COUNTRY THUNDER
Festival lines up top names for 2018
Wednesday was a big day for country music fans as Country Thunder Saskatchewan unveiled the majority of its lineup for the 2018 festival.
The event, which will run July 12-15 in Craven, had previously announced Luke Bryan as the Sunday night headliner for the 2018 festival. While organizers are holding back the identity of the Friday night headliner — that artist will be unveiled at the Saskatchewan Roughriders-Montreal Alouettes game at Mosaic Stadium on Friday — they did unveil a good portion of their upcoming roster.
Making their way to the Qu’Appelle Valley for the festival will be Chris Young (as the Saturday night headliner), Big & Rich, Dean Brody, Jess Moskaluke, Clay Walker, the Hunter Brothers, Lindsay Ell and Roots & Boots (comprised of Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin and Collin Raye).
Organizers, who also plan to announce additional artists in the coming weeks, also revealed a new wrinkle for its mainstage schedule. For the first time, artists will take to the mainstage on Thursday night, giving the festival four nights of mainstage performances. Big & Rich, who performed at the festival in 2006, 2007 and 2011, will be the Thursday night headliners with Walker and Williams & Ree also performing that night.
“We’re going to get the Country Thunder Saskatchewan party started a little early in 2018,” said Troy Vollhoffer, CEO of Country Thunder Music Festivals.
“After all of the site renovations last year, it’s going to be amazing for our fans to be able spend a little more time in the Craven Valley next summer — all at the same low price.
“We are so proud to create the ultimate festival experience for our fans in Saskatchewan. This is where we’re from, and we are incredibly excited to announce this dream lineup for Country Thunder Saskatchewan. To be able to announce one more headliner on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium will make it even more special.”
Bryan, who last performed at the festival in 2010, is one of the biggest acts in country music with 17 No. 1 singles to his credit. His latest album, What Makes You Country, is scheduled to be released on Dec. 8. Light It Up, the first single from the disc, was released Aug. 23 and has worked its way into the Top 10.
His profile will get a significant boost in the coming months as he has been signed as a judge, along with Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, in the revamped television show American Idol.
Young has been efficiently working his way up the ladder of success over the past 10 years and has earned his headliner spot with an impressive catalogue that includes eight No. 1 singles. Young, who performed at the festival in 2016, released his latest album, Losing Sleep, on Oct. 20.
Canada’s vibrant country music scene will be represented by Brody (who has won 17 Canadian Country Music Awards), Moskaluke (a three-time CCMA winner of female artist of the year), Ell and the Hunter Brothers.
Full event general admission tickets are available online at www. countrythunder.com/sk-ticketinfo for $150. Platinum reserved seating and reserved seating are also available.