George Strait is headlining a show later this year, with Carrie Underwood, Willie Nelson and Little Big Town serving as his opening acts. The King of Country Music will headline the second night of ATLive, on October 21, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Strait announced the news on social media.
Atlanta! George is heading to ATLive 2023 at the @MBStadium this October with @carrieunderwood, @WillieNelson & Family, and @littlebigtown!
Sign up now for presale access at: https://t.co/Wmifxk2yYK. Tickets on sale Friday, July 21. pic.twitter.com/WZWm3PBOlL
— George Strait (@GeorgeStrait) July 11, 2023
ATLive will celebrate the first night, on October 20, with a variety of Latin music acts, before country music takes over for the second night.
“We are extremely excited to once again bring an incredible lineup of artists to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for ATLive,” says Doug Roberts, Vice-President of stadium events and premium sales, AMB Sports and Entertainment (via Whiskey Riff).
“The ATLive concert series has quickly become one of the can’t-miss concert events of the year and we look forward to welcoming fans of both Latin and Country music for two great nights at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in October,” he said.
Strait is currently on his Stadium Tour, joined by Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town.
“It just felt right,” Strait told Billboard of heading out on the road. “I had the opportunity to work with Chris and Little Big Town and everything just kind of fell in place for next year. I don’t do that many shows anymore, so if we can do a stadium where we can play for more people, that works for me.”
Strait announced in 2012 that he was largely retiring from touring, although he still occasionally has performed his own shows, in addition to his regular appearances at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although Strait spent the majority of his life on stage, the 71-year-old still says it’s his favorite place to be.
“By the time showtime arrives every night, I’m usually tired of waiting and chomping at the bit to go,” Strait shared. “’When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again till I walk back out and get on that bus that got me here’ — that’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement.”
The Texan announced late last year that he was also working on a new album, and considering a documentary as well.
“I like making records and plan on doing another one soon,” Strait told Cowboys & Indians. “I’m narrowing down my song choices now. I’ve always said I’m a melody guy. A great melody can sell a song the best. A great lyric with a lousy melody maybe not so much, but a great lyric along with a great melody is obviously what you’re looking to create. That’s why I’ve had such a great relationship with Dean Dillon.
“I think he’s the best melody guy in the business,” he added. “His lyrics are great as well, so there you go. There is no specific message or mood that I’ll be shooting for. I just want to put together a bunch of good songs that stand out individually.”
Tickets for Strait’s ATLive concert will be available on July 21. Presale access can be found here. Find all of Strait’s music and upcoming shows at GeorgeStrait.com.
