pm local time to access the presale.
GENERAL ON SALE (ALL DATES): Remaining tickets will be available via the general on sale starting Thursday, November 12th at 12pm local time at NoahKahan.com/pages/tour.
MASTERCARD PREFERRED TICKETS (FOR NORTH AMERICA ONLY): As part of his ongoing collaboration with Mastercard, Noah Kahan fans can get closer to the music and live experiences they love, with eligible cardholders able to access Preferred Tickets for select North American dates on The Last Of The Bugs World Tour through The Mastercard Collection. Mastercard gave fans a special sneak peek and teased the tour announcement during their World Series commercial earlier this week.
Next week, Kahan kicks off the sold-out U.K. and European leg of The Great Divide World Tour, following fully sold-out North American, Australian, and New Zealand dates this summer. The Great Divide World Tour sold more than 1.8 million tickets worldwide and earned Kahan the highest-ranked debut on Pollstar’s LIVE75 chart.
Kahan’s The Great Divide has emerged as a major GRAMMY-season contender, as the record has appeared on every major prediction list for “Album Of The Year,” “Record Of The Year,” and “Song Of The Year” from Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and HITS Daily Double. The recognitions follow his recent cover story in Billboard’s 2026 GRAMMY Preview Issue, GRAMMY Museum interview and performance, CBS Sunday Morning interview, and Zane Lowe interview.
In addition, his critically acclaimed Netflix documentary Noah Kahan: Out of Body recently entered Letterboxd’s Top 50 Documentaries list, following its SXSW 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award win and a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Kahan’s momentum also continues on the charts, as he remains the only artist to have two albums chart in the Billboard 200 Top 10 for the past six consecutive weeks: the 5x Platinum-certified Stick Season and Platinum-certified The Great Divide.
Kahan’s new song “Draw You Out” was recently released as the lead single for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (The Album). Upon release, the track debuted at #1 on Spotify Top Songs Debut USA Chart. The full soundtrack will arrive on November 13th, with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping releasing in theaters on November 20th.
THE LAST OF THE BUGS WORLD TOUR DATES:
April 24th – Athens, GA – Sanford Stadium
April 27th – Birmingham, AL – Protective Stadium
April 29th – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium
May 4th – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium
May 6th – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium
May 9th – Norman, OK – Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
May 12th – Houston, TX – Reliant Stadium
May 15th – Austin, TX – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
May 19th – San Francisco, CA – Levi’s Stadium
May 21st – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium
May 26th – Madison, WI – Camp Randall Stadium
May 29th – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
May 30th – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
June 1st – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
June 2nd – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
June 5th – Columbus, OH – Ohio Stadium
June 10th – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
June 12th – Buffalo, NY – Highmark Stadium
June 15th – Montréal, QC – Parc Jean-Drapeau
June 18th – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
July 1st – Groningen, NL – Stadspark
July 2nd – Berlin, DE – Waldbühne
July 4th – Milan, IT – I-Days
July 7th – Seville, ES – Plaza de España
July 10th – Paris, FR – Hippodrome ParisLongchamp
July 13th – Glasgow, UK – Hampden Park (Already Announced)
July 17th – Dublin, IE – Aviva Stadium (Already Announced | SOLD OUT)
July 18th – Dublin, IE – Aviva Stadium (Already Announced)
July 23rd – London, UK – Wembley Stadium (Already Announced | SOLD OUT)
July 24th – London, UK – Wembley Stadium (Already Announced | SOLD OUT)
July 25th – London, UK – Wembley Stadium (Already Announced)
CONNECT WITH NOAH KAHAN: INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | X | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | WEBSITE
Music News
U2 Announces U.K. + Europe Tour Dates For Carnaval De Luz Presents: The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour 2027
Live Nation has today announced U.K. and Europe dates for Carnaval De Luz presents: The Greatest Show On Earth, a world tour that will see Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. return to select stadiums in 2027 and beyond.
The 2027 European leg will kick off in Stockholm on April 26th – with support from Wolf Alice – and will visit Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisbon, Milan and Paris; plus UK shows also announced for London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; with dates for Spain to be announced soon.
With the first run of shows selling out instantly and additional dates added in Mexico City, São Paulo and Buenos Aires due to popular demand; 2027 dates for North America are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
U2 recently celebrated the band’s 50th anniversary on Friday 25th September with a lunchtime show for students and teachers at their old school, Mount Temple Comprehensive, as well as a very special surprise performance on Dublin’s Grafton Street. With plans for The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour already in the works for 2028, the band is looking ahead to their all-important return home to Ireland. The Edge said – “We can’t say too much about the next leg of The Greatest Show On Earth – we’re still figuring it out – but what we can say is, we’ll be wrapping it up in Ireland. There’s nowhere else we’d want to be for that party.”
CARNAVAL DE LUZ PRESENTS: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH WORLD TOUR
U.K. + EUROPE – 2027 DATES
**with support from Wolf Alice
April 26 STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Strawberry Arena**
April 28 STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Strawberry Arena**
May 05 PARIS, France – Stade de France**
May 08 PARIS, France – Stade de France**
May 27 LISBON, Portugal – Estadio da Luz**
June 05 AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA**
June 06 AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA**
June 18 LONDON, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium**
June 19 LONDON, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium**
June 30 BERLIN, Germany – Olympiastadion**
July 05 MILAN, Italy – Stadio San Siro**
July 06 MILAN, Italy – Stadio San Siro**
LATIN AMERICA – 2027 DATES
*with support from Beck
February 23 MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguros* – SOLD-OUT
February 26 MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguros* – SOLD-OUT
February 28 MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguros* – SOLD-OUT
March 2 MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguros* – NEW DATE
March 10 SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Estádio MorumBIS* – SOLD-OUT
March 12 SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Estádio MorumBIS* – SOLD-OUT
March 14 SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Estádio MorumBIS* – SOLD-OUT
March 16 SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Estádio MorumBIS* – NEW DATE
March 23 BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Estadio River Plate* – SOLD-OUT
March 25 BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Estadio River Plate* – SOLD-OUT
March 27 BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Estadio River Plate* – NEW DATE
“The Greatest Show on Earth”? Now that’s a throwdown. It’s a dare, to ourselves as much as anyone, to try and have the best night of anybody’s life.
A bit of showman, a bit of shaman, a riot of colour, unreasonable guitar, bass and drums, and tunes you can hold onto.
Because if people are gonna show up, we certainly are.”
Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry
A new track titled ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ is out now. Co-written by U2 and Brian Eno, it is the third single to be taken from Carnaval De Luz. A story of lovers fighting to keep faith in each other – and faith itself. The video is directed by Anton Corbijn and was shot in the Californian desert; it satirizes the band as a religious cult where women do all the heavy lifting. Watch HERE. Listen HERE.
Acknowledged as one of the best live acts in the world, U2 has always – since their earliest days, including the industry-defining ZOO TV Tour which broke the mold in 1991 – consistently pushed the boundaries of live performance, with ground-breaking stage shows that embrace the latest in technology and innovation, most recently with one of the band’s most ambitious creative projects to date, a sold-out run of 40 history-making, future-defining shows at Sphere, Las Vegas. Carnaval De Luz presents: The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour marks U2’s return to a stadium setting for a performance spectacle embracing human connection and intimacy at a grand scale, with a set list drawn from across the band’s entire catalogue; the band’s first stadium dates since wrapping the acclaimed The Joshua Tree Tour at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on December 15th, 2019, the final stop on a tour which saw U2 play to almost 3 million fans around the world.
Tickets for the U.K. and European dates for Carnaval De Luz presents: The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour will first be available via U2.com Subscriber Presale commencing on Monday, November 2 at 10am local time.
Visa is proud to be an Official Sponsor of Carnaval De Luz presents: The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour.
Visa cardholders will have access to presale tickets in the EU and UK from Wednesday 4 November at 10 a.m. local time until 10 p.m. the same day, while supply lasts. Cardholders can purchase tickets via visa.com/u2 during the presale window.
Frank Cooper, Visa’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Few artists have achieved what U2 has: the rare ability to remain iconic across generations, cultures and continents. Their music transcends time and place, bringing people together through a shared sense of possibility, connection and belonging. At Visa, we believe in the power of experiences to connect us to one another and to the world around us. We’re excited to partner with U2 on The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour, giving fans access to the show and working with U2 and fan communities to create moments that matter.”
An Artist Presale will begin on Thursday, November 5 (details below). Remaining tickets will be available during the general onsale starting Friday, November 6 at 10am local time at U2.com.
To participate in the U2 Artist Presale on Thursday, November 5 at 10am local time, you must sign up HERE by Sunday, November 1 at 10:59pm GMT / 11:59pm CET. Artist Presales for this tour are hosted by multiple ticketing sites but anyone who signs up can join the sale. For Artist Presales on Ticketmaster, no code is needed – access is tied to your account. Artist Presales hosted on other sites may require a code for access. Working in partnership with Ticketmaster, extra protections will be in place to help block bad actors from signing up for the Artist Presale. Some fans may be asked to complete a quick selfie check, or in rare cases, provide an ID via Persona to sign up. Find out more about security checks here.*
*The Lisbon date will not be accessible via the Artist Presale.