Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar top tour wish list for Louisville
Louisville free concert series 91.9 WFPK Waterfront Wednesday
My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers, Betty LaVette and more have played WFPK Waterfront Wednesday, a free outdoor concert series in Louisville.
From Kendrick Lamar to Sabrina Carpenter, plenty of top musical artists are currently on tour.
But while Louisville has venues big enough to host them, including the KFC Yum Center and L&N Stadium, many times the city isn’t included in the artists’ list of stops. Usually, the closest cities Louisvillians can find popular pop and hip hop concerts are Nashville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Chicago.
Here are the artists we wish would make future stops in the Derby City.
Kendrick Lamar
Lamar’s “Grand National Tour” with SZA has grossed hundreds of millions of dollars since it began at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in April. It’s scheduled to end in Sydney, Australia in December.
The tour features some of Lamar’s most popular hits, including “Not Like Us,” which arose from his ongoing feud with Canadian rapper and singer Drake. Lamar also performed in February at the Super Bowl, where SZA joined him as a special guest.
Lamar has made appearances in Louisville before, including at the Louisville Palace in 2013. He was also a guest at Bryson Tiller’s concert at the KFC Yum Center in 2017.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga — who’s known as one of the most successful commercial artists for her loud fashion, pop music and choreography — is returning to the stage for “The MAYHEM Ball” tour.
She released her latest album, MAYHEM, earlier this year, with hits including “Abracadabra” and “How Bad Do U Want Me.”
Lady Gaga was last in Louisville in 2017 for her Joanne World Tour at the KFC Yum Center.
Jonas Brothers
Yes, the Jonas Brothers are set to perform at Rupp Arena in Lexington this November. But why not also make a stop in Louisville?
The tour, “Jonas20: Living the Dream,” is celebrating the band’s 20-year music journey.
The band — comprised of Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas — has produced six albums since 2005. It gained popularity in the early 2000s alongside the brothers’ Disney Channel sitcom, “Jonas,” and appearances in movies “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2.”
Nick Jonas has made an appearance in Louisville before with Demi Lovato in 2016 at the KFC Yum Center.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift was a no-brainer to include in this list. During her record-breaking “Eras Tour,” Swift performed 149 shows in 51 cities across the world.
But not one of those performances took place in Louisville, or even Kentucky. The last time Swift performed in the Bluegrass State was in June 2018 as part of her “Reputation Tour” at the now-named L&N Stadium.
And Louisville does embrace its Swift fans. From an art installation featuring a guitar and pink cowboy boot at the Plaza on Fourth to hosting a Taylor Party at the Mercury Ballroom, it’s clear Louisville has the appetite for Swift to come back.
Sabrina Carpenter
Carpenter extended her “Short n’ Sweet” tour in February, adding shows in five cities. But none of the extra stops are here in Kentucky.
The closest city Carpenter added is Nashville, where she’ll be performing in early November.
Carpenter has been on tour since September 2024. Her setlist features some of her most popular songs, including “Espresso,” “Please, Please Please” and “Taste.” The last time Carpenter toured was in 2022 and 2023 for her album “emails I can’t send.” Louisville was also not included on the list of stops then, either.
Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.
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