Summer is known as concert season, from stadium tours of big artists like Coldplay and Luke Bryan to festivals like Summerfest and Lollapalooza, which feature multitudes of artists. With big names like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith going on tour this year, you’ll certainly want to attend at least one of these shows.
Photo Courtesy of Macenzie Liddell
Taylor Swift
2017 ended in a bang after the return of Taylor Swift. The release of her sixth studio album Reputation started a new era for Swift, led by singles “Look What You Made Me Do” and “End Game” (featuring Ed Sheeran and Future). Heading off on a 2018 summer tour in the U. S., you can find her tickets here for as low as $75.
Sam Smith
Having just released his new album Thrill of It All, Sam Smith is hitting the road this year with 32 U. S. tour dates, including Chicago. You can witness his heartbreaking debut single “Stay With Me” as well as his new single “Too Good At Goodbyes” live for as little as $50.
Vance Joy
Indie artist Vance Joy is hitting the road this spring and summer for his new album Nation of Two. His debut single “Riptide” spent over 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2014 and 2015. You can catch him this summer in various U. S. cities for $45.
Kenny Chesney
After releasing his latest album Cosmic Hallelujah in 2016, Kenny Chesney is hitting the road for his Trip Around the Sun tour, which visits nearly 50 U. S. cities. With his hit singles “All the Pretty Girls” and “Setting the World on Fire” witness all of Chesney’s country glory for only $50.
Niall Horan
As the first member of One Direction to release solo material during their hiatus, he had expectations to live up to. Thankfully, his debut single “This Town” did not disappoint. After the release of his chart-topping second single “Slow Hands” and solo album Flicker that debuted number 1 in the U.S., Horan is set to tour 35 U. S. cities this summer with country singer Maren Morris. Tickets to a variety of shows can be found for as low as $30.
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is certainly a veteran band, but since releasing their sixth studio album, they continue to hold strong with their newest single “What Lovers Do” (featuring SZA). They’re touring the U.S. this summer with Julia Michaels, starting in Washington and ending in New York. You can find tickets to their Red Pill Blues tour for around $100.
Ed Sheeran
Fresh off of a well-needed hiatus in 2016, Ed Sheeran reappeared with a bang last year, releasing two new songs “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill.” After his third consecutive album Divide followed, Sheeran announced a stadium tour with 23 U.S. stops, including Milwaukee and Chicago for as little as $65.
Fall Out Boy
Having released their new album Mania earlier this year, Fall Out Boy is ready for the road again. Their M A N I A tour, with special guest Machine Gun Kelly, stops in 29 U.S. cities, including Chicago in early September for as little as $41.
Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Keel
Harry Styles
With a self titled debut album, Harry Styles owns up to his own brand. Harry Styles debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the heart-stopping single “Sign of the Times” as his front runner. Following a successful tour in the fall of 2017, Styles is touring the U.S. again, joined by country artist Kacey Musgraves. Tickets can be found here for as low as $80.
Don’t be too upset if you don’t see your favorite artist on the list; many new albums are set to be released throughout 2018. And with the announcement of albums, a tour is usually expected to follow. Watch for artists such as Judas Priest, Ariana Grande, The 1975 and many more to release albums in the coming months. Who knows, you could see them on tour in 2018 too.
Rep image courtesy of Sara Salamat