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.
Written by
Lauren Jo Black
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.