Shooter Jennings, the son of country music titan Waylon Jennings, is set to embark on a monumental 2026 world tour alongside his mother, Jessi Colter. Dubbed the “Waylon Forever Tour,” the 40-date global run will honor the late outlaw pioneer’s enduring influence by bringing his classic songs to life through live performances. Launching in March in Nashville and concluding in December in London, the tour promises intimate renditions of hits like “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to Beer Joints and ‘Dancin’)” and “Good Hearted Woman,” performed with raw authenticity. Early VIP packages, starting at $299, include premium seating, exclusive merchandise, and post-show Q&A sessions where Jennings and Colter share personal anecdotes from Waylon’s storied career. As country music continues its resurgence, this family-led homage arrives at a perfect moment, blending nostalgia with fresh energy to captivate longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Born Waylon Albright Jennings in 1979, Shooter grew up in the shadow—and spotlight—of his father’s revolutionary sound. Waylon Jennings, who passed away in 2002 at age 64 from complications related to diabetes, co-founded the outlaw country movement in the 1970s alongside Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash. Rejecting Nashville’s polished production for a gritty, rock-infused edge, Waylon’s music captured the spirit of the American heartland, selling over 40 million albums and earning eight Grammy Awards. Songs like “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”—a duet with Nelson that topped the charts in 1978—became anthems of rebellion and resilience. Shooter’s tour isn’t mere replication; it’s a resurrection, with him channeling his father’s gravelly baritone and Telecaster riffs while Colter adds her ethereal harmonies, evoking the duo’s collaborations on albums like “Leather and Lace” from 1981.

The tour’s genesis traces back to Shooter’s recent archival projects. In 2025, he curated and released “Songbird,” the first of three posthumous Waylon albums drawn from unreleased tapes, featuring stripped-down tracks that highlight his father’s songwriting prowess. “Dad’s voice still cuts through like a knife—timeless and unfiltered,” Jennings told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. This release, which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, reignited interest in Waylon’s catalog, prompting the tour announcement just weeks later. Colter, 81 and a Grammy Hall of Fame inductee for her 1975 hit “I’m Not Lisa,” brings irreplaceable insight. As Waylon’s wife of 39 years and musical partner, she’s the living embodiment of his softer side, having co-written classics like “Storms Never Last.” Their onstage chemistry, previewed at a 2022 all-star tribute in Redondo Beach where they closed with Mickey Newbury’s “Why You Been Gone So Long,” promises tear-jerking moments.

Spanning North America, Europe, and Australia, the itinerary includes marquee stops like Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on March 15—hallowed ground where Waylon cut his teeth—and Austin’s Moody Center on April 5, nodding to Texas roots. Overseas, highlights feature London’s Royal Albert Hall on November 20 and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre in October, exposing Waylon’s sound to international crowds who’ve embraced modern outlaws like Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson. “We’re taking Dad’s music where it belongs—every corner of the globe,” Colter shared in a press release. Production details tease a minimalist setup: a single spotlight on Shooter and Jessi, backed by a core band of Nashville session pros on steel guitar, fiddle, and drums. No pyrotechnics or LED spectacles here—just storytelling, with Jennings interspersing songs with tales from Waylon’s Highwaymen days or his battles with the music industry.

Ticket prices reflect the tour’s intimate scale, with general admission from $79 to $149 and VIP upgrades offering soundcheck access and limited-edition vinyl of “Songbird” variants. Presales kicked off November 15 via Shooter’s Black Country Rock label site, selling out in select markets within hours. Live Nation, handling logistics, projects over 300,000 attendees, building on Shooter’s solid draw—his 2024 solo run grossed $4.2 million across 25 dates, per Pollstar. Merchandise will lean into heritage: embroidered denim jackets, Waylon-inspired belt buckles, and coffee-table books of tour photos curated by Jennings himself. A portion of proceeds benefits the Outlaw Country Music Association, which supports emerging artists echoing Waylon’s defiant ethos.

This venture arrives amid a tribute renaissance in country. Shooter’s “Songbird” follows high-profile nods like Nelson’s 2023 “Bluegrass” album and Johnny Cash’s ongoing “Forever Words” series. Yet, the family angle sets it apart—Colter, who lost Waylon over two decades ago, views the tour as closure. “He’d be grinning ear to ear, probably heckling us from the wings,” she quipped in a Nashville Scene profile. Shooter’s evolution adds layers; once a rock-leaning rebel with his band Stargunn in the early 2000s, he’s since helmed seven solo albums, produced Grammy winners like Brandi Carlile, and hosted SiriusXM’s “Electric Rodeo.” His 2018 LP “Hippies, Guns and Beers” fused psychedelia with country, but recent work, including a Warren Zevon tribute tour, shows his affinity for legacy acts. “Waylon taught me music’s about truth, not trends,” Jennings reflected. Critics praise his live wire energy: A 2024 Austin Chronicle review called him “a telepathic heir, summoning ghosts without mimicry.”

Social media is ablaze with anticipation. #WaylonForever trended globally post-announcement, with fans sharing grainy VHS clips of Waylon’s 1970s CBS specials and speculating on setlists. One viral post from @OutlawFanatic—”Shooter + Jessi = Waylon reborn. Crying already”—garnered 50,000 likes. Younger audiences, hooked via TikTok covers of “Amanda,” see parallels to current stars like Zach Bryan, whose raw lyricism owes a debt to the outlaws. The tour could bridge eras, much like Waylon’s own feuds with Nashville execs paved the way for today’s indie boom.

Logistics haven’t been without snags. Scheduling around Colter’s health and Shooter’s production commitments delayed the reveal from summer, and venue bids in Europe faced stiff competition from Taylor Swift’s lingering aftershocks. Fuel costs and inflation have nudged ticket prices up 15% from 2024 norms, but organizers tout value: Each show caps at 5,000 capacity for that “front-porch” feel Waylon championed. Sustainability efforts include carbon-neutral travel via biofuels and recyclable merch packaging, aligning with Jennings’ offstage advocacy for veterans’ causes—echoing Waylon’s Vietnam-era reflections in “Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This.”

For superfans, VIP isn’t just access—it’s immersion. Imagine Colter recounting Waylon’s 1972 “Greatest Hits” sessions or Shooter demoing an unreleased “Fenixon” track from their unfinished father-son album, finally surfaced in 2014. General admission holders get the full arc: Openers like rising fiddler Sierra Ferrell warming up for a two-hour deep dive, closing with an audience sing-along to “I’ve Always Been Crazy.” Past tributes, like the 2022 BeachLife fest where Shooter rallied Lukas Nelson and Orville Peck for “Mammas,” proved the formula’s potency—drawing 10,000 and spawning a live EP.

As 2026 dawns, this tour transcends concert dates; it’s a reclamation. Waylon, who once quipped, “I don’t do sob stories, but this is one hell of a ride,” would approve. In an industry chasing algorithms, Shooter and Jessi offer ballast—proof that roots run deep. Early metrics are promising: 150,000 tickets shifted in week one, per Variety, with international sales spiking 30%. Whether belting ballads in Brisbane or two-stepping in Tulsa, the message rings clear: Waylon’s fire burns on, passed faithfully to the next guard.

For those pondering a splurge, that $299 VIP buys more than seats—it’s a front-row seat to history, where family, fiddle, and fortitude collide. As Shooter puts it, “Dad’s songs aren’t relics; they’re road maps.” Buckle up—the outlaw caravan rolls out soon.