The B.B. King Blues Festival starts July 24 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Casino, in Miami and will travel to 16 cities. Al Green and Etta James perform on just about every date.

This year’s shows take place almost exclusively on weekend nights and many high-profile events and venues are on the schedule, including stops at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, two nights at the Ravinia Festival, and a date at the Hollywood Bowl.

Joan Osborne joins King for the Ravinia show, while Robert Randolph and James Hunter step in for the Hollywood Bowl gig.

The tour wraps September 9 at the Kautz Ironstone Vineyards Theatre in Murphys, Calif.

The William Morris Agency packaged the tour and booking agent Brad Goodman told Pollstar the aim for this year was to bring a special show to special venues.

“All the venues were hand-picked,” he said. “We’ve found the right partners to built this event into something bigger. Our objective was to create a great evening of music and give all types of fans a truly memorable experience.”

The B.B. King Blues Festival has been a tried-and- true success for years and this summer’s trek has some notable elements.

There are two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers in addition to King on the bill: Hot-blooded blues mama Etta James, whose career longevity and charisma rivals King’s; and incomparable soul singer Al Green, one of the most influential voices of the past 40 years.

Not every headliner would be willing to share the spotlight with cats like these two, but King takes his generosity even further this year by inviting young guns Joan Osbourne, Robert Randolf, and James Hunter to join in.

This time around, the blues on the B.B. King Blues Festival crosses the spectrum.

“In my lifetime, blues music has certainly grown in its universal appeal and I’m forever grateful for that,” King said.

And so are the fans.