Darius Rucker Bottles Up the Heat For His New ‘Songs of Summer’ Tour
- All Country News
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
There are certain voices that feel like July.
The kind that drift through car speakers with the windows down. The kind that echo off amphitheater rafters as the sun sinks into a humid horizon. For three-time GRAMMY winner Darius Rucker, summer isn’t just a season, it’s a setting. And in 2026, he’s turning it all the way up.
This June, Rucker launches his 20-city Songs of Summer Tour, a coast-to-coast run designed for open skies, loud singalongs and the kind of communal joy that only live music in hot air can deliver.
“For me, it’s not summer if we’re not playing music outdoors,” Rucker says. “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.”
It’s less a tour announcement and more a mission statement.
A Roadmap for the Season
Promoted by Live Nation, the Songs of Summer Tour kicks off June 4 in Toledo, Ohio, and winds through amphitheaters and iconic rooms across the country before wrapping August 1 in Indianapolis.
Along the way, Rucker will welcome an eclectic slate of special guests, a lineup that mirrors the wide reach of his own catalog.
Country powerhouse Lauren Alaina joins select Midwest dates, while genre-blurring Americana legends Old Crow Medicine Show ride shotgun for a Western swing that includes a stop at the sacred stone of Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Roots-rock dynamo Robert Randolph adds firepower to East Coast dates, with rising voices like George Birge, Evan Honer and Austin Williams appearing across the run.
From the storied grounds of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts to desert nights in Phoenix and the grandeur of Colorado’s natural cathedral, the routing reads like a postcard collection of American summer.
VIP Access: Taking It to the Next Level
For fans looking to go beyond the lawn chair, the tour will also offer a range of VIP experiences through VIP Nation. Packages vary by city but may include premium seating, a pre-show meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with Rucker, a guided backstage tour, an autographed poster and other exclusive perks.
On Sale Details
Tickets for most dates go on sale Friday, February 27 at 10 a.m. local time, with additional cities rolling out in March. (Select dates are not Live Nation shows.) Fans can find full ticket information and purchase details via DariusRucker.com, with VIP options available at vipnation.com.
Every summer needs a soundtrack. Some years it’s a song. Some years it’s a memory.
In 2026, Darius Rucker is betting it can be both.
Because when the heat rises and the lights dim just enough, there’s something timeless about a crowd singing in unison, and a voice that feels like it’s been there all along.
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