Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Fest sold out in ‘24. Wait till you see this year’s lineup, Boise
When the Outlaw Music Festival was announced at the Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater last year, it took one weekend to sell out — 10,000-plus tickets.
With the same two acts topping the bill in 2025, can it pack the grassy venue a second time?
Bet on it.
Once again, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan will lead gray-haired fans into nostalgia heaven. But this year, instead of bringing along John Mellencamp to Nampa, the show will feature Billy Strings.
The full lineup: Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Billy Strings, Sierra Hull and Lily Meola.
Like Nelson and Dylan, Mellencamp is a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer with a huge catalog of hits. But replacing him with bluegrass superstar Strings opens up this concert to new audience. A younger, jammier one.
Strings — and the fact the Nampa show happens May 20, before Idaho temperatures boil — makes this music lineup tough to resist.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday for $59.50 to $299.50 through fordidahocenter.com. Idaho Center and Live Nation presales kick off at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Now in its 10th year, the Nelson-led Outlaw Tour is a music marathon. Gates will open at 3 p.m. Music will start at 4. The show is slated to last roughly 5 1/2 hours — or maybe longer, depending on the all-in jam session at the end.
Fans of classic country, folk and rock know all about Nelson, 91, and Dylan, 83. The men are legends. But their “undercard” has tons of appeal, too.
Strings is a monster guitarist in his prime. Also a charismatic singer, he won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021 for his second album, “Home.” He followed that with another Grammy win Sunday night for his 2024 record, “Live Vol. 1.”
Hull is a mandolin ripper — and a fine vocalist. She signed to Rounder Records at 13 and has been nominated for a Grammy Award twice.
Singer-songwriter Meola — a former “America’s Got Talent” contestant — is blessed with a truly gorgeous voice.
This will be the second time the Outlaw Festival has visited the Boise market. It is North America’s largest touring festival, according to creator and producer Blackbird Presents.
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM.