With no tour or traditional shows this summer, high-impact performer Kenny Chesney wanted to make sure No Shoes Nation got to have their show and another dimension, too. As the first country artist to play the groundbreaking Sphere in Las Vegas, which features a 160,000 square foot screen that wraps up, over and around the audience and features 4D technology, the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar didn’t want to lose the direct contact that marks his stadium shows.
“I know this is a whole other way to play live,” says the man known for breaking ground in American music. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t feed like vampires off that energy down front. Everything the people in the Sandbar give us, we turn right around and put into the music. There’s a connection there that’s unlike any other. And when we look down, see everybody singing along, rocking out or dancing, it drives us to another level.”
To that end, Chesney’s worked to create a Sandbar experience at his 15-date Vegas residency that matches the moment. For those fans who know the best fun happens close to the stage, this year won’t be any different. With only a headlining set to stand through, he’s tapped emerging sensation Brandi Cyrus (known for her remix of Lainey Wilson’s hit “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” plus sets at major global events including Stagecoach, Lollapalooza, Hangout Festival and Electric Forest) to create a unique DJ experience to hype up the crowd – and have No Shoes Nation dancing from the beginning of the night.
With 167,000 individual speakers, which can be dialed in to each section with dazzling specificity, Cyrus’ unique genre-blending skills will have fans riding the vibe and releasing endorphins through the music, taking the energy to another dimension. Chesney offers, “I wanted to make it about music, but I didn’t just want to throw a band up there. With the space on the floor – no chairs, no sun beating down – what could we do to transform what we do somewhere else? What could be better than a DJ to get the dancing started early?”
Known for exhaustive live shows that deliver the euphoria that results from embracing the world and living life completely, Chesney saw an opportunity to create a new dynamic in his live shows. Not only will he be pulling from previously un-played songs, rare favorites and myriad classics for the set list, he’s taken the opportunity of creating completely new visuals to really consider the moments and emotions that each of these songs contain.
More than even all unseen visuals, there’s a real investment in which songs, why and how they are going to be delivered. “And we’re going to leave room in each show to create a couple special moments that will be unique to that night. Maybe it’s a surprise guest, a song we will only play that specific night, but I’ve been blessed with an amazing group of friends, songs and players, so why not make each night something really individual for No Shoes Nation?”
The only country artist in Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years for the last 15, Chesney remains committed to creating a space for people to come together in community, fun and letting go of everything that brings you down. With Brandi Cyrus and a three hour, no stop Sandbar experience beginning May 22 at Sphere, No Shoes Nation can get their 2025 summer started with 15 singular shows designed to make Chesney’s world without boundaries an even more engaged space.
Limited tickets remain for the Sphere residency at KennyChesney.com with official VIP Concert & Hotel Packages available via KennyChesney.Vibee.com. Kenny Chesney Live at Sphere in Las Vegas is presented by Blue Chair Bay® Rum.
