24 big concerts coming to Jacksonville in 2024: Strait, Willie, McGraw, NKOTB, Combs

Jacksonville music fans will turn out for just about any genre, be it rock or hip hop, jazz, blues or Contemporary Christian. But make no mistake; it's a country town.

Just look at the lineup of big concerts coming to Northeast Florida in 2024. You'll find classic rockers, legendary R&B acts, "American Idol" icons and a whole series of jazz and blues concerts, but the really big events involve a guy in a hat standing center stage.

A country music fan with lots of free time and deep pockets could see Willie Nelson, Cody Johnson, Tim McGraw, Carly Pearce, Luke Combs, Cody Jinks, George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town without traveling any farther than St. Augustine. And that doesn't even count a Ponte Vedra show by an eight-time Country Music Association Musician of the Year or one by a rocker turned country star turned rocker again.

Here are 24 big concerts coming in '24.

Circus, air show, Players, Concours: 24 big events coming to the Jacksonville area in '24

.38 Special

8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Florida Theatre. $45-$79. 

In most places, a .38 Special concert wouldn’t be a big deal — it's been 20 years since the band’s last original album, after all. But .38 Special is a Jacksonville band, formed on the Westside, and local fans always turn out for a hometown show. Info: floridatheatre.com

Where are they now? What happened to Jacksonville's big 'Southern rock' acts Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, .38 Special?

Winter Jam

5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. $15. 

The touring Christian show stops in Jacksonville around this time every year. This time out, they’ve got Crowder, Lecrae, Cain, Katy Nichole, Seventh Day Slumber and NewSong on the bill, plus “prejam” acts SEU Worship, John Wesley & Reach City and LIn D, all for a suggested donation of $15 at the door. Info: jamtour.com

Puddles Pity Party

8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. $34.50-$59.50. 

Sometimes a great voice isn’t enough to make it in the music business. Sometimes you have to dress up like a sad clown before people notice you can really sing. Info: pvconcerthall.com

Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken

6 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Ritz Theatre. Ticket prices unavailable.  

People paid a lot of attention to “American Idol” during its early years, especially the second season when 24 million people voted, giving the title to Ruben “The Velvet Teddy Bear” Studdard over runner-up Clay Aiken. Info: livenation.com

Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series

The outdoor concert series at the site of the first free Black settlement in the U.S. returns for a third year. Common plays the St. Augustine venue on Thursday, Feb. 8 ($55-$102); the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Friday, Feb. 9 ($42-$82); the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on Saturday, Feb. 10 ($82-$92); Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on Friday, Feb. 16 ($52-$72); and Keb’ Mo’ on Saturday, Feb. 17 ($62-$586). Info: discoverfortmose.com

Grand Funk Railroad

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Thrasher-Horne Center, Orange Park. $39-$89. 

Can I get a witness? The ‘70s hitmakers are back with two (out of three) original members, augmented by former members of .38 Special and Kiss Info: thcenter.org

Willie Nelson & Family

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, and Thursday, Feb. 15, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. $54-$154. 

If Willie played just one song from each of his 75+ albums, he’d be on stage all day. Given that he’s 90 years old, though, that seems unlikely. Info: theamp.com

Cody Johnson

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. $45-$55. 

CoJo comes by his country stardom honestly. He’s a Texas native and a former rodeo cowboy who formed his first band with his dad. Casual fans might recognize his song “Dear Rodeo” from the hit TV show “Yellowstone.” Info: vystarveteransarena.com

Rod Stewart

8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Daily's Place. $63.25-$178.75. 

That’s Sir Rod Stewart to us peasants. Stewart, who was knighted in 2016, returns to Daily’s Place, where he played in 2022, for the venue’s first concert of the year. Info: dailysplace.com

The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. $29.75-$79.50. 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer was a huge band back in the day, but Keith Emerson and Greg Lake both died in 2016. Drummer Carl Palmer will play onstage with his own band, accompanied by video walls showing Emerson and Lake from a 1992 show. Info: pvconcerthall.com

Bryan Adams

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. $32-$295. 

Got a favorite obscure Bryan Adams song? He’s been taking requests from the crowd on this tour, so write it on a sign and maybe he’ll play it. Dave Stewart, the non-singing half of the Eurythmics, opens the show with an all-female band, Dave Stewart’s Eurythmics Songbook. Info: vystarveteransarena.com

Temptations and Four Tops

8 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at the Florida Theatre. Ticket prices unavailable.

OK, so there is only one original Temptation (Otis Williams) and one original Top (Duke Fakir), but they've still got the moves and a catalog of songs that you know by heart — "My Girl," "Baby I Need Your Loving," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "It's the Same Old Song" and about a zillion others. Info: floridatheatre.com

Tim McGraw

7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. $31.40-$186.42. 

McGraw seems intent on playing every venue in Jacksonville. He’s done shows at the old Coliseum in ‘95, the stadium in ‘00, a military appreciation show at the Players in ‘10, Mayport Naval Station in ‘13, the arena in ‘10 and ‘15 and Daily’s Place in ‘22. He’s bringing Carly Pearce along for this one. Info: jaxevents.com

Tedeschi Trucks Band

7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. $39-$129.  

Jacksonville band, which has played at Daily’s Place more than any other act, switches things up and plays the Amp for the first time. Info: theamp.com

Fall Out Boy

6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. $57.41-$147.42. 

Fall Out Boy isn’t starting its show early because their fans are getting older, they’re doing it so openers Games We Play, The Maine and Jimmy Eat World have time to do their thing. Fall Out Boy is touring to support a new album, “So Much (For) Stardust.” Info: jaxevents.com

Widespread Panic

7 p.m. Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. $59.50-$79.50.

Rest assured that the jam band masters will sell out all three shows, and a good chunk of the crowd will be there for all three. Look for Jacksonville native Duane Trucks behind the drum kit. Info: theamp.com

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at the Florida Theatre. $49.50-$114.50. 

Who is the fastest guitar player on the planet? Let’s find out when the two speed-riffers share a stage. When Vai was a teen, Satriani was his guitar instructor so it’ll be interesting to see if the student has surpassed the teacher. Info: floridatheatre.com

Mac MacAnally

8 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. $59.50-$99.50. 

You might not recognize the name, but you’ll recognize the songs. MacAnally was named the Country Music Association’s Musician of the Year eight times in a row, wrote big hits for Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Sawyer Brown and Sammy Kershaw, and spent years playing in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. Info: pvconcerthall.com

Sam Bush

7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at Intuition Ale Works. $30-$60. 

Bluegrass was a dying art form until “newgrass” guys like Sam Bush stepped up to save it. The mandolinist and fiddler regularly headlines Americana festivals (including this year’s Suwannee Spring Reunion), so catching him in an intimate venue like the Bier Hall should be something special. Info: intuitionaleworks.com

Luke Combs

5:45 p.m. Friday, May 3, at EverBank Stadium. $59-$329. 5:45 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at EverBank Stadium. $59-$329. 

How hot is country star Luke Combs these days? Hot enough to book TWO shows in an NFL football stadium. He plays the first night with Cody Jinks, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters and the Wilder Blue, and the second with Jordan Davis, Drew Parker and Colby Acuff. Info: jaxevents.com

George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town

5:45 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at EverBank Stadium. $155-$565. 

The weekend after Luke Combs plays EverBank Stadium, George Strait does the same, bringing along Stapleton and Little Big Town, both of which are headlining acts in their own right. Info: everbankstadium.com

JJ Grey & Mofro

4 p.m. Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. $60.50-$96.50 per night.

JJ is a Jacksonville guy, and so are most of the members of his crack Southern blues band. They have a new album, "Olustee" coming out in February and will headline the two-day Blackwater Sol Revue. Lucero, American Aquarium and Satsang are on the bill for the Saturday show, the Allman Betts Band, G. Love & Special Sauce and the Anders Osborne Duo on Sunday. Info: theamp.com

New Kids on the Block

7 p.m. Sunday, July 21, at Daily's Place. $49.95-$99.95. 

As if seeing NKOTB in a 5,500-seat amphitheater wasn’t incentive enough, they’re bringing along Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff for the show. Info: dailysplace.com

Hootie & the Blowfish

7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. $46.66-$176.67. 

Darius Rucker sets aside his country career for a glorious return to mid-’90s frat rock with the band that dominated the airwaves. Edwin McCain and Collective Soul join the bill. Info: ticketmaster.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville concerts: Best music acts to see in 2024