Tucson Gets First Country Festival in Seven Years

Desert Entertainment – Country Fest Tuscon 2018

For the first time since 2011, Tucson, Ariz., is getting its very own country music festival, with Josh Turner slotted as headliner.

Country Fest Tucson, set Feb. 24 at the Tucson Expo Center, is produced and promoted by mother-and-son duo Bobbie and Adam Dobres. Their promotion company, Desert Entertainment, has put on smaller events such as private parties in the past, but Country Fest Tucson marks the duo’s first major step into organizing festivals.

Nashville acts Turner and Josh Gracin top the festival lineup, with support from regional artists including Caiden Brewer, Billy Shaw Jr. and County Line.

“We were chatting about a dozen different artists and Josh [Turner] was the one that stood out the most and was obviously the best decision for Tucson,” Adam Dobres told Pollstar. “When he was as at the fair last year he had just shy of 5,000 people who came out to see him, so he has a very strong fanbase out here.”

The event was originally planned to celebrate the Tucson Rodeo, Adam Dobres said, and is the city’s first big country-minded festival since local radio station KIIM-FM hosted its last festival in 2011.

Adam Dobres said Country Fest was made possible thanks to support form the Tucson community,

“Finances were challenging, but we overcame it with the community helping out with vendors and sponsors,” he said. “We created something like no other, the whole Tucson community is excited.”

He hopes to expand the festival in the coming years.

“Starting next year, I want to do two days, and eventually three days, and will continue building from there,” Adam Dobres said.

Josh Turner played a handful of dates in 2017. His highest grossing headlining show reported to Pollstar’s box office was a co-bill with Joe Nichols at the Marina Civic Center in Prior Lake, Minn., which sold 1,646 tickets and grossed $87,412.