Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, two Georgia-born country superstars, are teaming up to co-headline the Live Between the Hedges concert at Dooley Field inside Sanford Stadium on Saturday, April 25. The show brings stadium-scale country music back to Athens for the first major production at Sanford since 2013, and UGA officials and promoters say they hope it grows into an annual pre-graduation tradition that blends Bulldog culture with the city’s music scene.
The announcement went out live on SEC Nation and in a university release that named Does Entertainment and Dugas-Jackson Consulting as partners and listed Zach Top, Lauren Alaina and DJs Rock and Dee Jay Silver on the bill, according to University of Georgia Athletics. UGA Associate Athletic Director Tanner Stines told the school the goal is to “bring it back and have an annual concert in Sanford Stadium,” language that appeared in the official announcement. The university also laid out presale and public on-sale timing tied to the artists’ fan clubs and the general ticket window.
Lineup and tickets
The co-headline show will feature rising artist Zach Top and Georgia native Lauren Alaina as support, along with DJ Rock and Dee Jay Silver, per Luke Bryan. Fan-club presales were scheduled ahead of the public on-sale period. Current ticket listings are available through Ticketmaster and the artists’ official pages.
Stadium history and upgrades
Sanford Stadium last hosted a major concert in 2013, when Aldean headlined and Bryan appeared on the bill, making this the stadium’s first major concert since 2013. Since then, the school has completed a $68.5 million renovation dedicated in September 2024 that expanded premium amenities and raised capacity to 93,033, although concert staging will cut roughly 25,000 seats to protect Dooley Field. Broadcasters and university officials say the event “promises exclusive collaborations and a multi-million dollar boost to the local economy,” as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
What it means for Athens
Local tourism and hospitality groups already have the concert circled on the city’s events calendar, and Visit Athens lists Live Between the Hedges as an upcoming draw expected to bring in out-of-town guests and spike weekend business for restaurants and hotels, according to Visit Athens. Large stadium dates typically add strain to traffic and parking near Sanford, and the university says it will release traffic plans, ADA access details and other logistics as the show gets closer. Fans are encouraged to check official artist pages and the stadium’s ticketing partner for final entry times, bag policies and any fan-club extras.
We will update this story as UGA, the artists and the promoters release stage maps, access plans and any late-breaking lineup changes. For now, fans should confirm tickets and seating through the artists’ official sites and the stadium’s ticketing partner.
