The massive arena run begins in May
It’s been an interesting few weeks for Shinedown. After being announced as headliners for the 2026 Rock The Country Festival, the band pulled out of the gig. The touring festival that was set to make eight stops across the United States later this year features artists across multiple genres including country, rock, and hip-hop. However, Shinedown made the decision not to perform, and shortly after – their stop was canceled entirely.
On Friday, Shinedown announced that they would no longer be performing at the festival. The group shared a statement on social media citing division amongst their fans as the catalyst for their cancelation. While Creed did not make a public statement, they were removed from the bill just hours after Shinedown made their exit as the whole South Carolina stop was canceled by the promoter.
“Shinedown is everyone’s band,” the group stated. “We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song. We have one boss, and it is everyone in the audience. Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide. With that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock The Country Festival. We know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something that will create further division. And to our fans, thank you for supporting and believing in us. We love and appreciate you always.”
Now that the dust has settled on that, Shinedown have confirmed plans for a huge world tour this year. The arena run begins in May and will see the band perform across North America, Europe, and the UK. Shinedown have enlisted some major special guests for the trek including Coheed and Cambria, Black Stone Cherry, From Ashes to New, and Those Damn Crows on select dates.
Check out the full tour itinerary below, plus a link to grab tickets.
North American tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, February 20 at 10am local time and European and United Kingdom tickets go on sale Friday, February 27 at 10am local time with various on sales earlier in the week for all markets. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets to the U.S. dates produced by Live Nation beginning Tuesday, February 17 at 10amET until Thursday, February 19 at 10pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program.
Although they are no longer playing Rock The Country, Shinedown are still hosting their very own festival this fall – Lunatic Ball. The weekend beach bash is set for October 23-25, 2026, in Miramar Beach, Florida. The jaunt will feature two headlining performances from Shinedown, plus more acts like Bush, Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm, Living Colour, From Ashes to New, and more.
This isn’t Shinedown’s only big festival of the year, though. They are also headlining Sonic Temple 2026 in Ohio. The group joins Tool, My Chemical Romance, and Bring Me The Horizon at the top of the bill. The festival is set for May 14-17 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Brent Smith of Shinedown said, “Barry, Zach, Eric and I have waited for this opportunity to be a headliner at Sonic Temple for a very long time. We are going to go all out for this performance. We know the fans have very high expectations. So with that being said, we are going to give all of Ohio everything we’ve got! Thank you to Danny Wimmer for this incredible opportunity! Let’s go Shinedown Nation!”
Additionally, Shinedown have finally confirmed their highly anticipated new album EI8HT. The group has already shared four singles from the forthcoming eighth record – “Searchlight,“ “Dance, Kid, Dance,” “Three Six Five,” and “Killing Fields.” The album is slated for release on May 29 and features 18 all-new songs. It will be available on CD, Evergreen vinyl, Orange Smoke vinyl, and a special black first pressing vinyl. Signed CDs and Evergreen vinyls will also be available.
To celebrate the announcement, the band have unleashed the new fist-pumping anthem “Safe and Sound” which can be streamed below.
Check out the tracklisting and all the physical editions below, plus the new album merch line.
Their latest “Searchlight” was first performed live during the band’s Opry debut in October of 2025, where the band’s fans packed the infamous venue and the song became the most talked-about moment of the night. Frontman Brent Smith introduced the song by telling the audience, “Sometimes when you listen close enough to the universe and you’re willing to receive something from it- a song can come out of thin air. We didn’t find this one, it found us.”
On the song’s release, Brent Smith said, “Searchlight is a song about owning your true feelings. It’s an awakening of the soul. Lyrically it is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the moment you decide to go out into the world, and find your purpose. Musically it is an homage to all the music our parents, and grandparents brought us up on. It is a love letter to Americana, Rhythm and Blues, Bluegrass, Outlaw Country, and of course Rock ‘n’ Roll. The creative process for this song was quite a journey, and we hope all the “Fans/Family” feel that authenticity in every note, and every word.”
Written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, and Dave Bassett and produced by Eric Bass at his Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina, “Searchlight”channels the emotional depth and anthemic power that have become Shinedown’s signature but with new sonic elements fitting of the Opry’s stage. In the song’s music video, shot by Andrew Donoho, you can see each member performing their own instruments including a steel pedal guitar and banjo. Filmed in Nashville, Tennessee the day after their Opry debut the video showcases the band’s live performance as well as the emotional power behind the song.
On the beautiful music video Brent noted, “We needed the video to be artistic, but also to showcase a visual epiphany. This was our very first time working with director, Andrew Donoho, and to his credit, there was a different treatment in the beginning, to which I asked, “could we think a bit more outside the box?” (You will understand the reference when you see the video.) Andrew did not miss a beat and told me and the band absolutely, let’s find something that is true to the song and also represents the band in the most honest way possible. In our opinion, he was able to capture the essence of the song, by using practical effects, and smart camera work. We hope everybody enjoys the video as much as we enjoyed making it.”
Last year was a big one for Shinedown, with “Searchlight” following their powerful global hit “Three Six Five,” which topped multiple radio formats including No. 1 at Alternative, Top 10 at Hot AC and AC, and Top 20 at Top 40. The band also released “Dance, Kid, Dance” and “Killing Fields” — both of which hit No. 1 — further cementing their dominance at radio. Shinedown currently hold the record for the most No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart (21 No. 1 hits to date), making them the top artist in the chart’s history, as well as the most #1s on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart (23 No. 1 hits to date), along with the records for the most Top 5 hits and Top 10 hits in the chart’s history.
In addition, Shinedown sold out and performed at Madison Square Garden for the first time during their Dance, Kid, Dance arena tour – a career milestone for the band. As part of the tour, they donated $1 from every ticket sold to Musicians On Call, resulting in a $300,000 contribution that helped launch a new bedside music program in partnership with HCA Florida Healthcare. Brent Smith and Zach Myers recently performed at the program’s kickoff event.
Earlier this year, the band also took home multiple iHeartRadio Awards, further solidifying their standing as one of the most impactful bands of today.
Next fall, Shinedown are hosting their very own festival – Lunatic Ball. The weekend beach bash is set for October 23-25, 2026, in Miramar Beach, Florida. The jaunt will feature two headlining performances from Shinedown, plus more acts like Bush, Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm, Living Colour, From Ashes to New, and more.
This isn’t Shinedown’s only big festival news lately. Last week, the band was confirmed as headliners of Sonic Temple 2026 in Ohio. The group joins Tool, My Chemical Romance, and Bring Me The Horizon at the top of the bill. The festival is set for May 14-17 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Brent Smith of Shinedown said, “Barry, Zach, Eric and I have waited for this opportunity to be a headliner at Sonic Temple for a very long time. We are going to go all out for this performance. We know the fans have very high expectations. So with that being said, we are going to give all of Ohio everything we’ve got! Thank you to Danny Wimmer for this incredible opportunity! LET’S GO SHINEDOWN NATION.”
Last January, Shinedown released two new songs – “Dance, Kid Dance” and “Three Six Five.” They are the first new pieces of material since their 2022 blockbuster LP, Planet Zero. In July, they released a third single – “Killing Fields.” The group expected to officially confirm their eighth studio album imminently. Over the summer, the multi-platinum rockers returned to the road for their massive Dance, Kid, Dance Tour. The run included a stop at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Special guests Beartooth joined for spring dates and alt-rock icons Bush played summer dates, with Morgan Wade opening all shows.
Last May, Shinedown headlined the inaugural Boardwalk Rock Festival in Ocean City, Maryland alongside Def Leppard, Nickelback, and Rob Zombie.
Back in September, Shinedown celebrated the 10th anniversary of their fifth studio album, Threat to Survival, arrived on September 18, 2015, as the Jacksonville quartet’s leanest, most radio-focused statement to date, built during a peripatetic writing and recording stretch in 2014–2015 that hopscotched across Los Angeles studios. Sessions and overdubs were cut at Ocean Way, Capitol and NRG, with additional editing at The Lair and further work at Agoura Borealis, reflecting a patchwork process that matched the album’s hybrid of hard-rock riffing and pop-rock hooks. Unlike the single-producer approach of earlier cycles, the band embraced a committee of collaborators: Dave Bassett, Pete Nappi, Scott Stevens and Shinedown’s own Eric Bass all took production roles, while a small army of top mixers—among them Chris Lord-Alge and Michael Brauer—polished different tracks. Bass later described the record as an “amalgamation,” noting it involved “four or five different producers and three or four different mix engineers,” emblematic of the band building songs in pieces as they moved “from one situation across the country to another.”
When stepping into the studio, Shinedown had a daunting task in front of them. Their last album, 2012’s Amaryllis, still stands as arguably the band’s best effort. Debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, the album took the No. 1 spot across the Top Rock, Top Hard Rock, and Top Alternative albums charts. It produced an astonishing six singles, as well as fan favorites like “Amaryllis” and “I’m Not Alright.” The commercial success slingshotted the band from festival feature to headliner, and whatever was to come next would have to be another home run.
Commercially, Threat to Survival hit fast. It debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 dated October 10, 2015, with 65,000 units (61,000 in pure sales), while also leading Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums—continuing a streak of Shinedown studio releases topping that chart. In the U.K., it became their highest-placing album up to that point, peaking at No. 13 on the Official Albums Chart and logging three weeks on the tally. The campaign produced another dominant run at rock radio: “Cut the Cord” reached No. 1 on Mainstream Rock in August 2015; “State of My Head” followed to No. 1 in February 2016; and “How Did You Love” completed the hat-trick, rising 2–1 on the March 4, 2017 chart. “Asking for It,” the set’s third single, peaked at No. 2 on the same list. In the longer arc, the album earned RIAA gold certification in 2018, while its singles kept accruing hardware—“Cut the Cord” went platinum and “State of My Head” gold in 2019—underscoring the record’s staying power on airwaves and streaming.
In addition to the record’s successful singles, the album also features “Black Cadillac,” which could very well be the band’s most criminally underrated song.
Shinedown – EI8HT [Atlantic Records, 2026]
1. At the Bottom
2. Dance, Kid, Dance
3. Burning Down The Disco
4. Three Six Five
5. Young Again
6. Dizzy
7. Imposter
8. Machine Gun
9. Outlaw
10. Safe and Sound
11. Searchlight
12. Bear with Me
13. Deep End
14. Killing Fields
15. Back to the Living
16. Wide Open
17. So Glad You Asked
18. The Pilot
May 13 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center *^%!
May 15 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Festival Headlining
May 16 – Madison, WI – Kohl Center *^%!
May 18 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center *^%!
May 19 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena *^%!
May 22 – Austin, TX – Moody Center *^%!
May 23 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center *^%!
May 26 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena *^%!
May 28 – Estero, FL – Hertz Center *^%!
May 30 – Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena *^%!
June 2 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum *^%!
June 5 – Norfolk, VA – Chartway Arena *^%!
June 6 – Hershey, PA – GIANT Center *^%!
July 11 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle *#%
July 13 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum *%
July 15 – Quebec City, QC – Centre Vidéotron *#%
July 17 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena *%
July 18 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena *#%!
July 20 – Manchester, NH – SNHU Arena *%!
July 21 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center *%!
July 23 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena *%!
July 25 – Knoxville, TN – Food City Center *#%!
July 30 – Lubbock, TX – United Supermarkets Arena *#%!
July 31 – Colorado Springs, CO – Weidner Field *%
August 2 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center *#%!
August 4 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Arena *#%!
August 6 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena *%!
August 7 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena *#%!
August 9 – Sparks, NV – Nugget Event Center *%
August 10 – Boise, ID – ExtraMile Arena *#%!
August 12 – Billings, MT – First Interstate Arena at Metrapark *#%!
August 14 – Spokane, WA – Numerica Veterans Arena *#%!
August 15 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Pacific Coliseum *#%
August 17 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place *#%
August 20 – Fargo, ND – Fargodome *#%!
August 21 – Welch, MN – Treasure Island Resort *%
August 23 – Springfield, IL – Illinois State Fair *#%
September 4 – Dyersville, IA – Velocity Festival
September 10 – McHenry, IL – McHenry Music Festival
October 31 – Paris, FR – Zénith Paris – La Villette &
November 2 – Milan, IT – Alcatraz &
November 4 – Tilburg, NL – O13 &
November 6 – Prague, CZ – Forum Karlín &
November 8 – Copenhagen, DK – Falkonersalen &
November 9 – Stockholm, SE – Annexet &
November 11 – Berlin, DE – Columbiahalle &
November 12 – Düsseldorf, DE – Mitsubishi Electric Halle &
November 14 – Birmingham, UK – bp pulse LIVE *&
November 16 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro *&
November 17 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena *&
November 19 – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley *&
November 20 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena *&
November 22 – Dublin, IE – 3Olympia Theatre &
* w/Coheed and Cambria
^ w/ Black Stone Cherry
# w/From Ashes To New
% w/ DJ Rockfeed
! Live Nation Dates
Tickets will be available HERE