Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Returns for 2026 to a Scaled-Back 12 Cities, With Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Stephen Wilson Jr. Among Openers

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Willie Nelsons Outlaw Music Festival will return for an 11th anniversary tour in summer 2026, it was announced Tuesday. But for some fans of these Americana extravaganzas, it may require a bit more traveling to join the fun. The tour will touch down in about a third the number of cities that last year’s outing did, with only a dozen locales on the itinerary, after last year’s expansion to 35 stops.

None of the openers join Nelson & Family on all the dates, but Stephen Wilson Jr. is doing 11 out of the 12 shows, the Avett Brrothers are on the bill in nine 12 cities, Lukas Nelson is set for eight, Sheryl Crow is booked for six and Wilco will appear at three.

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