CRAVEN — Following July’s announcement that Luke Combs will be making his debut at Country Thunder Saskatchewan, event organizers have announced that Dallas Smith and Nickelback will round out the list of headliners for next year along with many additional artists who will join them in Craven, July 11-14, 2024.
“Luke Combs created a huge buzz when we announced he would be taking the world-famous stage in Craven,” says Country Thunder Music Festivals CEO Troy Vollhoffer. “And now we are over the moon to celebrate homegrown Canadian talent by adding Dallas Smith and Nickelback as our remaining headliners.”
Combs is currently celebrating the release of his new album, Gettin’ Old — a companion to his acclaimed 2022 record, Growin’ Up. Produced by Combs, Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton, Gettin’ Old further establishes Combs as one of music’s most authentic and powerful voices, as he explores themes of family, legacy, love and personal growth. Receiving widespread critical attention, Esquire calls Combs “the best country singer of his generation,” while Billboard declares, “his electrifying-yet-earthy voice soundtracking this time in his life as a husband, father and entertainer at the top of his game.”
The album adds to yet another landmark year for Combs, who was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards for his version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” The song, which also won Single of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards, spent five consecutive weeks atop Billboard’s country airplay chart and reached number one on the Hot AC chart, the first song by a male solo artist to ever top both the Hot AC and Country charts. The two-time platinum single has also garnered over 700 million global streams to date and has spent 18 weeks in the top five of Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart, eight of which were spent at number two.
Known for his electrifying live shows, Combs will return to the road next year with his “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” U.S. stadium tour, which sold over a million tickets in the first weekend on sale.
Big Loud artist Dallas Smith has a track record of noteworthy success — from frontman of platinum-selling rock band Default to three-time consecutive CCMA Entertainer of the Year, and now his U.S. debut. Across his storied career, the hitmaker has amassed 12 number-one singles at Country Radio, 18 gold-certified singles, seven platinum-certified singles and four gold-certified albums, with more than 520 million global streams and over two million album equivalents to date. A road-tested entertainer, Smith just wrapped a festival stint performing for legions of fans internationally.
Offering a preview of his latest project, Smith released “One Too” with label mate MacKenzie Porter whom Country Now dubbed a “heartfelt breakup collaboration,” as well as the flirtatious “Singing In A Beer.” Smith's first full-length project with Big Loud Records, his self-titled, fifth studio album produced by long-time collaborator Joey Moi, is out now.
The Thunder goes beyond country in 2024, with the addition of 2023 Canadian Music Hall of Fame recipients, and diamond-certified selling group Nickelback, who was named the “most successful rock band of the decade” by Billboard in 2009. Globally celebrated for their career-defining and award-winning hits “How You Remind Me,” “Photograph,” “Far Away,” “Rockstar” and more, the four-piece comprised of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair is one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past two decades.
Their success includes worldwide sales of more than 50 million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time and the second best-selling foreign act in the United States, in the 2000s decade, behind only The Beatles.
Amongst all of these accolades, they’ve also been named Billboard’s “Top Rock Group of the Decade” and received nine GRAMMY Award nominations, three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People’s Choice Award, 12 JUNO Awards, seven MuchMusic Video Awards and have been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame (2007) and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (2023). With more than 23 chart-topping singles and fans spanning the globe, Nickelback boasts more than 12 consecutive sold-out world tours, playing to well over 10 million diehard and adoring fans.
On top of the three superstar headliners, the Craven Valley will welcome Jackson Dean, Josh Ross, Gary Allan, Tenille Arts, Lonestar, Shenandoah, Phil Vassar, Meghan Patrick, Jake Worthington, Lydia Sutherland and even more to be announced in the weeks to come.
In addition to the star-studded roster of performers, new ticket options will be making their debut at the Country Thunder Saskatchewan site next summer. Platinum Circle, Gold Circle, Platinum Standing and Gold Standing ticket options have been released, allowing fans to get closer to all the action on the main stage, along with the existing Platinum Seating and Reserved Seating sections. Weekend General Admission tickets are also available.
