Live Nation’s National Concert Week Brings $20 Tickets To More Than 2,800 Shows

Todd Gay / ToddGayPhotography.com – Ed Kowalczyk
Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk, Conn.

For the fifth year, Live Nation is putting on its National Concert Week, providing discounted tickets to shows from the likes of The Who, Jennifer Lopez, Dierks Bentley, Mary J. Blige & Nas, Slipknot, Backstreet Boys, Gloria Trevi, Santana, The Black Keys, Sara Bareilles, Brad Paisley, Wiz Khalifa, Zac Brown Band, and many more. 

The promotion will offer more than 2 million tickets to more than 2,800 shows at a price of just $20, but these discounted tickets will only be available for one week. T-Mobile customers get an exclusive presale beginning April 30 at 5 a.m., through it’s T-Mobile Tuesdays program. The general public gets access to National Concert Week tickets Wednesday, May 1 through Tuesday May 7. 

National Concert Week is also celebrated in Europe, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. 

Ed Kowalczyk of Live, which is touring with Bush this summer and participating in NCW, spoke to Pollstar about the significance of concerts.

“When we reunited and we jumped right into these amazing festivals, I could just tell right away, they’re more important than ever, these communal gatherings that music has always been about, people are more engaged and hungry for it than ever,” Kowalczyk said. “Our lives are so disconnected from standing next to someone and rocking out, everyone is one their phone all the time. When you get in those concert environments, people are like ‘Hell yeah,’ this is what it’s all about.”

Kowalczyk broke apart from Live in 2009, but the band reunited in December of 2016 and has since played a slew of festivals and gone on tour with Counting Crows. 

“Since the reunion, there’s been this extra level of excitement and energy in the band and gratitude for each other. We’re just having a blast and it’s really coming across in the music and how we’re performing it, there’s a freshness to it. 

“I’m really excited to be touring with Bush and Our Lady Peace, I think it’s a great package, lots of great songs. Between those bands its going to be a pretty special event.”

The full list of artists participating in National Concert Week can be found below. A full transcription of Pollstar’s interview with Live’s Ed Kowalczyk will be posted next week as tickets go on sale for National Concert Week. You can learn more about NCW at https://ncw.livenation.com.