‘Twas the final month of summer, and country fans grew sad…
As August rolls in, it’s undeniable that we all start to feel a bit melancholy with limited days left to listen to our country summer playlists. The season of outdoor concerts, boat days, and backyard barbecues slowly starts to wind down. But while the end of summer may be bittersweet, it also marks the beginning of another joyful season in country music.
Gearing up for autumn, slowly but surely, the first hints of the holiday season start to roll in, and with that, artists began teasing their upcoming releases and festive tours. Among the first to kick off the holiday excitement this year is none other than Chris Young.
Young is no stranger to a holiday hit and originally released his Christmas album, It Must Be Christmas, back in 2016. Now, nearly a decade later, he is finally bringing some of those iconic tracks to the stage with his first-ever holiday tour, “It Must Be Christmas – An Acoustic Evening with Chris Young.”
The tour will span 15 dates across the United States, starting off in Cedar Rapids, Indiana, on November 20 and finishing in Wallingford, Connecticut, just a few days before Christmas on December 20. Fans can expect Young’s signature warm vocals on a lineup of holiday classics.
If you’re not already familiar with his original Christmas album, it is an undeniably charming collection of seasonal hits like “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” to name a few. The album also features collaborations with Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, and Boyz II Men, plus an original track titled “Under the Weather.”
With almost 20 years in the country music industry, this festive tour will also follow the release of Young’s tenth album, I Didn’t Come Here To Leave, set to come out on October 17, 2025. As an early gift, two songs from the album have already teased this new chapter in his career, including the first single, “Til the Last One Dies,” and the title track, “I Didn’t Come Here To Leave.”
Despite 2025 shaping up to be a busy year for the 40-year-old singer-songwriter, it’s easy to see that a Christmas tour is long overdue for the avid Christmas carol fanatic. “Christmas is probably my favorite holiday,” Young shared. “Music was always heavily tied to the spirit of the season for me, so I can’t wait to celebrate that feeling with everyone out on the road this year!”
Personally, I’m right there with him and am a little too eager to start decorating the house and baking cookies with my country Christmas playlist at full volume. For fans who also share this slightly controversial opinion or are looking for the perfect pre-holiday experience, tickets go on sale Friday, August 8, at 10 a.m.
Check out the full list of dates:
- 11/20 – Cedar Rapids, IA — Paramount Theater
- 11/21 – Joliet, IL— Rialto Square Theatre
- 11/22 – Saginaw, MI — Dow Event Center Theater
- 11/29 – Wisconsin Dells, WI — Crystal Grand Music Theatre
- 11/30 – Cincinnati, OH — Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
- 12/4 – Wabash, IN — Ford Theater (Honeywell Center)
- 12/5 – Nashville, IN — Brown County Music Center
- 12/6 – Warren, OH — Packard Music Hall
- 12/11 – Wilkes-Barre, PA — The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
- 12/12 – Lowell, MA — Lowell Memorial Auditorium
- 12/13 – Bensalem, PA — Xcite Center at Parx Casino
- 12/17 – Tysons, VA — Capital One Hall
- 12/18 – Westbury, NY — Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair
- 12/19 – Montclair, NJ — The Wellmont Theater
- 12/20 – Wallingford, CT — Toyota Oakdale Theatre