Garth Brooks, Lainey Wilson, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will help celebrate the start of the 2023 college football season at the inaugural Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff.
Presented by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the music and entertainment event will be held on Saturday, September 2 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Garth Brooks will headline the event, while Louisiana’s own, Lainey Wilson, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will open the show.
To Become An Annual Labor Day Weekend Affair
According to a press release, event is expected to become an annual Labor Day weekend affair, adding another world-class musical occasion to the New Orleans calendar.
“Being asked to be part of the first ever Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff is an honor,” Brooks shared in a statement. “The fun will be in getting to perform with Legends Nitty Gritty and future legend Miss Wilson in front of arguably the greatest country music fans on the planet. Any trip to Louisiana is a guaranteed good time so PLEASE count me in!!”
The Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff on September 2nd will open its festivities at Champions Square with Tailgate Town, an interactive football-themed experience sponsored by New Orleans & Company. This exciting segment of the event will showcase emerging music talent while setting the stage for the main entertainment at the Superdome. Tailgate Town will also include highlights of college football and amateur sports, sponsor activations, and various games and activities throughout the day, creating a vibrant atmosphere before fans transition inside the Superdome for performances by Brooks, Wilson and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
The Sugar Bowl
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is always looking at ways to bring first-rate entertainment that will drive tourism in Louisiana,” said Sugar Bowl President Richard Briede. “While efforts have traditionally focused on sporting events, Russell Doussan and the Doussan Music Group have provided us the opportunity to add great music, another hallmark of the state, to the Sugar Bowl repertoire as we start a new football season. The Sugar Bowl is particularly pleased that proceeds from the event will help support the work our organization is doing in the community.”
The event’s proceeds will be dedicated to supporting various community programs through the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This includes the renowned New Orleans Teacher Collective, as well as existing scholarship programs and annual youth events that the organization actively backs.
The funds raised will contribute to the ongoing assistance provided by the Bowl to these valuable initiatives.
“This Lineup Has All The Makings Of A Great Louisiana Saturday Night”
“As the College Football Playoff looks to expand a year from now, we find ourselves in an increasingly competitive environment,” said Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley. “This has caused us to look at everything with a fresh set of eyes and to look at creative ways to drive revenue in order to remain competitive with larger cities in possession of much larger corporate bases. The Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff provides us with just such an opportunity while allowing us to continue to do good things for our city and state.”
“We are excited to have not just Garth Brooks in the Superdome, but also our very own Louisiana Music Ambassador and Louisiana native Lainey Wilson,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “She rocked the world with us on our float in the Rose Parade and we know she will get the crowd rocking to welcome Garth to the stage in New Orleans. This lineup has all the makings of a great Louisiana Saturday night.”
“Creating an Annual Music Event to celebrate the opening of the College Football season in my hometown, with the Sugar Bowl and then launching it with Garth Brooks is truly a dream come true,” said Russell Doussan, the owner and president of Doussan Music Group.”
Tickets for the inaugural Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff will go on sale on Friday, July 21 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com/GarthBrooks. Tickets will be $98.95 all-inclusive.
