Seven-time Grammy® winner TobyMac will once again bring his dynamic HITS DEEP Tour to 29 markets next year, alongside a talent-packed line up including Danny Gokey, Mandisa, Ryan Stevenson and Finding Favour. The 2018 HITS DEEP Tour is a partnership with K-LOVE, Air1, Awakening Events and Food for the Hungry. Kicking off at Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena in late January, the HITS DEEP Tour will wrap in mid-March after stops in San Diego, Denver, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Birmingham and more. Tickets for the 2018 tour go on sale Friday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. local venue time.

2018 HITS DEEP Tour Dates:
Jan. 30: Oklahoma City; Chesapeake Energy Arena
Feb. 1: Rio Rancho, N.M.; Santa Ana Star Center
Feb 2: Glendale, Ariz.; Gila River Arena
Feb. 3: Salt Lake City; Vivint Arena
Feb. 8: San Diego; Viejas Arena
Feb. 9: Ontario, Calif.; Citizens Business Bank Arena
Feb. 10: Reno, Nev.; Reno Events Center
Feb. 11: Sacramento, Calif.; Golden 1 Center
Feb. 13: Fresno, Calif.; Save Mart Center
Feb. 15: Kennewick, Washington; Toyota Center
Feb. 16: Seattle; Key Arena
Feb. 17: Portland, Ore.; Moda Center
Feb. 18: Spokane, Washington; Spokane Arena
Feb. 22: Denver; Denver Coliseum
Feb. 23: Kansas City, Mo.; Sprint Center
Feb. 24: Moline, Ill.; iWireless Center
Feb. 25: Minneapolis; Target Center
March 1: Milwaukee; University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
March 2: Omaha, Neb.; Baxter Arena
March 3: Saint Charles, Mo.; Family Arena
March 4: Grand Rapids, Mich.; The Van Andel Arena
March 8: Belton, Texas; Bell County Expo Center
March 9: Lubbock, Texas; United Super Market Arena
March 10: El Paso, Texas; Don Haskins Center
March 11: San Antonio; AT&T Center
March 15: Jonesboro, Ark.; ASU Convocation Center
March 16: Baton Rouge, La.; Raising Cane’s River Center
March 17: Birmingham, Ala.; BJCC Arena
March 18: Pensacola, Fla.; Pensacola Bay Center

Pilgrimage Festival co-producer Kevin Griffin.

When Kevin Griffin decided to go for a run down Franklin Road four years ago, he didn’t know he was setting out on a Pilgrimage. But as he looked at beautiful Harlinsdale Farm in his adopted hometown of Franklin, Tenn., the longtime Better Than Ezra frontman envisioned his next journey: a music festival.

Fast forward to 2017, where Griffin and co-producers Brandt Wood and Michael Whelan are a week away from the third annual Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, set for Sept. 23 and 24 at Harlinsdale Farm. Next week’s forecast is sunny—for both the weather and the experience.

The event has grown tremendously since it debuted in 2015, and now operates as a full-time enterprise with an office in Franklin. Griffin says it has “exceeded our wildest dreams.” Daily attendance doubled from the first to second years, and is growing again this year, when about 30,000 fans will be grooving to the sounds of Justin Timberlake, Eddie Vedder, Ryan Adams, Fitz and The Tantrums, The Avett Brothers and more. Griffin says the property can easily handle attendance of 60,000.

He attributes excellent word-of-mouth to the growing numbers, noting that the musical line-up for the first year was arguably stronger than the second year, and attendance doubled anyway. That is because so much attention is given to the ease of getting in and out of the festival grounds, convenience of purchasing food and drinks, creating a cool artisan marketplace and unique vibe.

Whelan says, “The guest experience is very important to us, as well as the overall brand and what it represents to the community. We are proud of that and it’s something we work very hard at. It’s not just about the music. It’s about the experience for everybody, from the time they decide to come to Pilgrimage to the time they leave. We spend a lot of time curating the line-up and have a healthy debate internally about the music and food programming and everything that goes with the brand. Our goal long-term is that the festival always have a boutique feel to it.”

Griffin agrees, “We want people this year to have as good of a time as the first two years. With this festival, we’ve wanted to walk before we run, and grow at a pace that we can handle.”

This year the grounds will include a new Americana Music Triangle Experience, featuring musical storytelling and décor curated by American Pickers. Also new is the Farm to Turntable area, offering food trucks in a horse paddock. “With the larger crowd this year, we wanted to expand the footprint because there is so much space out there,” says Griffin.

After that healthy debate about the musical line-up, Pilgrimage organizers turn their wish list of performers over to longtime talent booker Jay Sweet.

This year the festival has its biggest artist to-date—Timberlake, a Franklin-area resident who is co-producing the event as well as headlining on Saturday night.

“Justin’s been a great partner since he signed on over a year ago,” continues Whelan. “Obviously with him performing this year he’s very engaged with what Pilgrimage looks like, the line up, what his set will look like. The exposure he’s brought (has been amazing) and his involvement is not just about this year, it’s about the growth of Pilgrimage moving forward. He’s a global superstar who appeals to high school kids, grandparents and everybody in between.”

By design, Pilgrimage attracts all ages. Griffin says, “It’s the kind of festival the Nashville area was missing—a multi-genre festival that represents all the great music and food from the area, merchants and artisans. A Middle Tennessee cultural experience for the whole family.”

Big Loud Records artist Chris Lane is set to embark on his first headlining tour, with 18 shows on the books through the fall. His Take Back Home Tour will feature Bailey Bryan, Dylan Schneider and Morgan Wallen on select tour stops.

The trek launches Oct. 25 in Baltimore, Maryland, before visiting cities including Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Columbus, Ohio before wrapping Dec. 15 in Wichita, Kansas.

“I couldn’t be more excited for my first headlining tour. I’ve learned so much as a performer on the road with Florida Georgia Line this summer, so to be able to showcase that and take more music to the fans is a dream come true,” says Lane. “With Bailey, Dylan and Morgan along for the ride, it’s going to be an incredible couple of months.”

Lane’s current single, “For Her,” became his second single to earn gold status, following his debut single “Fix.” His debut album Girl Problems entered the Top 10 on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart. His all-acoustic version of Girl Problems is streaming on digital services. He opened shows for Florida Georgia Line’s The Smooth Tour 2017 and for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul Tour.

Here’s a complete list of CHRIS LANE’s TAKE BACK HOME TOUR dates:

Oct. 25–  Baltimore, MD #/*
Oct. 27 – Stroudsburg, PA #/*
Oct. 28 – Sayreville, NJ *
Nov. 2 – Patchogue, NY *
Nov. 3 – Atlantic City, NJ *
Nov. 4 – Uncasville, CT *
Nov. 9 – Columbia, MO #/*
Nov. 10 – Minneapolis, MN #/*
Nov. 16 – Baton Rouge, LA #/^
Nov. 17 – Tallahassee, FL #/^
Nov. 25 – Indianapolis, IN #/^
Nov. 30 – Lexington, KY #/^
Dec. 1 – Kansas City, MO #/^
Dec. 2 – Rogers, AR
Dec. 7 – Columbus, OH #/^
Dec. 8 – Rootstown, OH #/^
Dec. 9 – Rosemont, IL #/^
Dec. 15 – Wichita, KS #/^

# – with Bailey Bryan
^ – with Dylan Schneider
* – with Morgan Wallen

Pictured (L-R): Curtis Rempel of High Valley, Ashley McBryde, SiriusXM host Storme Warren, Adam Doleac and Brad Rempel of High Valley announce The Highway Finds Tour live on SiriusXM’s The Highway channel at the SiriusXM Studios in Nashville on Sept. 5, 2017. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for SiriusXM

SiriusXM and Live Nation will present The Highway Finds Tour featuring High Valley, Ashley McBryde and Adam Doleac. Visiting 20 cities in North America, the outing will kick off Wednesday, Oct. 18 in Washington, DC and include stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, and more before wrapping on Dec. 9 in San Diego. The tour will visit Nashville’s Mercy Lounge on Friday, Oct. 27.

SiriusXM and Live Nation presented The Highway Finds Tour for the first time in March 2017, when the inaugural outing featured Steve Moakler, Drew Baldridge and Smithfield.

The “Highway Finds” spotlight on SiriusXM’s Highway channel is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to discovering and breaking new artists. Past “Highway Finds” artists include Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell, Maren Morris, William Michael Morgan, Carly Pearce and Chase Rice.

Qualified subscribers will have the opportunity to win tickets to these shows through dedicated listener emails. Listeners can also enter for the chance to win tickets to the event. SiriusXM listeners will have the chance to purchase tickets to the tour via a special SiriusXM Presale, before tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. local time in each tour market.

Visit siriusxm.com/highwayfindstour for more information.