Drake, Morgan Wallen, Madonna and more must-see concerts in driving distance of Knoxville

Devarrick Turner, Knoxville News Sentinel
·3 min read
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Blake Shelton, Lizzo, Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini all performed in Knoxville in 2023. Icons and legends including Shania Twain, the Eagles and Stevie Nicks also wowed Knoxville audiences.

The city is becoming a hot spot for live entertainment, but we still missed out on some of the biggest tours and musical acts of the year. If you wanted to journey through the “Eras” with Taylor Swift or join Beyonce’s “Renaissance” party, you had to trek to Nashville or some other major city nearby.

Bigger name acts are starting to come to Knoxville because it has a big city appeal with more intimate venues, an aspect that helps sell out shows quickly, Visit Knoxville President Kim Bumpas told Knox News.

“I would project that what the concert market does over the next five years is continue its current pace of growth,” Bumpas said. “I think you'll see concerts being (scheduled) further and further out … and then I think that the diversity of what we're bringing to the market will grow.”

While Knoxville is still just preparing to welcome the mega music stars of the moment, here’s where you catch them in 2024 within a comfortable driving distance from Knoxville. Start planning those weekend getaways now.

Country star and East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen is set to perform three nights at Nashville's Nissan Stadium. His "One Night At A Time" tour was one of the top 10 grossing music tours in 2023.
Country star and East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen is set to perform three nights at Nashville's Nissan Stadium. His "One Night At A Time" tour was one of the top 10 grossing music tours in 2023.

Concerts in Nashville, Tennessee

A drive from Knoxville to Nashville is about two hours and 40 minutes. It's pretty much a straight shot west on Interstate 40. Driving a typical car will cost around $23.69 for the entire trip, according to gasprices.aaa.com. Major venues there include Bridgestone Arena and Nissan Stadium.

Concerts in Atlanta, Georgia

Driving to Atlanta, Georgia from Knoxville takes around three hours and 10 minutes. Driving a typical car will cost around $28.17 for the entire trip, according to gasprices.aaa.com. State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium are among the city’s popular venues.

Hip-hop pop star Nicki Minaj is slated to take the "Pink Friday 2" tour to Charlotte in March. The tour supports her fifth studio album by that name, which was released in December 2023.
Hip-hop pop star Nicki Minaj is slated to take the "Pink Friday 2" tour to Charlotte in March. The tour supports her fifth studio album by that name, which was released in December 2023.

Concerts in Charlotte, North Carolina

A drive from Knoxville to Charlotte takes about three hours and 45 minutes. Driving a typical car will cost around $32.12 for the entire trip, according to gasprices.aaa.com. Main concert venues include Spectrum Center and the PNC Music Pavilion.

Dates and ticket prices are as of Dec. 21. Information might change as a concert date approaches.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Drake, Morgan Wallen and more tour Nashville, Atlanta in 2024