2026 Tour Announced — 12 Cities · July–August
Outlaw Music Festival 2026: Willie Nelson Tour, Lineup & Tickets
Willie Nelson & Family return for a special 12-city run — through . With The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Billy Strings, Margo Price & more.
- On-sale: Mar 27
- TX · MO · MN · WI · MI · IN · IL · NY
- 11th Anniversary · Limited Run
The 2026 Outlaw Music Festival is a 12-date touring festival headlined by Willie Nelson and Family. July leg: Irving TX (Jul 3), Austin TX July 4th Picnic with Billy Strings (Jul 4), The Woodlands TX (Jul 5). August leg: Maryland Heights MO (Aug 18), Shakopee MN (Aug 19), East Troy WI (Aug 21), Clarkston MI (Aug 22), Noblesville IN (Aug 23), Tinley Park IL (Aug 25), Wantagh NY (Aug 28), Bethel NY (Aug 29), Saratoga Springs NY (Aug 30). Rotating lineup: The Avett Brothers (9 dates), Stephen Wilson Jr. (11 dates), Lukas Nelson (8 dates), Sheryl Crow (6 dates), Wilco (3 Texas dates), Margo Price, Sierra Hull, Rodney Crowell, Robert Randolph, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Lily Meola. Bob Dylan is not on the 2026 lineup. Tickets on sale March 27, 2026 via Ticketmaster. Citi presale March 25. VIP packages available.
Outlaw Music Festival at a Glance
A traveling summer amphitheater festival curated by Willie Nelson & Family — blending Americana, outlaw country, folk and roots rock across a shared multi-artist bill every night.
12 dates from July 3 – August 30, 2026. Three Texas shows in July (including the 4th of July Picnic in Austin), then nine stops across the Midwest & Northeast in August.
The Avett Brothers (9 dates) · Sheryl Crow (6) · Wilco (3 TX dates) · Stephen Wilson Jr. (11) · Lukas Nelson · Billy Strings (July 4 only) · Margo Price · Sierra Hull & more.
Public on-sale: March 27, 2026, 10 a.m. local via Ticketmaster and the official festival site. Citi Card presale active since March 25. VIP packages available.
Most dates run 7–8 hours, rain or shine. Check your venue’s gate times, bag policy & parking the morning of the show. Willie Nelson & Family typically close the night.
Scaled back from 35 stops in 2025 to a special limited 12-city run for the festival’s 11th anniversary. Bob Dylan is not on the 2026 bill — he’s touring independently.
Willie Nelson Tour 2026 Lineup
Willie Nelson has curated the Outlaw Music Festival since its launch in 2016, shaping each lineup personally alongside longtime collaborators.
Outlaw Festival 2026 Dates and Tickets
Willie Nelson & Family – Complete 2026 Tour Schedule
Includes both Outlaw Music Festival dates (multi-artist lineups) and Willie Nelson solo headline shows (spring 2026). Use filters to find shows by artist, city, or venue.
- APR22WEDAvondale Brewing Company – Complex, Birmingham, AL7:00 PM | Willie Nelson & Family (Solo Headline)🎸 Solo Show
- APR23THUSynovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park, Atlanta, GA8:00 PM | Willie Nelson & Family (Solo Headline)🎸 Solo Show
- APR25SATAsheville Yards (formerly Rabbit Rabbit), Asheville, NC7:00 PM | Willie Nelson & Family (Solo Headline)🎸 Solo Show
- APR27MON
- APR28TUELive Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park, Wilmington, NC7:30 PM | Willie Nelson & Family (Solo Headline)🎸 Solo Show
- MAY02SATWhitewater on the Horseshoe, New Braunfels, TX7:30 PM | Willie Nelson & Family (Solo Headline)🎸 Solo Show
- JUL03FRIThe Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving, TX2:05 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, Wilco, Sheryl Crow🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- JUL04SATGermania Insurance Amphitheater, Austin, TX3:30 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, Billy Strings, Rodney Crowell🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- JUL05SUNThe Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX2:00 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, Wilco, Sheryl Crow🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG18TUEHollywood Casino Amphitheatre St Louis, Maryland Heights, MO3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Sierra Hull🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG19WEDMystic Lake Amphitheater, Shakopee, MN3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Sierra Hull🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG21FRIAlpine Valley Music Theatre, Elkhorn, WI3:30 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Sierra Hull🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG22SATPine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Sierra Hull🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG23SUNRuoff Music Center, Noblesville, IN3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Sierra Hull🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG25TUECredit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Sierra Hull🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG28FRINorthwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Wilson Jr.🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG29SATBethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Wilson Jr.🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
- AUG30SUNAlbany Med Health System at SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY3:20 PM | Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Wilson Jr.🌟 Outlaw Music Festival
Outlaw Festival 2026 Updates
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Willie Nelson & Billy Strings: The Headliners
Willie Nelson & Family close the night — as they always do at the Picnic. Now 92 years old and turning 93 in April 2026, Willie remains the living center of the outlaw country movement he helped build. He founded this event in 1973 in Dripping Springs, Texas. Fifty-three years later, he still headlines it.
His 2026 closing sets draw from a career spanning 79 solo studio albums — the newest, Dream Chaser, drops May 29, 2026, ahead of the July Texas dates. Expect “Whiskey River” to open, a deep-catalog middle hour, and a full-band singalong finale with the evening’s other performers joining him on stage.
For Willie’s full career timeline, health updates, and past Outlaw Festival setlists, see our complete Willie Nelson guide .
Billy Strings is the co-headliner of the 2026 4th of July Picnic — and the single most important booking detail on this year’s tour. He appears on no other 2026 Outlaw Music Festival date. If you want to see him alongside Willie Nelson, the Germania Insurance Amphitheater on July 4 is the only place it happens.
Strings is the biggest name in modern bluegrass by a wide margin. His 2022 album Me/And/Dad — a Willie Nelson tribute record — makes this pairing more than a festival booking. It’s a direct musical relationship. The two have performed together before, and a collaborative moment during Willie’s closing set is a realistic expectation, not just speculation.
His live sets run 75–90 minutes and lean heavily into improvisation. Core originals like “Dust in a Baggie,” “Taking Water,” and “Away From the Mire” anchor the set. “Meet Me at the Creek” and “Highway Hypnosis” are the tracks most likely to stretch into extended jams. He plays hard, he plays long, and he plays to the converted.
See Billy’s full 2026 schedule, Outlaw Festival history, and what to expect from his live show in our complete Billy Strings guide .
Festival VIP Packages
Outlaw Music Festival VIP packages are intended for fans who want a more comfortable, close-up experience during a long, multi-artist show. These packages focus on seating location and entry convenience rather than exclusive artist access.
While inclusions vary by venue, most Outlaw Festival VIP options typically include:
- Reserved seating in premium sections, often within the first several rows
- Early venue entry before general gates open
- Limited-edition tour or venue-specific merchandise items
VIP packages do not usually include meet-and-greet access or backstage passes. The experience is designed to improve sightlines, reduce entry stress, and add comfort during extended festival sets.
Ticket advice: Always begin with official primary sellers linked through each venue. If a show is sold out, verified resale marketplaces may offer protected alternatives, though pricing and package details can differ by city.
2026 Outlaw Music Festival: 12 Cities Confirmed
Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival enters its second decade with a special limited 12-date run from July 3 through August 30, 2026. Here’s what changed, who’s on the bill, and how to get tickets.
11th anniversary tour: 12 dates, down from 35
Blackbird Presents, Live Nation, and Willie Nelson confirmed a scaled-back 2026 schedule on March 24. The tour opens July 3 in Irving, TX and wraps August 30 at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Rolling Stone called the 2025 edition “undoubtedly the most exciting and eclectic multi-artist festival of the summer.” The 2026 run carries that momentum into fewer, higher-stakes nights.
Bob Dylan out, Sheryl Crow and Wilco rotate in
Bob Dylan does not appear on the 2026 bill — he’s touring independently this summer. The Avett Brothers step up as co-headliners at 9 of 12 dates, with Sheryl Crow joining the Northeast swing and Wilco anchoring the Texas dates.
The rotating roster also includes Lukas Nelson, Stephen Wilson Jr. (11 of 12 dates), Margo Price, Sierra Hull, Robert Randolph, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Lily Meola, and Rodney Crowell.
Public on-sale live since March 27
General tickets went on sale Friday, March 27, 2026 at 10 AM local time through Ticketmaster. VIP packages offer premium seating and exclusive festival merchandise.
Willie Nelson also announced Dream Chaser, his 79th solo studio album, dropping May 29, 2026. Expect new songs alongside decades of outlaw country classics at every stop this summer.
Explore every date, venue, and city-specific lineup in the 2026 tour schedule above. Each stop links to a full venue guide with tickets, policies, and set times.
Outlaw Music Festival 2026 — FAQs
Confirmed answers based on the official 2026 Outlaw Music Festival tour announcement, updated March 2026.
Will there be an Outlaw Music Festival in 2026?
Yes. The Outlaw Music Festival confirmed its 2026 tour on March 24, 2026. Willie Nelson & Family headline all 12 dates, with shows running July 3 through August 30 across the US.
Tickets went on general sale Friday, March 27, 2026, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. VIP packages are also available through the tour’s official website.
Who is performing at the Outlaw Music Festival 2026?
The festival is headlined by its founder, Willie Nelson & Family. While major stars like The Avett Brothers and Sheryl Crow often co-headline, Nelson remains the primary headliner for every stop on the tour. Willie Nelson & Family headline every date. The full supporting cast across the tour includes The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Billy Strings, Margo Price, Lukas Nelson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Sierra Hull, Robert Randolph, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Rodney Crowell, and Lily Meola.
Lineups vary by city. See the full schedule above for the exact artist lineup at each venue.
Who headlines the Outlaw Music Festival?
Willie Nelson & Family close every show on the 2026 tour. Nelson has headlined every edition of the festival since its launch. Bob Dylan does not appear on the 2026 bill.
Is Willie Nelson still performing in 2026?
Yes. Willie Nelson & Family headline all 12 confirmed Outlaw Music Festival dates in 2026, running July through August across the US.
Nelson also announced his new album, Dream Chaser — his 79th solo studio LP — due May 29, 2026, with pre-orders currently open.
Why was the Outlaw Music Festival cancelled?
The festival has not been cancelled. In 2025, a small number of individual dates were postponed or cancelled due to severe weather and storm-related production damage at specific venues. Those were isolated, safety-driven decisions.
The 2026 Outlaw Music Festival is fully confirmed with 12 dates on sale now.
How long does the Outlaw Music Festival last?
Most shows run four to six hours, depending on the number of artists scheduled at each specific venue. Willie Nelson & Family traditionally close the evening as the final act of the night.
Where can I buy Outlaw Music Festival 2026 tickets?
Ticketmaster sells official primary tickets for all 2026 Outlaw Music Festival dates. General on-sale opened March 27, 2026, at 10 a.m. local time. VIP packages are available through the tour’s official website.
For sold-out dates, verified resale marketplaces offer secondary market options at variable pricing. Always purchase from official or verified sources to avoid counterfeit tickets.
What are the 2026 Outlaw Music Festival tour dates?
The 2026 Outlaw Music Festival runs 12 dates from July 3 through August 30. The Texas run opens July 3–5 at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin, and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands.
The August leg covers Hollywood Casino Amphitheater (Maryland Heights), Mystic Lake Amphitheater (Shakopee), Alpine Valley Music Theatre (East Troy), Pine Knob Music Theatre (Clarkston), Ruoff Music Center (Noblesville), Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (Tinley Park), Northwell at Jones Beach Theater (Wantagh), Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (Bethel), and Albany Med Health System at SPAC (Saratoga Springs).