Kenny Chesney wins Entertainer of the Year at "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photo courtesy of the Country Music Association.
Dec. 3, 2008 — Kenny Chesney hinted last month that he’ll launch his 2009 tour in April, but he’s already looking past that with an Aug. 15 concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. — the fifth straight year he’ll play the NFL venue. It’s just one of numerous live events beginning to take shape for next year.
Kenny hasn’t announced his warm-up acts yet or any other dates on the tour, but he’s hoping his reputation for a strong lineup and his own status as an entertainer will be enough to move the 60,000 tickets.
"Every time we play Gillette Stadium, they come and they sing their hearts out," Kenny says. "It may be one of the NFL's biggest stadiums, but I'm telling you, every year, those people make it feel like a little club date."
Plenty of other live news for next year is developing or has already been announced. Among events on tap:
• The Bonnaroo Festival is set for June 11-14 in Manchester, Tenn. Primarily a rock gathering, the event has previously included such country acts as Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs.
• Kevin Costner & Modern West have mapped out a short tour to kick off the year. Dates currently begin Jan. 17 in Reno, Nev., and end Feb. 6 in Dallas.
• RodeoHouston has added Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and Gary Allan to its lineup for March, The Houston Chronicle reports. Other performers who were previously announced for the annual event include Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts.
• The Florida Strawberry Festival is unleashing at least two shows daily for 11 straight days in Plant City beginning Feb. 26. The string of concerts begins with George Jones and ends with Jessica Simpson, featuring the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jake Owen and Randy Travis, among others, along the way.
• Brad Paisley kicks off the next leg of his Paisley Party Tour Jan. 15 in Southaven, Miss. Joining him on the bill are Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley and Crystal Shawanda.
• Rascal Flatts takes another run at its Bob That Head Tour with opening act Jessica Simpson, kicking things off Jan. 17 in Kansas City, Mo.
• The Stagecoach Festival is set for April 25-26 in Indio, Calif., with Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock and Little Big Town, among others.
• The BamaJam Music Festival arrives in Coffee County, Ala., June 4-6 with Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson and Montgomery Gentry.
• Nashville’s CMA Music Festival is slated for June 11-14. No names have been announced yet, but it traditionally features wall-to-wall hitmakers. Performers in 2008 included Trace Adkins, Dwight Yoakam, Faith Hill and Sugarland.
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