Arlington's Levitt Pavilion is preparing a free special concert and 9/11 commemoration set for tomorrow evening, pairing live music with a solemn tribute to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The event, called Stars, Stripes & Remembrance, kicks off at 7:10 p.m. at the downtown venue located at 100 W. Abram St., directly across from Arlington City Hall.
According to the Fort Worth Report, the evening opens with remarks from Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and the city's first responders, followed by a presentation of the colors, a national anthem performance, and a keynote address from a senior National Transportation Safety Board official who was on duty during the events of September 11, 2001. The NTSB's involvement traces back to its role in compiling cockpit voice recorder transcripts and flight path studies for all four hijacked airliners in the attacks' aftermath, technical work that was later cited extensively in the official 9/11 Commission Report, according to the National Security Archive.
Headlining the concert is country singer-songwriter Coffey Anderson, known for his viral patriotic songs, country-pop music, and spiritual lyrics, per the Fort Worth Report. Anderson, who hails from Bangs, Texas, released the song “Mr. Red, White and Blue,” which he co-wrote after a friend posted on social media about her boyfriend's military deployment; a rock version of the track later reached number one on rock charts, according to a Facebook post detailing the song's origin.
An Encore Booking for the Levitt Stage
Levitt Executive Director Angela Peña said the venue selected Anderson as the artist for this year's event, the Fort Worth Report reports. It's not his first time on the Levitt stage — Anderson previously headlined the venue's free fall concert season kickoff over Labor Day weekend in September 2023, a lineup that also featured Tejano legend Little Joe Y La Familia, according to the City of Arlington.
Friday's program also includes a flyover coordinated by the Veterans Park Memorial Foundation, which is sponsoring the overall event. Mayor Ross said gathering to commemorate this part of the country's history is really important, the Fort Worth Report notes. The foundation has made a habit of partnering with Levitt Pavilion for annual 9/11 commemorations; last September's benefit concert featured a Toby Keith tribute act and raised funds for local veteran memorial projects, according to the City of Arlington's Weekend Buzz newsletter.
What to Know Before Heading Downtown
Seating is first-come, first-served, and organizers recommend arriving early. The city and Downtown Arlington are providing free parking in public lots, though private lots nearby may enforce towing, the Fort Worth Report reports. Glass containers are not allowed inside the venue, but sealed water bottles and well-behaved pets on leashes are both permitted.
That's What's Up BBQ will provide an American Southern-style dinner and show, and other food trucks on-site will offer beer and wine service, per the same account. Levitt will share any weather updates and additional event information through its social channels ahead of Friday.
A Milestone Year for Arlington and the Nation
The concert lands during a year already packed with civic symbolism: Arlington is celebrating its 150th anniversary throughout 2026, coinciding with the United States' 250th anniversary. Hoodline previously reported on the city's yearlong slate of sesquicentennial and semiquincentennial programming, of which Friday's commemoration is part.
Recent municipal investment has also raised the bar for what's possible on the Levitt stage. In August 2025, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation awarded $1,660,010 to Friends of the Levitt Pavilion to fund upgrades including new weather-rated video walls, digital signage, advanced sound and lighting, security cameras, and climate control, according to the City of Arlington. The venue, which opened downtown in 2009, hosts roughly 50 free outdoor concerts a year and draws more than 100,000 visitors annually.
Arlington earned an official Music-Friendly Community designation from the Texas Music Office in 2020, a recognition that named Levitt Pavilion and Arlington Music Hall as economic and cultural pillars of the city, according to Downtown Arlington. The Arlington Fire Department also regularly uses the pavilion for community outreach, such as its Preparedness in the Park program, where responders educate residents on outdoor sirens and emergency protocols, a relationship Hoodline has covered in its reporting on the department's siren-testing efforts.
