Stars And Emerging Artists Shine Bright At Kicker Country Stampede

It's the largest music festival in the Sunflower state and one of the biggest in middle America.

Each year, approximately 170,000 country music fans flock to Manhattan, Kansas, for the Kicker Country Stampede at Tuttleville State Park, to see a combination of classic country stars as well as newer chart toppers. This year's festival will take place June 21-23.

Country Stampede is one of many stops on Alabama's "The Hits Tour 2018," showcasing the legendary band's unprecedented repertoire of 43 number 1 singles and many Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum albums.

"This year's tour is for the lifelong fans, and also the younger generations just now discovering the music," said Randy Owen, who has played rhythm guitar and sung with Alabama for 28 years.

Other headliners include the Charlie Daniels Band, Florida Georgia Line (recently named among Billboard Magazine's "Country Power Players"), Cody Johnson, Marshall Tucker Band, Randy Rogers Band, Morgan Evans, Lindsay Ell, Brandon Lay, Brett Young, Ryan Griffin, Travis Marvin, Ryan Kinder, Broseph and Cole Swindell and Kane Brown.

Swindell recently announced the release of his forthcoming album "All of It" in August, which will include his current singles "Break Up in the End," "Somebody's Been Drinkin'" and "The Ones Who Got Me Here." Brown, meanwhile, has released a new single, "Lose It," from a forthcoming follow-up to his platinum-certified self-titled debut 2016 album.

2018 Kicker Country Stampede

While big-name artists get most of the attention, this year's Country Stampede will also provide a platform for some of Nashville's hottest up-and-comers, including Deer Revival (described as a mix of country rock, Americana and bluegrass), Brandon Lay, Ryan Griffin, Dusty Sharp, Ryan Kinder, Savannah Chestnut, Bobby McClendon, Hudson Drive, Jake Gill, The Belles (a mother-daughter duo who are making waves in Nashville), Drew Six, Jake Gill, Damien Gunn and Grant Maloy Smith. Smith, whose most recent album, "Dust Bowl - American Stories," was in the top 10 on Billboard's Country Album and Folk/Americana Album Sales charts, will perform on the RC McGraws Tuttleville stage and, later, in the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) tent.

As in past years, the NSAI tent will feature many established and emerging songwriters, including Hunter Girl, Kristine Wriding, Jonathan Olivares, Logan Tucker, Nick Walsh, Mike Wilkerson, Michelle Pereira, Matfield Green, Haven Alexandra, Gabe Walsh, Drew Six, Cody Parks, Country Road 5, Dawson Edwards, Derek Austin, Bryton Stoll, Brody Caster, Brian Nelson, Blaine Younger, Rachel Seiler, Rachel Taylor, Ryan Boey, Stewart Ray, Tim Strathman Band and Travis Marvin.

Kicker Country Stampede will take place at Tuttleville State Park in Manhattan, Kansas, June 21-23, 2018. Regular adult ticket prices range from $89 to $150. More information is available at www.countrystampede.com or by calling (800) 795-8091.

Hotel information is available from the Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau, by visiting www.manhattancvb.org/218/Kicker-Country-Stampede.

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