Music News
Darius Rucker Announces 20-City Songs Of Summer Tour
Three-time GRAMMY Award winner Darius Rucker hits the road this summer with his 20-city Songs of Summer Tour, bringing his signature baritone voice and fan-favorite hits to amphitheaters and iconic venues nationwide. Promoted by Live Nation, the 2026 trek features special guests Lauren Alaina, George Birge, Evan Honer, Old Crow Medicine Show, Robert Randolph and Austin Williams joining select dates.
“For me, it’s not summer if we’re not playing music outdoors,” says Rucker. “When I think of the concerts I love attending, it’s the people, the hits and the hot summer air… there’s nothing that compares, so Songs of Summer in a lot of ways is my nod to being in that moment together.”
Tickets go on sale starting this Friday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. local time, with select cities on sale in March. For full ticket details, see below and visit DariusRucker.com.
The Songs of Summer Tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, exclusive pre-show meet & greet and photo op with Darius Rucker, guided backstage tour, autographed tour poster and more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
Rucker also recently announced a one-night-only Big Band Gala at Charleston’s Gaillard Center on April 7. Presented by Explore Charleston, the performance offers fans a rare opportunity to experience Rucker in an elevated, intimate concert setting backed by Robert Lewis and the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Peter Graves. A portion of proceeds will benefit the CMA Foundation’s music education initiatives for Charleston County Schools and the Carolyn G. Rucker Nursing Scholarship at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified (22x Platinum) debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012, and he won his third career GRAMMY Award in 2014 for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. His latest album Carolyn’s Boy is available everywhere now as is his New York Times bestselling memoir “Life’s Too Short,” released via Dey Street in 2024.
As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $5.1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius and Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. In addition, Rucker has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker is also an avid sports fan, with his Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics line of NFL, MLB, NHL and NCAA apparel available via Fanatics.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency.
For more information, visit DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.
Songs of Summer Tour
June 4 | Toledo, Ohio | Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre | George Birge, Austin Williams +
June 5 | Grantville, Pa. | Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course | George Birge, Austin Williams *’
June 6 | Canandaigua, N.Y. | Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center | George Birge, Austin Williams *’
June 11 | Bethel, N.Y. | Bethel Woods Center for the Arts | George Birge, Austin Williams
June 12 | Atlantic City, N.J. | Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena | Austin Williams *
June 13 | Gilford, N.H. | BankNH Pavilion | George Birge, Austin Williams *
June 18 | Greensboro, N.C. | White Oak Amphitheatre at Greensboro Coliseum Complex | George Birge, Austin Williams *
June 19 | Wilmington, N.C. | Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park | George Birge, Austin Williams *
June 25 | Grand Rapids, Mich. | Acrisure Amphitheater | Lauren Alaina, Austin Williams
June 26 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Riverbend Music Center | Lauren Alaina, Austin Williams #
June 27 | Clarkston, Mich. | Pine Knob Music Theatre | Lauren Alaina, Austin Williams +
July 16 | Washington, D.C. | The Theater at MGM National Harbor | Austin Williams *
July 17 | Bridgeport, Conn. | Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater | Robert Randolph, Austin Williams *
July 18 | Boston, Mass. | Leader Bank Pavilion | Robert Randolph, Austin Williams *
July 23 | Phoenix, Ariz. | Arizona Financial Theatre | Old Crow Medicine Show, Austin Williams +
July 24 | Albuquerque, N.M. | First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater | Old Crow Medicine Show, Austin Williams *
July 25 | Morrison, Colo. | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Old Crow Medicine Show, Austin Williams *
July 30 | Rogers, Ark. | Walmart AMP | Evan Honer, Austin Williams *
July 31 | Kansas City, Mo. | Starlight Theatre | Evan Honer, Austin Williams ^
August 1 | Indianapolis, Ind. | Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park | Evan Honer, Austin Williams *
* on sale Feb. 27
+ on sale March 6
# on sale March 13
^ on sale March 20
’ not a Live Nation show
Music News
i-dle Announce 2026 North American Arena Tour
Internationally acclaimed, chart-topping K-pop group i-dle officially announced the North American leg of their highly anticipated 2026 i-dle WORLD TOUR [Syncopation] live on NBC’s TODAY Show this morning, where the group delivered a special performance of “Mono.” The national television reveal marks a major milestone in their rapidly expanding U.S. presence and signals the start of a bold new era, with an even bigger project arriving this May.
Kicking off August 2 in Hamilton, ON at TD Coliseum, the arena run, promoted by Live Nation, will see i-dle take over some of North America’s most iconic venues. The tour includes a stop at New Jersey’s Prudential Center, Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena, and a major Southeast moment at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. From there, the group heads to Orlando’s Kia Center and San Antonio’s Frost Bank Arena, before expanding further into Mexico City’s legendary Palacio de los Deportes, one of Latin America’s most celebrated arenas.
The West Coast leg underscores the group’s explosive U.S. growth, with performances at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, the Bay Area’s Oakland Arena, and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, venues that regularly host the world’s biggest touring artists. Altogether, the run represents i-dle’s most expansive North American headline tour to date, solidifying their evolution from breakthrough global act to full-fledged arena powerhouse.
General on-sale starts Wednesday, March 11 at 3pm local time. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit ticketmaster.com
The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, access to the pre-show i-dle soundcheck, access to the post-show send-off event, early entry into the venue & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
08/02 – TD Coliseum – Hamilton, ON
08/04 – Prudential Center – Newark, NJ
08/06 – Xfinity Mobile Arena – Philadelphia, PA
08/08 – State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
08/11 – Kia Center – Orlando, FL
08/13 – Frost Bank Arena – San Antonio, TX
08/16 – Palacio de los Deportes – Mexico City, MX
08/19 – The Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA
08/21 – Oakland Arena – Oakland, CA
08/23 – Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA
The announcement arrives on the heels of their latest single, “Mono (feat. skaiwater),” the group’s first new music in eight months and a striking creative evolution. “Mono” embraces restraint and introspection, built on a minimalist yet sophisticated beat. Featuring British rapper skaiwater, the accompanying black-and-white music video blends intimate moments with large-scale choreography to symbolize individuality within unity.
With a major new project arriving in May, [Syncopation] sets the stage for what promises to be i-dle’s most ambitious global chapter yet, pairing artistic reinvention with their largest-scale live production to date.
More exciting news to come.
Music News
+LIVE+ Announce ‘Like A Rolling Thunder Tour’ 2026
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the album Mental Jewelry, iconic multi-platinum rock band +LIVE+ will be making their grand return to the Great White North. The legendary band fronted by Ed Kowalczyk are headlining their first cross country tour of Canada in over 20 years. Bringing Canadian icons Big Wreck with them, the tour kicked off February 23 in Abbotsford and runs through March 14 where it wraps in Halifax. Along the way, the tour will stop in Calgary (February 26), Winnipeg (March 2), London (March 7), Laval (March 10), and Quebec City (March 11) to name a few. Econoline Crush will be opening the first 10 shows of the tour while The Damn Truth will open the final 4 performances. +LIVE+ will be performing all their big hits from throughout their career such as “Lightning Crashes,” “I Alone,” “All Over You,” “Lakini’s Juice,” “The Dolphin’s Cry,” “Pain Lies on the Riverside,” and more!
FEB 23 – ABBOTSFORD – ABBOTSFORD CENTRE +
FEB 24 – KELOWNA – PROSPERA PLACE +
FEB 26 – CALGARY – GREY EAGLE +
FEB 27 – EDMONTON – ROGERS PLACE +
MAR 1 – SASKATOON – SASKTEL CENTRE +
MAR 2 – WINNIPEG – CANADA LIFE CENTRE +
MAR 5 – HAMILTON – TD COLISEUM +
MAR 6 – OTTAWA – CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE +
MAR 7 – LONDON – CANADA LIFE PLACE +
MAR 9 – OSHAWA – TRIBUTE COMMUNITIES CENTRE +
MAR 10 – LAVAL – PLACE BELL *
MAR 11 – QUEBEC CITY – VIDEOTRON CENTRE *
MAR 13 – MONCTON – AVENIR CENTRE *
MAR 14 – HALIFAX – SCOTIABANK CENTRE *
+ – LIVE/BIG WRECK/ECONOLINE CRUSH
* – LIVE/BIG WRECK/THE DAMN TRUTH
+LIVE+ broke onto the scene in 1991 with the release of their major label debut, Mental Jewelry. Produced by Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, the album not only introduced a bold new voice in alternative rock, but moved more than 1 million copies in the United States—earning Platinum certification, With searing tracks like “Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition)” (Top 10 on U.S. Modern Rock), “Pain Lies on the Riverside,” and “Beauty of Grey,” +LIVE+ delivered raw emotion, spiritual depth, and virtuosic funk-inflected elements that would become their signature sound. More than three decades on, Mental Jewelry remains a foundational work still stirring hearts and garnering a whole new generation of fans for the band.