Country superstar coming to Alabama: ‘Lovable goofball’ pleases crowds with ‘sultry swagger’

Luke Bryan, one of the most famous names in country music, has announced more than 30 tour dates for 2025, including a show in Alabama.

Bryan’s “Country Song Came On Tour” will stop in Birmingham on July 19 at the new Coca-Cola Amphitheater, with opening acts Drake Milligan, George Birge, Avery Anna and DJ Rock.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. show go on sale Friday, Jan. 31, via Ticketmaster/Live Nation. Prices are $34.75, $49.75, $69.75, $89.75, $109.75, $139.75, $169.75 and $179.75, according to promoter Live Nation.

Pre-sales start on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 8 a.m. CT and run through Thursday, Jan. 30, at 10 p.m. CT, according to the ticket listing.

Bryan, 48, is touring on a 2024 album, “Mind of a Country Boy,” that includes the radio singles “Country On,” ”But I Got a Beer in My Hand” and “Love You, Miss You, Mean It.” His tour is named after the latest single from the record, “Country Song Came On.”

The genial crowd-pleaser has eight studio albums to his credit, 2007-present, and a hit list that includes “Rain Is a Good Thing,” “Country Girl Shake It for Me,” “Crash My Party,” “Drink a Beer,” “Drunk on You,” “I Don’t Want the Night to End,” “One Margarita,” “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” “Knockin’ Boots” and more.

Bryan also earned fame on “American Idol,” joining the reality show’s judging panel in 2018. He’s been a popular host for the CMA Awards, and his trophy case is filled with accolades, including Entertainer of the Year awards from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music.

From left, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest at an “American Idol” event in 2024. Bryan, Richie and Perry joined the reality show’s judging panel in 2018. Seacrest is the series’ longtime host. Perry left the show after the 2024 season and has been replaced by Carrie Underwood.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

In 2015, Bryan was the subject of an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame, detailing his life story via personal memorabilia. The display included his first guitar, handwritten lyrics, fishing tackle, hunting trophies, childhood baseball jerseys and more.

“I lay it all out there,” Bryan said at the exhibit’s opening reception, according to People magazine. “I don’t reckon they got any underwear in here, so I think we’re good.”

Billboard touted Bryan’s mainstream appeal in a 2023 review, saying the “key to his success as one of country music’s foremost ambassadors for more than a decade has been his long-perfected onstage blend of lovable goofball, sultry swagger and positive attitude, and his insistence on recording songs that largely bring — and keep — fans in those good spirits.”

Bryan’s “Country Song Came On Tour” also includes dates in Southern cities such as Savannah, Georgia (June 12, Enmarket Arena); Lafayette, Louisiana (June 21, Cajundome); Charleston, South Carolina (July 18, Credit One Stadium); and Charleston, West Virginia (Aug. 18, Charleston Coliseum). See the full list of tour dates here.

The Georgia native is a longtime favorite in Alabama, performing at venues such as Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, The Wharf Amphitheater, Orion Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Rock the South and Hangout Music Fest.

In July 2014, for example, Bryan energized the crowd at Oak Mountain with a rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama,” prompting an audience sing-along that included shouts of “Roll, Tide, roll!” (Watch that performance in the video below.)

Bryan also has been spotted off stage in Tuscaloosa on occasion, taking selfies with fans at Rounders Bar and Miss Dots restaurant.

Birmingham audiences have watched Bryan progress from newcomer to headliner over the years — one of his early shows here was in 2009 at the Zydeco nightclub in Southside — and his concert at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater lends a higher profile to the venue’s debut season.

Construction for the amphitheater is ongoing, and the Coca-Cola Amphitheater should be ready for the public in June 2025, according to organizers. The outdoor venue is expected to have 9,380 seats and a $46 million price tag.

The amphitheater — owned by the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and managed by Live Nation — previously announced 11 shows for 2025, ranging from comedian Matt Rife (June 22) to country star Jason Aldean (Sept. 26).

READ: Music stars we’d love to see at Coca-Cola Amphitheater in Alabama