A fast car will be speeding to Neyland Stadium next year! Country music star Luke Combs is coming to Knoxville on his 2026 My Kinda Saturday Night stadium tour.
Combs is scheduled to play at Neyland May 2, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville announced Oct. 9. Fans can sign up for early access to tickets at lukecombs.com, according to a Facebook post from Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
Tennessee Athletics teased the concert in an Oct. 7 post on X with a video of Neyland and Combs’ newest song, “My Kinda Saturday Night,” playing in the background.
Speculation began spreading online in late September that the country star was slated to make a tour stop at Neyland in “May 2026.” The claim was first reported by Knoxville sports radio station WKGN and Barstool Tennessee, an affiliate of Barstool Sports.
Neyland is the largest stadium in the state but has rarely hosted concerts during its 100-year long history. Combs is only the fifth artist to headline a concert at the stadium, joining the likes of Michael Jackson and Garth Brooks.
Morgan Wallen did it last year in record-breaking style. Nearly 160,000 people came to see the Gibbs High School graduate perform for a two-night event at Neyland. The shows were the first headlining concerts at the stadium in five years.
Combs reduced his touring schedule earlier this year, but he’s back with new music. Ahead of his sixth album, he released “The Prequel” Oct. 3. The EP features three songs, including “My Kinda Saturday Night.”
Some of his most popular songs include “Beautiful Crazy,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “Hurricane” and a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”
He has won nine County Music Association Awards, including being named entertainer of the year twice, and has received eight Grammy nominations. Combs last performed in Knoxville in 2019 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Why doesn’t Neyland Stadium host more concerts?
Hosting concerts at Neyland – with its seating capacity up to to 101,915 – is all about the timing. Not only does an artist have to be popular enough to fill the large stadium, but shows can’t interfere too much with classes or with the football season.
“Whenever you have an iconic venue like Neyland Stadium, we will continue to look for opportunities to host events on Rocky Top, beyond just football game days,” Director of Athletics Danny White said in a Sept. 25 statement to Knox News following speculation that Combs would be playing the venue next.
“Given our close proximity to Nashville, there’s no reason Knoxville cannot become a major destination for a wide variety of concerts,” White added.
Drawing stadium-touring artists benefits the university and the city. Wallen’s concerts, for instance, reportedly resulted in an $80 million economic impact.
“We are committed to actively exploring options that will benefit our entire campus community while ensuring they align with our financial goals,” White said
UT has two other venues for concerts: Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center and Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Food City Center has a list concerts scheduled going into next year, including shows by GloRilla, Lainey Wilson and the Jonas Brothers in the next four weeks.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Luke Combs is officially bringing his 2026 tour to Neyland Stadium
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