The 50th anniversary of Nelson’s Independence Day blowout will ring in America’s birthday with music and fireworks in an Austin stadium
Independence Day will be a smoke show in Austin this summer as concertgoers try to separate the weed from the barbecue at Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic. Expect extra celebrations as this year’s installment marks the annual event’s 50th anniversary.
The Picnic, which will take place at Austin’s Q2 Stadium, will of course feature a performance by Nelson and his Family Band, as well as Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam, Shakey Graves, Shane Smith and the Saints, Sierra Ferrell, Asleep at the Wheel, and Particle Kid. The artists will play on two stages, and the event’s promoters are promising food, drinks, and Fourth of July fireworks. Tickets go on sale April 28 at 10 a.m. CT at Q2Stadium.com or SeatGeek.com.
In other Willie Nelson revelries, the artist will be celebrating his 90th birthday next week with a pair of all-star shows at the Hollywood Bowl and hitting the road this summer for a number of Outlaw Music Festival gigs. “I can’t wait to be on the road with the amazing group of artists joining us on this year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour,” Nelson said in a statement. “It is always a great day of music and fun with family, friends and the incredible fans, and even more special this year in celebration of my 90th birthday.”
Those gigs will feature Nelson headlining and a rotating selection of openers, which include Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Trampled by Turtles, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, and Particle Kid. Others who will appear at various dates of the tour include the Avett Brothers, John Fogerty, Whiskey Myers, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Kurt Vile, Kathleen Edwards, and Margo Price.