Country music's boom year reached another milestone after singer George Strait set a new record for attendance at a ticketed concert in the United States on Saturday.
Strait drew 110,905 fans to Kyle Field at Texas A&M in College Station, which Billboard said surpassed the previously recognized record of 107,019 fans who saw the Grateful Dead's 1977 show at Raceway Park in New Jersey. This record does not include festivals such as Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival, which typically draw larger crowds.
The attendance record adds to one of the most illustrious careers in country music. Strait, known for his neo-traditionalist sound that stood out from the country-pop hits of the '80s and '90s, has scored 27 number one country albums and 44 number one country singles. Strait has a new album, “Cowboys And Dreamers,” coming out September 6.
Strait's record arrives during a gold rush era for country music, as Morgan Wallen's “Last Night” topped streaming charts in 2023 and sent Stagecoach into instant sellout in April, while pop artists like Beyoncé and Post Malone have worked in the genre to find new and influential creative peaks.
However, Strait still has a way to go to achieve the record for the most attended concert of all time. In May, Madonna drew 1.6 million fans to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for a free show to conclude her “Celebration” tour.
