Kenny Chesney Breaks Attendance Record at Nashville Show

Kenny Chesney took his Trip Around the Sun Tour to Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, August 11, breaking the venue’s all-time attendance record as he delivered hit after hit to an enthusiastic crowd.

Nissan Stadium saw 55,182 fans arrive to watch the star deliver his 25-song set, topping the record previously set by One Direction in 2014.

Chesney began his performance with “Beer in Mexico,” instantly engaging the crowd and setting an energetic pace that he kept up all night, with the 50-year-old traversing the stage for a cardio workout that had his tank top soaked with sweat barely five songs in.

“I have not played this stadium in six years, and I apologize,” Chesney told the crowd before making them an offer. “Let us take you by the hand and go with us. If you do, we’ll go all night long.”

The setlist included fan favorites like “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem,” “Somewhere With You,” “American Kids” and “Young,” with Chesney keeping fans all the way to the top of the stadium on their feet and ready for more.

Ahead of current single “Get Along,” Chesney told the crowd that the track is about “energy.”

“It’s about you guys turning negative energy into positive energy,” he said. “To feel this wall of energy at our chest is unbelievable.”

Later in the show, the singer brought out David Lee Murphy, with the pair performing their duet “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” as well as Murphy standards “Dust on the Bottle” and “Party Crowd.”

The night kicked off with openers Brandon Lay, Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett, who got the crowd ready for Chesney with their own distinct brands of country music. During his headlining set, Chesney brought out Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi for his “Save it for a Rainy Day,” which Ramsey and Tursi co-wrote with Andrew Dorff. He tagged Rhett for “When the Sun Goes Down,” which Chesney originally recorded as a duet with Uncle Kracker, and Lay made an appearance for Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” which had the crowd roaring as the fiddle kicked in.

Chesney has spent a huge amount of time and energy over the last year helping to rebuild the damage done to the Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma ravaged the area in 2017, even donating proceeds from his latest album, Songs for the Saints, to his Love for Love City Fund.

That cause was reflected during the show, with a large banner displaying the nonprofit’s logo before Chesney’s set and photos from relief efforts in the Virgin Islands flashing on screen during “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.”

Through it all, Chesney and his fans, dubbed No Shoes Nation, kept the positive vibes flowing, making for a memorable night for both the audience and the star.

Photo Credit: Allister Ann