Luke Combs First Country Artist To Headline Bonnaroo And Lollapalooza

After breaking records, Luke Combs is making history as the first country artist to headline Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.

Coming off his hugely successful “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” stadium tour in 2024 with 25 sold-out double shows in 13 stadiums, Combs has set his sights on reaching beyond the country core and staking a claim for the format at some of the most high-cred, crossover contemporary festivals in the U.S.

“This was the perfect year to let our stadium shows breathe and for us to take the opportunity that we’ve been given to go play contemporary festivals and earn that fan base,” explained Chris Kappy, Combs’ manager since 2015. “That’s the beauty of it. We want to play for people that might not know us.”

Combs’ authenticity resonates on a personal level even in a massive crowd, but changing minds about country’s place in the mainstream didn’t happen overnight.

What might seem like a slam dunk took years to accomplish by Combs’ team including agent Aaron Tannenbaum, who joined WME as a partner in 2021, and Josh Kurfirst, partner and Global Head of Festivals at WME, and the architect behind the company’s modern festival department.

“At WME we are in the business of building careers,” said Kurfirst. “Luke Combs and his team understand the important role festivals play in helping to cultivate a new audience. Historically, Luke was one of the first country crossover artists to play Lollapalooza so it’s fitting that he is the one of the first country crossover artists to headline. Even though in many ways Luke is bigger than the festivals, I believe this is a smart move and highly strategic one by his team.”

Playing those early small platforms – including a Bonnaroo offer for $500 in 2017 and another at Lollapalooza in 2018 – planted the main-stage seed.

“It kind of goes back to when Luke played the 2018 show and we talked about how at some point it would be amazing if he was a headliner on the show one day,” recalled C3 Presents’ Huston Powell, buyer for Lollapalooza. “So, the seed was out there. We were waiting for the right time.”

Combs had his industry breakthrough in 2017 with his debut album, This One’s For You, with hits like “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours” and “One Number Away.” He continued his chart domination with a record 16 singles landing at No. 1. He’s won multiple ACM and CMA Awards including CMA Entertainer of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

Combs solidified his ardent base on the road and then headed overseas to do it again. In January, the soulful North Carolina singer/songwriter played six stadium shows in Australia – two nights each in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne – with a total gross of $48,966,527 and 349,075 tickets sold, according to Pollstar data.

“Most people look at our genre and don’t understand how wide it really is,” explained Kappy. “It’s a worldwide genre and when you look at something like that you have to say to yourself, ‘I don’t need to play all the country music festivals, let’s go play the contemporary looks that set the artist apart from the genre.’ It goes from being country artist Luke Combs, to Luke Combs the country artist.”

The team targeted A-level fests with the broadest reach and reputation.   

“They are activating a whole new set of fans that aren’t necessarily the same people who are buying hard-ticket shows at the stadiums,” said Kurfirst. “The whole point being next time they come through town they’ve now opened up to a whole new group of fans. That’s what I love about this plan.”

Tannenbaum led the charge assembling a string of festival headline slots that also includes Newport Folk Festival, Boston Calling, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jazz Aspen Snowmass and country leaning Tortuga, Stagecoach, Boots in the Park and Country Calling.

“The concept isn’t necessarily a novel one,” said Tannenbaum. “Like most things in life, we build upon groundwork laid by other trailblazers before us – for example Waylon Jennings played Lollapalooza in 1996 – but none of them were in headlining positions. It was a country artist on a predominantly alternative festival.”

The bar was established and Tannenbaum raised it – over the course of eight years.

“Before we curated the festival list, before we executed the plan, first, foremost and critical to executing this was Luke and his music,” explained Tannenbaum. “Obviously the music is just that good and Luke is just that good live. Without that, none of this would be happening.”

The strategy was driven by Combs’ authentic and informed appreciation of music. “It was him being him, and being a songwriter and performer first,” said Tannenbaum. “Then his team and our promoter partners, it’s our job to take that and see where it can go.”

Tannenbaum sent weekly emails with photos from sold-out stadiums during the tour. He approached the ask with humility and credits C3 festival buyers Powell and Bryan Benson with sharing a vision for Combs as a headliner.

“We pursued these events and we did it in a really humble way as opposed to arrogance,” explained Tannenbaum. “These festivals don’t necessarily need us and we don’t necessarily need them, but I think there’s a benefit to both the festivals and the artist in doing it”

At Bonnaroo, Combs is playing the main stage on Thursday, June 12, in a headline slot that debuted last year with Pretty Lights.

Both festivals have welcomed country artists in the past including Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and Lainey Wilson, among others. Though country crossover artists are not always viewed as viable headliners on a contemporary festival, having the ability to book a stadium act with a massive following makes economic sense when the timing aligns.

“That’s where you put the ego aside,” said Kappy. “It’s not about the money. It’s about building that relationship with fans. Our goal isn’t to make as much money as we can in the next five years. Our goal is to have as many fans as we can for the next 30.”

“If you are a festival promoter and you have the opportunity to book a stadium-level artist for your festival and not necessarily pay stadium-level fees, then if you are smart, you grab that artist,” offered Kurfirst. “In a way this was a very, very smart move for Luke and for the festival because they both benefit from this sort of look.”

Not to mention: headliners are a precious commodity with festivals competing with stadiums for talent. Headliners at Bonnaroo June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee, include Combs as well as Tyler the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo and Hozier. At Lollapalooza, which takes place July 31-Aug. 3 in Chicago’s Grant Park, the lineup includes Combs, Rodrigo, Tyler the Creator and Sabrina Carpenter.

For the festival ecosystem to remain healthy bookers are constantly exploring and expanding their strategy to incorporate different types of music and performers, which leads to different types of fans attending the event. For Powell and Benson, booking Combs was part of the natural evolution.

“I don’t even know that I even consider Luke Combs country,” added Powell. “I consider him mainstream. I don’t think about genres that much when I’m booking Lollapalooza. Because I think there are a lot of people that like both Olivia Rodrigo and Luke Combs. It’s not like the fan bases are as bifurcated as they used to be.”

“He appeals to a wide range of audiences,” said Benson. “He is obviously huge in the country space, but it was also appeal to all the fans that are coming to see music at the farm. The perfect synergy and artist to take that first shot.”