Toby Keith to Headline All New Tailgate Fest in Los Angeles

Another country music festival is arriving this summer, but this one has a bit of a twist.

The first annual Tailgate Fest will take place on the grounds of the Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 1 with country star Toby Keith headlining the event.

Tailgate Fest is different from other music festivals because the performances won’t start after the tailgate — they will take place during the tailgating.

Instead of concertgoers tailgating before the show and then heading into a stadium or arena, the tailgate will be the focus, with fans encouraged to bring their own grills, coolers, games, and more to enjoy the show from their tailgate.

Along with Keith, performers will include “some of the best musicians in country music.”

“I’m such a tailgate fanatic and the more embedded I got in the culture, I realized there was a pretty unanimous sentiment among us tailgaters. The tailgate shouldn’t stop when the show starts. Bring the stage truck-side sort of speak,” said festival co-creator Melissa Carbone. “People can still watch the show the traditional way, stageside, but now also have the choice of truck-side, car-side, even poolside. Yeah, I said pool…we’re pulling it all out.”

In addition to music, the one-day festival will also feature tailgate-centric games like The Tailgate Cornhole World Championships, the Jacked Up Truck Competition, where a panel of judges will select the truck of the day, a Two Step Honky Tonk, for those who want to break out their dancing boots, and a Dunk Tank.

Tickets for the festival start at $109 for General Admission and go up to a Super VIP with reserved Lawn Chair Viewing, access to a stageside pool and access to the VIP Forum Club. Fans not interested in tailgating can also purchase General Admission stage-side and pit passes. Tickets go on sale starting April 18 at LATailgateFest.com, and presale tickets are available April 16-18 via Toby Keith Fan Club and the Forum.

On Sunday, Keith will perform alongside Blake Shelton at the 2018 ACM Awards. The duo will sing Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”

Also performing are Kelly Clarkson, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Kane Brown, Jon Pardi, Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Midland, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Bebe Rexha, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Brett Young and Carrie Underwood.

As well as, Randy Houser,Eric Paslay, Nelly, Joe Nichols, David Nail, Jana Kramer and Parmalee.

The 2018 ACM Awards air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Photo Credit: Twitter / @tobykeith