Kenny Chesney Wraps Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour With Epic Three-Night Finale At Gillette Stadium With 183,000+ Fans
“It really felt like No Shoes Nation came to sing,” Chesney shared.
Kenny Chesney; Photo by Allister Ann
Kenny Chesney‘s Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour wrapped up with a spectacular three-night run at Gillette Stadium over the weekend, marking his 22nd, 23rd, and 24th performances at the home of the New England Patriots.
Since 2005, Chesney has been delighting fans with his high-energy shows and carefree songs at Gillette and these final summer shows were no exception. Over 183,224 fans enjoyed the three-night run, capping off an unforgettable summer.
“The last night is always so hard,” Chesney admitted, “because you’ve shared so many things over a few months… You get close, you have fun, and you live. But this year, this tour has been even more so because every single person who came to see us brought just as much heart to the shows as my road family and I brought. It was something you could feel everywhere we went.”
Friday Night
The weekend began on Friday with an epic prank from Chesney’s tourmate, Megan Moroney, who surprised Chesney on stage by dressing up as him and riding a tiny John Deere tractor for their duet performance of “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”
“Normally people wait ‘til the last night,” Chesney pointed out. “But Megan just couldn’t wait. When I find out who let her on the bus, well… But I have to admit: she looked good in my stuff. If there’s one thing I can give her: this girl is going big places, and it’s happening fast.”
Chesney then allowed Moroney the opportunity to perform her new single, “Am I Okay?” in front fo the packed-out stadium.
He also shared the stage with Uncle Kracker to perform “Drift Away,” and of course, delivered a performance of “Boston” for the Red Sox-loving crowd.
Saturday Night
Saturday’s show featured a surprise appearance from Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey, who joined Chesney for “Save It For A Rainy Day,” plus, performances of “When The Sun Goes Down.” “Drift Away,” “Follow Me,” “Midnight Rider,” and “Cowboy” with Uncle Kracker.
For the first time all tour, Zac Brown joined Chesney on stage, delivering a performance of “Dixieland Delight” as well as a mashup of Steve Miller’s “The Joker” and Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.”
Another highlight came when Moroney and her crew rushed the stage in Blue Chair Bay t-shirts during their performance of “All The Pretty Girls” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”
“I told Tom, my stage manager, this is the best Gillette crowd we’ve ever had,” the eight-time Entertainer of the Year said after Saturday’s show. “They were so there, so on fire. We could feel it before we hit the stage. Once we were out there, it was insane. I always say ‘Sports, family, friends, music;’ tonight with Zac and Megan, it was so strong, I had to bring my mom and her twin sister out to feel the crowd, too.”
Sunday Night
For Sunday’s finale, No Shoes Nation enjoyed a massive sing-along of “Boston” and “Boys of Fall,” plus Chesney’s duets with Kracker and Moroney.
“It really felt like No Shoes Nation came to sing,” Chesney shared. “These songs were their life, too, and they were going to sing them back to us. I felt like I was seeing – and hearing – everything we played in another dimension because I could hear all those lives in their voices.”
With each night’s set list differing a bit from the last, it’s safe to say the Sun Goes Down Tour went out with a bang.
“The thing about these summers together,” Chesney said after the show, “is it really is all about friendship. It’s about the people out here, our road family and everyone else’s road family, and how those connections grow. It’s a lot, and it’s precious.”
With the Sun Goes Down Tour behind him, the East Tennessee native will enjoy some well-deserved downtime and currently has no tour dates on the books.
Meanwhile, his new single, “Just To Say We Did,” continues to climb the charts at country radio.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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