Rock the Country and Pepsi Rock the South are back for 2025, with Kid Rock and Nickelback headlining both festivals.

The festivals will make stops through 11 small towns across America, kicking off on April 4-5 in Livingston, Louisiana. The 11-city tour will feature varying artists per stop including Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, 3 Doors Down, Travis Tritt, Gavin Adcock, Tracy Lawrence, Aaron Lewis and The Stateliners, Ella Langley, Upchurch, Diamond Rio, Little Texas, Them Dirty Roses and many more, and will also include a ’90s Happy Hour at Rock The Country including Shenandoah, Mark Chesnutt, Jo Dee Messina, Sammy Kershaw, Deana Carter, Afroman, Ying Yang Twins, Tone Loc and Dee Jay Silver.

Pepsi Rock The South, the flagship event held in Cullman, Alabama, returns for its 13th year as the inspiration and foundation of Rock The Country. Building on its success, Rock The Country now expands to 10 festival dates nationwide, revisiting four markets from 2024 while adding six new locations: Livingston, Louisiana; Knoxville, Tennessee, York, Pennsylvania; Hastings, Michigan; Little Rock, Arkansas and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“It’s this simple, Rock The Country isn’t just a music festival, it’s a movement.” says Kid Rock “It’s a place for hard working, god-fearing patriots to gather as one and celebrate freedom, music and the party of the year.”

Presale tickets for Rock The Country and Pepsi Rock The South begin today, (Nov. 12) with past purchasers and email subscribers getting the first chance at tickets. Public on-sale begins Nov. 15.

Festival organizers Peachtree Entertainment has also teamed up with Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships to the children and spouses of America’s fallen or disabled military service members and first responders, to gather donations upon ticket purchase. All donations will go towards local organizations in Cullman as well as organizations such as Folds of Honor in support of our veterans.

In addition, Rock The Country has also officially launched their 2025 Hometown Hero campaign where local residents can nominate someone who goes above and beyond in serving their community every day. The winner of the Rock The Country 2025 Hometown Hero in each market will receive the ultimate VIP experience at their local show, including a backstage tour and the opportunity to lead the Pledge of Allegiance on stage.

Ian Munsick will embark on his 18-city “Horses Are Faster Tour” next year.

Named after Munsick’s Gold-certified tune released in 2017, the journey will include his first headlining shows in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as well as his return to Billy Bob’s Texas, among other dates, before the final stop at The Pinnacle, Nashville’s new music venue. The run will feature a rotating support lineup comprised of Colby Acuff, Chayce Beckham, Bayker Blankenship, Clay Street Unit, Kashus Culpepper, Hudson Westbrook and Jake Worthington.

“There is one thing I can always guarantee when you come to an Ian Munsick show…you will be entertained. I know how hard you work for your money and that’s why every time we hit the stage, the only goal I have is to give you your money’s worth,” the artist shares. “The ‘Horses Are Faster Tour’ will be stocked with brand-new music, old songs we haven’t played in years and, of course, all the crowd favorites you need to hear. Rocky Mountain Fever and I are crafting an entirely different show for 2025, and I can’t wait for you to see the final result when we come to your town!”

Tickets go sale this Friday (Nov. 15) at 10 a.m. local time. For more information, click here.

Munsick also recently released his new single, “Fixin’ Me,” which he co-wrote with Trannie Anderson and Jared Conrad, and is currently supporting Lainey Wilson on her “Country’s Cool Again Tour.”

Niko Moon & CAA Raise Their Hammers At Music Row Build

Niko Moon and CAA joined Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville’s Music Row Build on Nov. 8. The annual event features a country artist lending their skills and platform to help create affordable housing to those who work in the music industry.

 

Bailey Zimmerman Makes His ‘Tonight Show’ Debut

Bailey Zimmerman made his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, delivering a performance of his latest song, “Holding On.” Zimmerman and his team recently celebrated his chart-toppers “Religiously” and “Where It Ends” at a party in Nashville. “Where It Ends” is the artist’s fourth and most recent No. 1.

 

Bill Anderson Gives Keynote At TCIA Annual Conference Lunch

Bill Anderson was the keynote speaker at the TCIA Annual Conference lunch on Oct. 29. During the event, Kevin Doherty of Dickinson-Wright PLLC interviewed Anderson about various aspects of his long career and how the country music business and the Grand Ole Opry have changed throughout the years.

 

Josh Turner Salutes Veterans With Today Show Performance

Josh Turner performed yesterday (Nov. 11) on Today’s third hour in honor of Veteran’s Day. Turner performed his song, “Unsung Hero,” from his latest album This Country Music Thing. Turner penned the song, which honors all veterans and was inspired by Josh’s granddaddy, Drexell Turner, a WWII medic and a hero.

 

Matt Zahn Joins Gateway Studios As Director Of Marketing

Matt Zahn has joined Gateway Studios & Production Services as its new Director of Marketing. In his new role, Zahn will be responsible for developing and executing strategic marketing initiatives, while also providing support to the company’s Business Development team.

Prior to joining Gateway, Zahn served as Marketing Manager for Morris Light & Sound in Nashville. Following Morris Light & Sound’s acquisition by Solotech in 2021, Zahn transitioned to Solotech, where he developed and executed marketing strategy for the North American division. He also previously served as Director of Marketing for Morris Higham Management, working closely with Kenny Chesney, Old Dominion and others, before leading strategy and marketing for Hunter Hayes.

 

Drew Baldridge Kicks Off Tour With Eddie’s Attic Date Featuring Tori Martin, Dylan Wolfe

Drew Baldridge recently kicked off his tour in Atlanta at Eddie’s Attic with special guests LuckySky Music artist Tori Martin and Illinois-based singer-songwriter Dylan Wolfe.

George Strait will be honored with the 2024 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during the 58th annual CMA Awards next Wednesday (Nov. 20). A star-studded performance by several Strait admirers is set follow the presentation.

The CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country music, and achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, streaming numbers, record sales and public representation at the highest level. They have also positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre over the course of many years as well as made an unprecedented historical impact on fans and the industry alike. Past recipients include Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Charley Pride (2020), Loretta Lynn (2021) and Alan Jackson (2022).

Spanning more than 40 years, Strait’s career has consisted of 60 No. 1 singles and 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member has been praised for his ability to collide comfortable and worn with fresh and exciting every time he steps on stage or into the studio. He is the only act in history to have a top 10 hit every year for over three decades, and has sold more than 70 million albums and earned over 60 major entertainment industry awards. Having notched 17 CMA Award wins, including three CMA Entertainer of the Year awards (1989, 1990, 2013), Strait is the most-nominated artist with 83 total CMA Award nominations.

“There have been few other artists as authentically Texas and authentically country as George Strait, and country music fans all over the world have been better for it,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO. “As a three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and the most-nominated artist of all time, he serves as an inspiration and icon to many of the great, new artists we know today. I am thrilled we are awarding him with this deserving honor.”

Cody Johnson‘s Leather returns to the top five on the country albums chart, and claims the fifth slot with 24K in total consumption (3.7K album only/25 million song streams), according to Luminate data.

Morgan Wallen‘s One Thing At A Time rises to No. 1 with 43K (663 album only/55 million song streams), and Jelly Roll‘s Beautifully Broken takes No. 2 with 35K (7.9K album only/32 million song streams). Post Malone‘s Grammy-nominated F-1 Trillion fills the third slot with 30K (1.7K album only/36 million song streams), while Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album moves into the fourth slot with 28K (418 album only/37 million song streams).

Based on audio streams, Wallen’s “Love Somebody” stays atop the country streaming songs chart with 16.3 million new streams, adding to 6.7 million ATD. Shaboozey‘s Grammy-nominated “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” continues at No. 2 with 16 million streams, adding to 880 million ATD, followed by Post Malone and Wallen’s Grammy-nominated “I Had Some Help” at No. 3 with 14 million new streams, adding to 777 million ATD. Zach Bryan‘s “Pink Skies” rests at No. 4 with 10 million streams, adding to 420 million ATD, while his Kacey Musgraves collaboration, “I Remember Everything,” shifts up to No. 5 with 9.6 million new streams, adding to 1.1 billion ATD.