Superfest to return, with Strait in tow
George Strait will headline Buckeye Country Superfest, which will return June 8 to Ohio Stadium after a oneyear hiatus.
Strait — who has charted 60 No. 1 singles and 33 platinum-selling albums, more than any other country music artist — last performed in Columbus in 2014 after announcing he no longer planned to tour.
Blake Shelton also will perform. The judge on the TV competition “The Voice” was the 2012 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and is a five-time male vocalist of the year. His latest album, “Texoma Shore,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard top country albums chart.
Shelton headlined the first Buckeye Country Superfest in 2015 and returned in 2017. His “Country Music Freaks” tour came to Nationwide Arena in March.
Also scheduled to perform June 8 are Chris Janson, Midland and Raelynn.
The one-day performance is a change in format from the previous Superfests in 2015 through 2017, which were two-day shows.
Leslie Lane, vice president George Strait has had 60 No. 1 singles in his career.
of the Columbus Arena & Sports Entertainment company, which organizes Superfest, said the decision came in light of booking Strait.
“It’s a big get to get him,” she said. “George is in a stratosphere by himself.”
Buckeye Country Superfest premiered in 2015, drawing
210,000 people in its first three years.
The hiatus was an attempt to avoid recycling headliners, Columbus Arena & Sports Company communications director Gary O’Brien told The Dispatch in March.
“There are only so many headliners that can fill a stadium,” he said.
Lane doesn’t yet know if Superfest will return in 2020. That depends on which artists are touring and where they’re touring.
“It’s impossible to project out and guess what will be in the future,” she said. “We take it one year at a time. You book who you can book.”
Tickets range from $49.50 to $399.50 (limit of eight) and will go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 7 through Ticketmaster.
For more information, call 1-800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.