Name: Country Fest Wisconsin
Start: 2023-06-22
End: 2023-06-24
Location: Cadott, Wisconsin

Festival - Country Fest Wisconsin 2023 Logo

Country Fest has announced the line-up for 2023 and it's a belter!

Zac Brown Band, Dan + Shay and Jon Pardi are the headliners for its three-day country music and camping event, running from June 22th-24th in Cadott, Wisconsin.

Here, we'll have all the up-to-date news on line-up announcements, the latest ticket and festival pass details, and any further exciting info and details for the 2023 instalment.

Taking place across five stages, over 50 acts will be featured throughout the event’s three day slate, including 

Ernest, Ingrid Andress, Breland, Billy Currington, Brett Eldredge, Russell Dickerson, Pam Tillis, Mark Chesnutt, Sammy Kershaw, Joe Nichols, Elvie Shane, Kidd G, Cooper Alan, Caroline Jones, Jackson Dea

Ahead of the main event, three-day ticket holders will also have access to an exclusive tailgate party that will see Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jake Worthington, Frankie Justin and Nathan King Band grace the stage on Wednesday, June 21.

Founded over 30 years ago in stunning Central Wisconsin, Country Fest in Cadott, WI, is the ultimate summer destination for the best outdoor Country Music Festival experience that brings fans back year after year. 

Country Fest is the largest three-day country music and camping event in the US. Wow!! Legendary names in Country Music have graced this sacred Main Stage, including George Strait, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, The Highwaymen including – Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, & Waylon Jennings – George Jones, Reba McEntire, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Brad Paisley and so many more.

Celebrating the best of all things country, Country Festers enjoy three days of music and entertainment, RFID wristbands, a cashless option in the concert grounds, delicious food, interactive exhibits, exciting activations, and the largest campground in Wisconsin, with 360 acres and more than 7,000 campsites all within easy walking distance of the Concert Grounds. 

For non-campers, nearby hotels also offer the option of a convenient daily shuttle service. The natural Amphitheater Concert Grounds feature: 50+ Bands, 1 Massive Permanent Main Stage and 4 Permanent Side Stages, and more than 23 miles of permanent roads. 

VIP, Reserved, or General Admission ticket packages are available at this venue along with Camping & Pit Passes for all three days, or for each show at a reasonable cost to get you close to your favourite Artists! Plus a Photo Line for General Admission fans. See why this experience is unlike any other!

A variety of ticket options are available for purchase, including VIP, Reserved Lawn, General Admission, Pit Passes, and can be purchased below. 

For more information and to purchase tickets for all country festivals taking place in the US and Canada in 2023,

All the latest line-up announcements, date confirmations and ticket details for Country Fest Wisconsin 2023.

Festival - Country Fest Wisconsin 2023 Photo

Country Fest Wisconsin

The further into his career that Jon Pardi has progressed, the more it feels as though he’s settled into the latter 50% of his neo-traditionalist sound. He emerged onto the scene in the early 2010s, when classic country was still largely seen as old hat.

Pardi’s breakthrough 2014 single, ‘Up All Night’, was pop enough to fit into the existing paradigm, while introducing the world to Pardi’s penchant for a more retro, traditional-leaning style.

 saw Pardi hitting his stride, and the project produced a string of prolific singles, such as ‘Heartache on the Dance Floor’, ‘Night Shift’ and ‘Dirt on My Boots’.

Pardi’s increasing prominence was recognised at the 2017 CMA Awards, as he won the coveted New Artist of the Year prize.

Pardi returned emphatically in 2020 with 

- a classic country album-title for a classic country album. The project found Pardi leaning into the party-puns that so often get linked to his last name, with the Californian highlighting that he’s just as good at honouring the neon lights (‘Tied One On’) as he is at capturing the after-hours, tear-in-my-beer melancholy (‘Starlight’).

Arguably Pardi’s most assured record was 2022’s 

, which pivoted around a trademark piece of wordplay (“

They don't know how much I missed her Saturday night

”). Alongside his faux-bandmates of Midland, ‘Longneck Way to Go’ epitomised the exuberant, playful representation of heartbreak that Pardi has honed throughout his career. The swaggering single earned 2022 CMA Award nominations for Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year.

Jon Pardi: News, Songs & Reviews | Holler

Dan Smyers didn’t cross paths with Shay Mooney until 2012 – well into their respective solo careers. But something between the two singers sparked when they met in Nashville, and soon they found themselves writing songs together. 

Despite coming from different backgrounds – Smyers from an emo band and Mooney from T-Pain's record label Nappy Boy – their first country single ‘19 You + Me’ arrived in 2014. The emotionally charged, country pop number showed off their powerful vocal duets.

Dan + Shay’s debut album Where It All Begin followed later in 2014, as did a nod from the Academy of Country Music, which nominated the duo for Vocal Duo of the Year. 

Two years later, Dan + Shay’s sophomore album Obsessed arrived, and they followed it with their third, self-titled album in 2018. 

The duo won back-to-back Grammys for Best Country Duo Group Performance, for their 2019 single ‘Tequila’ and 2020 single ‘Speechless’. Those were also banner years at the ACM Awards, where Dan + Shay took home the Duo of the Year award two years in a row. 

Dan + Shay

Dan + Shay: News, Songs & Reviews | Holler

The Zac Brown Band of 2022 is an entirely different proposition to the old-school Southern Rock band that burst onto the scene in 2008 with their irresistible American anthem, ‘Chicken Fried’. At this time, the Georgia-based group were considered as country as country could be, with their debut studio album, 

, spawning a slew of platinum singles, including ‘Whatever It is’, ‘Free’ and the beautifully intricate ballad, ‘Highway 20 Ride’. In 2010, the band took home their first Grammy award for Best New Artist.

The tropically-tinged, island-inspired ‘Toes’, another platinum single from 

, paved the way for a collaboration with the king of island-inspired Gulf and Western himself, Jimmy Buffett. ‘Knee Deep’ was a playful ode to the necessary joy of escapism, and swiftly became another multi-platinum hit for Zac Brown Band.

‘Knee Deep’ featured on the group’s 2010 project, 

, which also produced a Grammy-winning collaboration with Alan Jackson, ‘As She’s Walking Away’. The song’s airtight harmonies and traditional arrangements epitomised everything that fans loved about Zac Brown Band. 

 would ultimately go on to become Zac Brown Band’s second platinum album, and their first No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

 in 2012, which won the group their third and final Grammy to date for Best Country Album.

Two years later, the band put out their fan-favourite compilation album, 

 It brought together all the nuggets of country gold that the band had created, including the likes of ‘Jump Right In’ and ‘Colder Weather’. Now, many fans view that album as an epitaph to the Zac Brown Band of old, with the group deciding to pursue a more genre-fluid, pop-leaning sound from that point on.

 was a commercial success, again reaching No. 1 and going platinum. It contained the first hints of experimentation, with ‘Beautiful Drug’ testing out a new, EDM-influenced sound. This was consolidated by the band’s surprise 2015 collaboration with the late DJ, Avicii, on ‘Broken Arrows’.

in 2022. This trio of projects all exhibit flashes of the classic country sound that Zac Brown Band first won over fans’ hearts with, while still exploring new territories and satisfying the group’s sonic wanderlust. Although these later albums are yet to go platinum, and despite their continued flirtation with other genres, Zac Brown Band remains one of the most loved bands in modern country music.

Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band: News, Songs & Reviews | Holler

When you hear Ernest's mellow, honeyed vocals, it's hard to believe that he started off his musical career as a rapper. On his 2021 smash hit, ‘Flower Shops’, he has his boots planted firmly in classic country terra firma - but to get there, it’s safe to say that Ernest eschewed the traditional pathway in favour of the scenic route.

The stylistic influences that have shaped Ernest’s chart-topping sound are hugely varied, and they emerge like easter eggs hidden amidst the steel guitars and layered drawl. From his moody, EDM collaboration with Diplo, ‘Bottle’s Bout Dead’, to the retro, Hailey Whitters-assisted tribute to Dolly and Kenny, ‘Islands in the Stream’, Ernest regularly showcases his diverse musical palette.

Ernest’s creative dexterity is clearest when examining his illustrious songwriting track record, having penned hits for a range of country stars. These include Florida Georgia Line (‘I Love My Country’), Sam Hunt (‘Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s’), Kane Brown (‘One Mississippi’, ‘Memory’), Thomas Rhett (‘Church Boots’, ‘Paradise’), Chris Lane (‘Big, Big Plans’) and Jelly Roll (‘Son Of A Sinner’).

Ernest has been particularly prolific when writing for his good buddy, Morgan Wallen, having helped to create ‘You Proof’, ‘More Than My Hometown’, ‘Dangerous’, ‘Broadway Girls’ and numerous other hits. With HARDY, the hugely popular trio are considered by many to be the tastemakers of today’s country music scene.

, was a romantic, beachside getaway, with the tropical setting reflecting the paradisal relationship that Ernest celebrates on the record. Highlights such as ‘I Think I Love You’, ‘Sugar’ and ‘All We Need’ helped to build a burgeoning following for the Nashville native.

While some suspected that Ernest would double down on this Buffettian, Gulf and Western sound, at the end of 2021 he shifted gears and dropped his biggest hit to date, ‘Flower Shops’. The Morgan Wallen collaboration felt like the kind of song George Jones would record if he was part of today’s generation of artists, and it marked a clear departure from the idyllic shores of 

. ‘Flower Shops’ went Platinum in November 2022.

, built out this troubled, heartbroken persona, spawning fan-favourites such as ‘Comfortable When I’m Crazy’, ‘Feet Wanna Run’ and ‘What It’s Come To’.

In December 2022, Ernest confirmed that he would be releasing two new singles, ‘Miss That Girl’ and ‘Unhang The Moon’.

Ernest

Ernest: News, Songs & Reviews | Holler

Given that BRELAND grew up surrounded by gospel music — thanks to his minister parents — it would make sense that his career might trend in that direction. 

But instead he's developed a country sound that integrates elements of trap, hip-hop R&B and soul. Critics call it "country-trap", but BRELAND calls it "cross country". 

After growing up in New Jersey, BRELAND attended Georgetown University, where he performed in an a cappella group and worked on writing his own music. He moved to Atlanta after graduating and learned how to engineer, sharing the tracks he produced on social media. 

Those platforms helped BRELAND amass a following and a serious number of streams, all of which led to a record deal with Bad Realm Records/Atlantic Records. 

Following an eclectic self-titled EP in 2020, BRELAND put out the sobering and emotionally raw 

 EP, which he released in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that spread across the US that summer. 

In 2022, BRELAND released his debut album, 

, which featured collaborations with Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Ingrid Andress and more. The project's name captured the sonic mercuriality that has made BRELAND one of the most exciting new voices in country music. 

BRELAND

Breland: News, Songs & Reviews | Holler

Russell 

Russell Dickerson: News, Songs & Reviews | Holler

Country Fest Wisconsin 2023: Line-Up, Dates & Tickets | Holler

Ciara Bains is a music journalist, radio host and musician from London, currently working as the Assistant Editor of Holler. She's a lover of all things disco, rock and roll and cosmic country. 

Ciara

Ciara author page 2022

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