By Cameron Lee
January 14, 2026
’80s heartland rock icon John Mellencamp has announced a 19-date summer tour celebrating his greatest hits, including a stop in Charlotte at the recently renamed Truliant Amphitheater (formerly PNC Music Pavilion) on July 30.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and co-founder of Farm Aid (alongside Willie Nelson and Neil Young) will perform with his full band, delivering a career-spanning set that brings together his most beloved songs — some of which haven’t been played live in years — in a single night.
Best known for a run of timeless classics in the ’80s, including “Jack & Diane,” “Small Town,” “Hurts So Good,” and “Pink Houses,” Mellencamp built his reputation on vivid storytelling centered on working- and middle-class life in Middle America.
He has sold over 25 million albums in the U.S., with 22 Top 40 singles and several platinum albums, including American Fool (1982), Uh-Huh (1983), Scarecrow (1985), The Lonesome Jubilee (1987), and four more throughout the 1990s.
An Indiana native, he helped define heartland rock, blending roots-driven grit with his raspy voice, folk instrumentation (fiddle and accordion), blues rhythms, and gospel textures — cementing his status as one of the most compelling American troubadours of his generation.
Mellencamp’s accolades include induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, along with honors such as the John Steinbeck Award, Grammy Award, Woody Guthrie Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, and the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to his biggest hits, the tour will feature fan-favorite cuts Mellencamp hasn’t performed live in more than a decade, including “Wild Nights,” “Ain’t Even Done With the Night,” “I Need a Lover,” and “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”
The tour kicks off July 10 and arrives in Charlotte on July 30 at Truliant Amphitheater. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, January 20 at 10 a.m. with tickets on sale to the general public Friday, January 23 at 10 a.m. Mellencamp announced the tour with a special tour trailer featuring Sean Penn:
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Official tour dates:
July 10 – Grand Rapids, Michigan at Acrisure Amphitheater
July 11 – Tinley Park, Illinois at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
July 13 – Kansas City, Missouri at Morton Amphitheater
July 14 – Shakopee, Minnesota at Mystic Lake Amphitheater
July 16 – Clarkston, Michigan at Pine Knob Music Theatre
July 18 – Noblesville, Indiana at Ruoff Music Center
July 19 – Cincinnati, Ohio at Riverbend Music Center
July 21 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio at Blossom Music Center
July 24 – Mansfield, Massachusetts at Xfinity Center
July 25 – Holmdel, New Jersey at PNC Bank Arts Center
July 26 – Wantagh, New York at Jones Beach Theater
July 29 – Bristow, Virginia at Jiffy Lube Live
July 30 – Charlotte, North Carolina at Truliant Amphitheater
August 1 – Alpharetta, Georgia at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
August 3 – Tampa, Florida at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp
August 6 – Houston, Texas at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 9 – Phoenix, Arizona at Talking Stick Resort Amp
August 10 – Hollywood, California at Hollywood Bowl
August 12 – Mountain View, California at Shoreline Am
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