Willie Nelson
David McClister
Willie Nelson’s famed 4th of July Picnic is moving to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time.
The concert, which he started in 1973, will be held at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, N.J., just outside Philadelphia, the birthplace of America.
In addition to Nelson, the lineup will include Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Maren Morris, Mavis Staples and Celisse.
“I am thrilled to bring the 4th of July Picnic to Philadelphia for the first time in our storied history,” Nelson said in a statement. “It’s an honor to host such an extraordinary lineup of talent in the birthplace of our country. We can’t wait to celebrate Independence Day with you.”
Nelson, 91, first held the 4th of July Picnic more than 50 years ago in 1973 at Hurlbut Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas. Over the decades, artists on the bill have included Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, The Charlie Daniels Band, Rita Coolidge and Leon Russell. Last year’s event was held at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, and featured Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam, Shakey Graves and Sierra Ferrell, among others. Though this is the first stop in the Philly area, the picnic has been held outside Texas before, including at The Gorge in Quincy, Washington, in 2007 and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1978.
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Tickets go on sale to the public Friday (March 29) at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster. Citi cardmembers can access presale tickets from Tuesday (March 26) at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday (March 28) at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. The event is presented by Blackbird Presents and Live Nation Entertainment.
The picnic comes during a particularly busy time for Nelson, who will release his new album The Border on May 31 and will, once again, headline his annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which kicks off June 21 in Alpharetta, Georgia, and features many of the same artists as will appear at the July 4 event.