2015 Summer Concerts: Everything You Need to Know

Top Summer Tours of 2015
Aerosmith Blue Army Tour
After nearly 50 years together, Aerosmith is still going strong. The rock Gods from Boston have just announced the “Blue Army” tour, which will begin in June and take place throughout the summer. The first show takes place on June 13 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ, and currently the last stop is in Canton, OH, on August 7. Click here for Aerosmith tour dates & tickets.
Ariana Grande Honeymoon Tour
Ariana Grande has been on the road for “The Honeymoon Tour” since February 26, and is showing no signs of slowing down. The 21-year-old singer has just announced an additional 40 tour dates, with Prince Royce on tap as opener. The second leg of the tour begins on July 16 in Tampa, FL, the first of two gigs in Grande’s home state. Click here for Ariana Grande tour dates & tickets.
Charli XCX & Bleachers
While fun. remains on hiatus, guitarist Jack Antonoff is hitting the road with his band Bleachers. Joining him is singer/songwriter Charli XCX, with their initial round of tour dates taking place mainly in the West Coast and Midwest. It kicks off on July 21 in San Diego, CO, at the Observatory North Park. Click here for Bleachers & Charli XCX tickets.
Dashboard Confessional & Third Eye Blind Tour
An exciting, albeit surprising, collaboration this summer includes the Third Eye Blind + Dashboard Confessional tour. Beginning on May 29 at the Jacobs Pavilion in Cleveland, OH, the summer run will see the two bands in all the usual spots across the country. From Arizona to Florida, Maine to Michigan, Idaho to California, nobody is safe from the sappy singing of Chris Carrabba and the lispy-whisperings of Stephan Jenkins. Click here for Dashboard Confessional & Third Eye Blind tour dates & tickets.
Death Cab for Cutie Kintsugi Tour
Emo rockers (like, emo in a well-respected way) Death Cab for Cutie will spend the majority of 2015 on tour in support of their new album Kintsugi. Beginning on April 10 in Mesa, AZ, at Quail Run Park, the current trio will hit up all nooks and crannies of the United States, as well as spreading some joy overseas. The Antlers, Built to Spill, tUnE-yArDs, Explosions in the Sky, Twin Shadow and Best Coast will all act as support for varying dates. Click here for Death Cab for Cutie tour dates & tickets.
Drake The Jungle Tour
After a wild Coachella performance that included a surprise make-out sesh with Madonna, Drake has announced a summer tour. Kicking off on May 24 at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX, Drake will be joined by rapper Future as they traverse North America, stopping in major cities like Chicago, Detroit (it’s up-and-coming, I swear!), New York and his hometown of Toronto. Click here for Drake tour dates & tickets.
Ed Sheeran Tour
Ed Sheeran is currently on tour from now to infinity. Besides the fresh batch of fall dates he’s just announced, the unlikely heartthrob will also spend the summer touring stateside. The tour starts May 2 with his stint at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. From there, Sheeran will perform relentlessly, from Austin, TX, to Queen, NY; Bangor, ME, to Milwaukee, WI. If for some reason you don’t live in a location where Sheeran is playing, you probably need to move, because you live under a rock. Click here for Ed Sheeran tour dates & tickets.
Garth Brooks Tour
Garth Brooks came out of a 13-year retirement from the road to tour from now until eternity. Or at least the next three years. While he’s still revealing dates on a weekly basis, his massive excursion with wifey Trisha Yearwood has already begun. For the foreseeable future he’ll be performing throughout the South, but stay tuned as more stops will be announced at a later time. Click here for Garth Brooks tour dates & tickets.
Incubus & Deftones Tour
Incubus and Deftones are teaming up for an epic comeback. The two bands, who gained popularity in the ’90s with their catchy alt-rock sounds, will embark on a co-headlining tour that kicks off on July 22. Death From Above 1979 and The Bots will act as support for varying dates. Click here for Incubus & Deftones tour dates & tickets.
Lady Antebellum Wheels Up Tour
The “Wheels Up Tour” will see this popular country trio all over Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S., joined by Hunter Hayes and Sam Hunt for varying dates. The North American portion begins on May 1 in Lubbock, TX, and wraps up on September 5 in Tampa, FL. Click here for Lady Antebellum tour dates & tickets.
Meghan Trainor The M Train Tour
To celebrate her rapid success (and to promote her latest single, “Dear Future Husband”), 21-year-old singer/songwriter Meghan Trainor has announced dates for a second headlining tour. Kicking off on July 3 at the Borgata in Atlantic City, fans from coast to coast will have the chance to see the singer in the flesh on her “The M Train” tour. The final show date takes place on September 6 in Allentown, PA. Click here for Meghan Trainor tour dates & tickets.
Mumford & Sons Wilder Mind Tour
In addition to their “Gentlemen of the Road Stopover” dates, Mumford & Sons have announced additional shows for the summer months. They’ll begin on June 2 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, followed by gigs in Boston, Chicago and Calgary. The tour is in support of their new, banjo-less album, Wilder Minds. Click here for Mumford & Sons tour dates & tickets.
Nicki Minaj The Pinkprint Tour
Nicki Minaj’s latest album, The Pinkprint, is being hailed as some of the rapper’s finest work to-date. To celebrate, the Queens-bred musician is hitting the road for a summer U.S. tour. Kicking off on July 17 in Dallas, TX, as the Gexa Energy Pavilion, Minaj will traverse the South, East Coast, parts of Canada, and the Midwest in support of the new tunes. Click here for Nicki Minaj tour dates & tickets.
Phish Tour
Hot on the heels of frontman Trey’s “Fare Thee Well” performance, jam band Phish are embarking on a summer tour. The run is heavy with Southern and Midwest stops, as well as festival 10 in Watkins Glen, NY. The tour starts off with a two-night stint at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre in Bend, OR, and concludes with their usual Labor Day Dicks run. Click here for Phish tour dates & tickets.
The Rolling Stones Zip Code Tour
After months of speculation, The Rolling Stones officially announced their plans for the summer. “The Zip Code Tour” will see the British icons in all the major cities throughout the country, starting with San Diego, CA, at Petco Park on May 24. The tour wraps up on July 15 at Quebec City Summer Fest, where the band will give a headlining performance. Click here for The Rolling Stones tour dates & tickets.
Shania Twain Rock This Country Tour
After an 11-year break from touring, Shania Twain has finally announced new tour dates. The only catch? They’ll be her last. The “Rock this Country” tour will see Twain perform 48 shows throughout North America, kicking off on June 5 in Seattle, WA, and ending on August 23 in Fresno, CA. Gavin DeGraw will act as opener. Click here for Shania Twain tour dates & tickets.
Smashing Pumpkins & Marilyn Manson The End Times Tour
Marilyn Manson and Billy Corgan have been buddies for a long time, so when the two announced a joint tour fans were likely excited but unsurprised. “The End Times Tour” will see Manson opening for The Smashing Pumpkins in a series of concerts throughout North America, beginning on July 7 in Concord, CA, at the Concord Pavilion. Click here for Smashing Pumpkins & Marilyn Manson tour dates & tickets.
U2 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour
After a long hiatus from the road U2 is finally back with tour dates. Spanning May 14 to October 13, the tour will support their 2014 release, Songs of Innocence. The album will serve as the driving concept behind the performances, as they’ll spend at least two nights in every city, devoting one evening to innocence and one to songs of experience. Click here for U2 tour dates & tickets.
Widespread Panic Tour
In additional to all of the festivals they’ll be at this summer (Lockn’, The Ride, CounterPoint, Summer Camp and Forecastle), Widespread Panic has just announced a summer tour. The run of shows come as a treat to fans living in the North East, as the band will kick things off with dates in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Pennsylvania beginning in June. The tour ends on July 19 in Louisville, KY. Click here for Widespread Panic tour dates & tickets.
Zac Brown Band Jeckyll & Hyde Tour
To celebrate their new album, Jeckyll & Hyde, Zac Brown band are hitting the road hard this summer, traversing land from Tennessee to California and everywhere in between. The tour kicks off on May 1 with a gig in Nashville at the Bridgestone Arena and wraps up on September 19 in Del Mar, CA, at the Kaaboo Music & Arts Festival. Click here for Zac Brown Band tour dates & tickets.
Summer Concert Events & Tickets
Upcoming Summer Concerts in the U.S.
For a complete list of summer concert tickets, click here.
Top 100 Most Expensive Summer Tours of 2014*
Tour Name | Start Date** | End Date | Avg. Ticket Price |
One Direction with 5 Seconds of Summer | 2014-08-01 | 2014-09-21 | $270.96 |
Katy Perry with Kacey Musgraves | 2014-06-22 | 2014-09-20 | $243.13 |
Luke Bryan with Dierks Bentley and Lee Brice and Cole Swindell | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-20 | $237.14 |
Bruno Mars with Aloe Blacc | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-23 | $235.84 |
Jason Aldean with Florida Georgia Line and Miranda Lambert | 2014-07-11 | 2014-09-20 | $221.26 |
Beyonce with Jay-Z | 2014-06-25 | 2014-09-13 | $206.09 |
Justin Timberlake | 2014-07-09 | 2014-08-12 | $203.23 |
Motley Crue with Alice Cooper | 2014-07-02 | 2014-08-31 | $198.17 |
Zac Brown Band with Sturgill Simpson | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-14 | $197.03 |
Lady Gaga with Lady Starlight and CRAYON POP | 2014-06-28 | 2014-08-09 | $195.66 |
Fall Out Boy with Paramore and New Politics | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-30 | $189.33 |
Paul McCartney | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-14 | $187.01 |
Dave Matthews Band | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-06 | $183.89 |
OneRepublic with The Script | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-28 | $182.95 |
Summerfest with Bruno Mars, Aloe Blacc | 2014-06-25 | 2014-07-30 | $181.29 |
Blake Shelton with The Band Perry and Neal McCoy | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-20 | $180.33 |
Queen with Adam Lambert | 2014-06-24 | 2014-07-28 | $178.58 |
James Taylor | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-09 | $177.27 |
Nine Inch Nails with Soundgarden and Death Grips | 2014-07-19 | 2014-08-30 | $175.21 |
Zac Brown Band’s Southern Ground Music & Food Festival with Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffett | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-30 | $174.23 |
KISS with Def Leppard | 2014-06-23 | 2014-08-31 | $170.58 |
Journey with Steve Miller Band and Tower of Power | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-01 | $168.10 |
Linkin Park with 30 Seconds to Mars and AFI | 2014-08-08 | 2014-09-18 | $167.46 |
Phish | 2014-07-01 | 2014-08-31 | $162.66 |
Cher with Cyndi Lauper | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-20 | $162.16 |
Eagles | 2014-06-23 | 2014-09-18 | $160.56 |
Keith Urban with Brett Eldredge | 2014-07-12 | 2014-09-13 | $157.68 |
Arcade Fire with Pixies and Ham Sandwich | 2014-06-29 | 2014-08-30 | $156.47 |
Michael Buble | 2014-06-22 | 2014-08-03 | $155.22 |
Rascal Flatts with Sheryl Crow and Gloriana and Country Megaticket | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-21 | $154.35 |
Arctic Monkeys with Miles Kane and Jake Bugg and Royal Blood | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-04 | $153.88 |
Tim McGraw with Country Megaticket and Cassadee Pope and Kip Moore | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-12 | $153.86 |
Miranda Lambert with Tyler Farr | 2014-07-11 | 2014-09-20 | $153.09 |
John Legend with Marsha Ambrosius | 2014-06-22 | 2014-08-26 | $152.92 |
Jack White | 2014-07-05 | 2014-09-17 | $151.56 |
Jack Johnson with Michael Kiwanuka | 2014-07-20 | 2014-09-01 | $149.76 |
Aerosmith with Slash | 2014-07-10 | 2014-09-09 | $149.63 |
Britney Spears | 2014-08-15 | 2014-09-10 | $148.59 |
Brand New with Joyce Manor | 2014-07-05 | 2014-09-04 | $147.93 |
Toby Keith with Colt Ford | 2014-06-28 | 2014-09-20 | $145.05 |
Brad Paisley with Randy Houser and Country Megaticket and Charlie Worsham | 2014-06-22 | 2014-09-20 | $144.74 |
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Steve Winwood | 2014-08-03 | 2014-09-21 | $142.95 |
Sarah McLachlan | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-03 | $142.63 |
Goo Goo Dolls with Daughtry and Plain White T’s | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-31 | $142.12 |
Austin Mahone with Fifth Harmony | 2014-06-23 | 2014-09-09 | $140.62 |
Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival with Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, Trivium | 2014-07-05 | 2014-08-10 | $139.67 |
Ray Lamontagne with Jenny Lewis | 2014-06-24 | 2014-08-13 | $137.84 |
Panic! At The Disco with Fitz and the Tantrums and Walk The Moon and Twenty One Pilots | 2014-07-18 | 2014-08-31 | $137.16 |
Kings of Leon with Young The Giant | 2014-06-22 | 2014-09-17 | $136.63 |
Chicago with REO Speedwagon | 2014-07-31 | 2014-09-12 | $134.43 |
Counting Crows with Toad the Wet Sprocket | 2014-06-22 | 2014-08-17 | $134.19 |
Boston with Cheap Trick | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-05 | $133.81 |
Lionel Richie with Cee Lo Green | 2014-06-22 | 2014-08-03 | $133.66 |
Lady Antebellum | 2014-07-19 | 2014-09-07 | $133.38 |
Steely Dan | 2014-07-02 | 2014-09-21 | $132.57 |
Sara Bareilles with Emily King and Hannah Georgas | 2014-07-10 | 2014-08-14 | $131.56 |
Ed Sheeran | 2014-08-21 | 2014-09-18 | $129.75 |
Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band | 2014-06-21 | 2014-07-19 | $129.72 |
Beck | 2014-06-24 | 2014-08-21 | $127.74 |
Crosby, Stills & Nash | 2014-07-02 | 2014-09-20 | $127.25 |
Wiz Khalifa with Ty Dolla $ign and Iamsu and Under the Influence of Music Tour and Rich Homie Quan | 2014-07-24 | 2014-08-24 | $126.03 |
Dierks Bentley with Chris Young and Country Megaticket and Chase Rice and Jon Pardi | 2014-06-28 | 2014-08-22 | $125.80 |
Warped Tour with Yellowcard, Anberlin, Mayday Parade | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-02 | $125.20 |
Florida Georgia Line | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-15 | $123.13 |
Rod Stewart | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-21 | $121.85 |
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with THE BAD SEED | 2014-06-21 | 2014-07-31 | $121.79 |
The Avett Brothers | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-14 | $121.45 |
Tori Amos | 2014-07-16 | 2014-08-24 | $121.13 |
Drake with Lil Wayne | 2014-08-08 | 2014-09-20 | $121.00 |
Shania Twain | 2014-07-09 | 2014-08-30 | $120.96 |
Robbie Williams | 2014-06-22 | 2014-07-12 | $119.33 |
Train with Gin Blossoms | 2014-07-10 | 2014-09-21 | $119.01 |
Darius Rucker with Eric Paslay | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-20 | $118.44 |
Lee Evans | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-21 | $118.39 |
Passenger | 2014-08-02 | 2014-09-14 | $118.33 |
Styx with Foreigner and Don Felder | 2014-06-23 | 2014-09-19 | $117.30 |
The Black Keys with Cage the Elephant | 2014-09-05 | 2014-09-21 | $117.26 |
O.A.R. with Phillip Phillips | 2014-06-21 | 2014-07-26 | $117.07 |
Lindsey Stirling | 2014-06-21 | 2014-07-12 | $116.43 |
Willie Nelson with Alison Krauss | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-23 | $115.84 |
Flume | 2014-07-13 | 2014-08-11 | $115.73 |
ZZ Top with Jeff Beck | 2014-07-25 | 2014-09-13 | $114.51 |
The Neighbourhood with Travi$ Scott | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-31 | $112.16 |
Diana Ross | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-19 | $111.80 |
Elvis Costello | 2014-06-21 | 2014-09-08 | $110.47 |
Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bad Company | 2014-07-10 | 2014-08-30 | $110.01 |
Gavin DeGraw | 2014-06-22 | 2014-09-20 | $109.99 |
Peter Frampton | 2014-06-22 | 2014-08-27 | $109.81 |
The Fray with A Great Big World | 2014-06-22 | 2014-09-09 | $109.14 |
David Gray | 2014-06-23 | 2014-08-31 | $108.64 |
Veruca Salt with Battleme | 2014-06-22 | 2014-07-26 | $108.44 |
Yes | 2014-07-06 | 2014-08-24 | $107.60 |
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo with Rick Springfield | 2014-06-27 | 2014-08-30 | $105.98 |
The Offspring with Pennywise and The Vandals and Bad Religion and Stiff Little Fingers | 2014-07-11 | 2014-09-11 | $104.55 |
Jake Owen with Charlie Worsham | 2014-06-27 | 2014-09-05 | $104.41 |
Yanni | 2014-08-07 | 2014-09-21 | $102.72 |
311 | 2014-06-26 | 2014-08-10 | $102.58 |
Little Big Town | 2014-06-21 | 2014-08-16 | $102.35 |
Heart | 2014-06-22 | 2014-09-16 | $99.87 |
*As determined by secondary market ticket prices.
**Some tours may have begun earlier than 6/21/14.
Summer Concert Venues
Most concert goers regard summer outdoor venues as some of the best places to experience a concert. The whole aura of being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air while listening to some great tunes is always a good time. From the Hollywood Bowl in California to the Summer Stage Concert series at Central Park in New York, outdoor venues are gearing up for the summer. Follow the links below to read more about outdoor venues and which ones draw the highest ticket prices on average.
Summer Concert Venues Link Roundup
- The 10 Most Demanded Outdoor Venues for the Summer
- Most Demanded Venues to Watch Phish’s Summer 2010 Tour
- Dave Matthews Band Summer 2010 Concert Venue and Ticket Prices
- 10 Money Saving Tips for Concertgoers
- Top Chicago Summer Concerts 2012
- Top Upcoming New York Concerts
- Top Upcoming Chicago Concerts
Summer Festivals
If you don’t have the time to attend a bunch of concerts to see you favorite artists or if you want to get a great bang for your buck, the summer festivals are your best bet. Whether its a travelling festival like the Vans Warped Tour or a one time only festival like Coachella, there is a festival out there to suit your needs. The vibe at festivals is unrivaled most regular concerts in that the crowd is usually larger and it gives you the chance to see a few new bands who could be next years big thing. Summer festivals are here to stay and shouldn’t be missed.
Summer Festivals Link Roundup
- 2014 Music Festivals Lineup and Ticket Prices
- Vans Warped Tour 2014 Lineup Updates and Tour Dates
- Summerfest 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Bamboozle 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Lollapalooza 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Outside Lands 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Bonnaroo 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Coachella 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Austin City Limits Music Festival 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Electric Zoo 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Camp Bisco 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- North Coast Music Festival Lineup and Tickets
- All Good Music Festival Lineup and Tickets
- Osheaga 2014 Lineup and Tickets
- Governors Ball 2014 Lineup and Tickets