After latest venue switch, Oliver Anthony sells out of 9,500 tickets for Smokies Stadium
The supply ran out, but that didn’t stop the demand for Oliver Anthony's concert in East Tennessee.
Additional tickets quickly sold out after the "Rich Men North of Richmond" singer moved his East Tennessee concert to a larger venue for the second time. The performance is now scheduled for Sept. 28 at Smokies Stadium in Sevier County.
The stadium’s stand seating has a capacity around 6,400, but Anthony sold 9,500 tickets (including field seats), according to a news release.
Within 90 minutes of new $25 tickets becoming available at oliveranthonyknox.com on Sept. 20, they were gone. Fans who were just a little too late that morning saw "sold out" and "out of stock" when trying to purchase.
A return to the area in the spring is already being planned.
“We are honored that we have such a great fan base in East Tennessee, and we feel very driven to have everyone get a chance to come hear us that wants to,” Anthony said is a release.
“I was blown away at the ticket demand for the Knoxville, TN show,” Anthony wrote on Instagram and Facebook on Sept. 19 when announcing the new concert.
“Based on the ticket demand and your feedback, I have made a decision to host this show at the Smokies Stadium instead of the Convention Center. This will allow us to fit more fans, but also provide that outdoor and authentic feel that many of you said was important to you.”
The concert was previously scheduled for Sept 29 at the Knoxville Convention Center, but tickets for that venue sold out within two hours, Anthony said on social media.
Tickets already purchased for the Convention Center show will be honored at the Smokies Stadium show, and refunds will be available for people who cannot attend on the new date at the new location.
“We are delighted to see that the city of Sevierville and Oliver Anthony have worked out this agreement,” Boyd Sports President Chris Allen said in a statement announcing the show. “We are excited for the citizens of East Tennessee to get a chance to see this rising star. We look forward to a night full of great music and entertainment from Oliver Anthony.”
This is the second time the venue for Anthony’s concert has been changed in a little over a week. He originally was slated to play at the Knoxville nightclub Cotton Eyed Joe on Sept. 27, but Anthony took issue publicly with the $99 tickets and $199 meet and greet package the venue had set.
Smokies Stadium's capacity, including the show's field seating, is over six times greater than that of Cotton Eyed Joe, which can hold approximately 1,500 people, according to the club's owner Chuck Ward.
Oliver also shared with his fans that he’s beginning to work on his 2024 schedule, which he said will include a special show in Knoxville, as well as international performances.
The musician from Virginia is no stranger to East Tennessee. “We go to Gatlinburg and then hike in the mountains at least once or twice a year,” he said. “It’s nice that we have such a fan base here because this is an area we truly love.”
Anthony abruptly rocketed to national fame this summer when his blue-collar anthem "Rich Men North of Richmond" jumped to the top of Billboard Hot 100 chart and iTunes after exploding on social media.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email [email protected]. Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Oliver Anthony quickly sells out Smokies Stadium after changing venues
