Massive country stadium shows and early '00s throwbacks top Indy's 2024 concert lineup

A new year brings a welcome slate of big concerts, and 2024's crop may require cowboy boots.

A handful of country and yeehaw-adjacent shows are likely to fill Lucas Oil Stadium, none more so than the alpha. The omega. A trio of Taylor Swift shows that sold out almost instantly, as her record-setting Eras Tour winds down.

Here are eight shows to look out for in 2024, with the caveat that dozens more announcements are likely to come in the next few months.

Note: Both Aerosmith and Pearl Jam postponed 2023 Indianapolis area shows, but it remains to be seen if/when those will be made up. Either would be worthy of this list if details were firmed up.

Taylor Swift

Nov. 1-3 at Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave. Tickets? Those are long gone.

The Eras Tour's economic impact is predicted to be in the billions of dollars. The cultural pull is impossible to quantify. And it's (finally) coming to Indy.

When news first broke of Swift's impending visit, I remember hearing her songs everywhere I went in the city: The grocery store, a Chinese takeout place, on any radio station that could conceivably fit her into its format.

Basically everyone I know tried to get tickets, and I only know of one person who was successful using the complex lottery system Swift and other major artists use to baffle scalping bots. Lucas Oil Stadium can fit about 70,000 for a concert, and three shows were spoken for in an instant.

More: I first saw Taylor Swift in 2011. Here's why her coming to Indy means so much to me

These are unquestionably the biggest concerts of the year and of the decade. Someone could probably make the all-time case, but I'll stop short there.

Superlatives and economic impacts aside, all signs indicate Swift is bringing it night after night. That's what has me most excited.

John Mellencamp

March 22 at Emens Auditorium, 1800 W. Riverside Ave. in Muncie. Tickets available online at bit.ly/3Gv52PN.

Mellencamp has played nearly a dozen Indiana shows over the past year, but here's one final chance on the tour for the homers, the lifers, the all-timers.

I reviewed the tour's opening show in February. It was musically all there, but some of the staging and setlist choices were baffling.

Given Mellencamp's pull and the venue's size, tickets are fairly scarce. You'll want to act soon.

Morgan Wallen

April 4-5 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets available online at bit.ly/3Ndcoew.

If not for Swift, Wallen's multi-show stop at Lucas Oil may have been the year's biggest musical event.

Wallen, who brushed off controversy on his rise to immense popularity in country music, will bring his One Night at a Time Tour stadium tour to Indy.

In 2022, he played a decent show for an absolutely packed and rowdy Ruoff Music Center.

As of November, tickets were selling fast. And they aren't cheap, either. Side-view, rear-row seats were starting at $120.

Andrea Bocelli

April 13 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S Pennsylvania St. Tickets available online at bit.ly/47KMiI0.

A little more than one year after his Indiana debut, the legendary tenor is returning for a show alongside the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

His premiere was one of IndyStar's top concerts of 2022. The follow-up is not to be missed.

There are plenty of tickets still available for this one.

George Strait and Chris Stapleton

May 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets available online at bit.ly/47JJCKA.

Several generations of country superstardom come together for yet another stadium show in 2024. I have not seen George Strait before, but allow me to sing the gospel of Chris Stapleton.

Stapleton played a full house at Ruoff in July 2022. It was my first time ever hearing him, live or otherwise. At the moment and in reflection ever since, I am not sure there is a more talented singular musician touring today. He is remarkable.

Blink-182

Aug. 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tickets available online at bit.ly/3uH8lAJ.

Blink-182 has a hit album. They're going out on a summer tour. The band consists of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker. The year must surely be 2002. There is not a care in the world.

But wait. Why does my back hurt when I wake in the morning? And who are these children in my home who keep reaching for me?

DeLonge, having actually been somewhat correct about aliens, has rejoined the band he co-founded more than 30 years ago, thus reforming the early '00s powerhouse into its most popular shape.

I saw the DeLonge-less, Matt Skiba version of Blink a few years ago, and they were pretty solid. I expect the classic version to be even better.

Pink

Oct. 12 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets available at bit.ly/4aa6nJx.

Pink absolutely blew me away at her Nov. 7 Gainbridge show. Within a month, she announced an even bigger return to Indy, this time with Sheryl Crow in tow.

It's a huge concert, and I'd wager it will be a good one. Pink's shows typically feature tons of effects, like acrobatics and fireworks, and Lucas Oil should give her plenty of space to pull off something shocking.

Creed and 3 Doors Down

Aug. 10 at Ruoff Music Center, 12880 E. 146th St. in Noblesville. Tickets available online at bit.ly/3uKkll3.

The Summer of '99 Tour lineup is ripped straight from the elder millennial meme recipe pages: Newly reunited Creed with support from 3 Doors Down and a dash of Finger Eleven for flavor.

I read the news release. I wrote the story. And yet, it didn't quite feel real until I circled back for this preview. It is so specific to a small and honestly forgettable time in music history that it must surely be a dream.

That being said, I'm not surprised to see tickets going fast. The curiosity factor is off the charts.

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Rory Appleton is the pop culture reporter at IndyStar. Contact him at 317-552-9044 and rappleton@indystar.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RoryEHAppleton.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and more coming to Indianapolis in 2024