AUSTIN STATE OF MIND

Superstar Billy Joel will thrill Austin with Formula 1 weekend show

He's still rock and roll to us.

Photo by Myrna Suarez

The stage is set for the triumphant Austin return of the piano man himself.

Hot off the news that tickets are now available for the Formula 1 Aramco 2021 United States Grand Prix, taking place this October at the Circuit of The Americas racetrack, the COTA announced Thursday, April 29 that the headlining musical guest for race weekend is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel, who will perform Saturday, October 23, at the Germania Insurance Super Stage at the COTA.

The show will mark Joel’s first Austin performance since the 1990s, and considering the multi Grammy Award winner still sells out arenas and stadiums worldwide (he’s the third bestselling solo artist of all time), pandemic-weary Austin fans, and plenty of out-of-town race visitors, are sure to take, well, not the longest time to snatch up tickets.

Though Joel’s awards and accolades are almost too many to mention, given his decades-long career (and even include a Tony Award for Movin’ Out, the Broadway musical based on his music, and The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song), he has spent much of his time in recent years lending his talent to a variety of causes, including performing at two Madison Square Garden benefit concerts, 12-12-12, The Concert for Sandy Relief, which raised awareness and money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, and The Concert for New York City, which was held to help aid 9/11 victims and heroes.

With his performance at COTA, Joel joins previous Super Stage artists who have performed during U.S. Grand Prix weekend, including Pink, Imagine Dragons, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, and fellow music legend Sir Elton John.

Tickets for the Formula 1 Grand Prix and concerts are on sale now and can be purchased at thecircuit.com/F1. The featured music performer for the Friday, October 22 show will be announced next month.

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Roundup Repertoire

San Antonio rodeo rounds up Jon Pardi and Pesado for 2025 lineup

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Jon Pardi is going to the rodeo.

Besides the allure of seeing a rodeo in a more traditionally western city, Austinites have a few higher profile reasons to travel an hour and a half to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo each year. Big concerts are a draw to Texas tourists, and the 2025 lineup will bring some major country stars to the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum, according to three rounds of announcements between August 8 and November 14.

There are five performances in the newly announced, final round:

Wednesday, February 12, at 7 pm: Jon Pardi
Saturday, February 15, at noon: Southall
Saturday, February 15, at 7:30 pm: Turnpike Troubadours
Sunday, February 16, at 7:30 pm: Pesado
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 7 pm: Joe Nichols

That makes 21 total, with 16 performances already announced in previous rounds:

Thursday, February 6, at 7 pm: Scotty McCreery
Friday, February 7, at 7 pm: Koe Wetzel
Saturday, February 8, at noon and 7:30 pm: Keith Urban
Sunday, February 9, 2025, at noon: LeAnn Rimes
Sunday, February 9, 2025, at 7:30 pm: Bellamy Brothers
Monday, February 10, 2025, at 7 pm: Mark Chesnutt
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 7 pm: Eli Young Band
Thursday, February 13, at 7 pm: Muscadine Bloodline
Friday, February 14, at 7 pm: Tyler Hubbard
Sunday, February 16, at noon: Zach Top
Monday, February 17, at 7 pm: Diamond Rio
February 19, 2025, at 7 pm: Whiskey Myers
Thursday, February 20, at 7 pm: Sammy Hagar
February 21, 2025, at 7 pm: Nelly
Saturday, February 22, at noon: Nate Smith
Saturday, February 22, at 7:30 pm: Dwight Yoakam

Be sure to check the schedule before going, since some acts are performing at different events.

Announcing the lineup in rounds is customary for the rodeo, which in 2024 featured country and rock acts such as Wynonna Judd, Brad Paisley, The Oak Ridge Boys, Cheap Trick, Styx, and Brooks & Dunn. In addition to the bigger names were local stars like Austin's Charley Crockett (born in San Benito and raised in Dallas-Fort Worth). Surprisingly, Midland, from Dripping Springs, does not appear on the 2025 lineup. They have played the rodeo every year since at least 2020.

The San Antonio rodeo is a very popular annual occasion, which in 2025 includes 22 events and will likely draw more than 1.5 million visitors. That's been bringing in tourist money since 1949, and a portion of funds raised also go back to young people across Texas in the form of education, vocational training, and agricultural projects.

"We are immensely thankful to the community, sponsors, partners, and our over 6,000 volunteers for their unwavering support in advancing our mission to educate the youth of Texas," said executive director and CEO Cody Davenport in a press release. "Our longstanding traditions will continue to serve the community, showcasing our world-class rodeo and Agriculture Fair. We eagerly anticipate welcoming everyone in 2025."

Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster and sarodeo.com. Tickets can be purchased for the season or individually.

This article was originally published with the first announcement August 8, and was updated September 13, October 11, and November 14 to add information about additional rounds of performers.

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