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Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic returns to Austin

Willie Nelson performs at a demonstration for voting rights in Austin in 2021. He announced the location and lineup for this year's 4th of July Picnic on Monday.
Gabriel C. Pérez
/
KUT News
Willie Nelson performs at a demonstration for voting rights in Austin in 2021. He announced the location and lineup for this year's 4th of July Picnic on Monday.

After a brief interlude out-of-state, Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic concert is coming back to Austin this year.

The event will take place at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater inside the Circuit of the Americas on July 4. The lineup includes Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, The Mavericks, Asleep at the Wheel and Tami Neilson.

Nelson’s first 4th of July Picnic happened in Dripping Springs in 1973, according to the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Since then, the concert has often (but not always) taken place around the Hill Country. Stars like Waylon Jennings, Jimmy Buffett, Neil Young and Stevie Ray Vaughan have performed in the past.

Last year, the 4th of July Picnic was moved to Camden, New Jersey, for the first time.

The last time the 4th of July Picnic was in Austin was 2023, when the concert celebrated its 50th anniversary.

“I’m 92 years old and I’ll be there so you have no excuse,” Nelson said in a press release for this year’s event. “I look forward to bringing back my annual 4th of July Picnic to the city I love and sharing this special event with all my Austin fans.”

The eight-hour event will also include food and drink vendors and fireworks. Tickets are on sale to the public starting 10 a.m. Friday.

Chelsey Zhu is the digital producer at KUT. Got a tip? You can email her at czhu@kut.org.
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