Willie Nelson couldn’t perform at Outlaw Festival this past weekend in Holmdel, but he will be in town for an even bigger show at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden this July 4th.
It’s set to be the 42nd annual ‘Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic’ festival, which has featured some huge names in the past. Last year, the picnic was in Texas, so this is a nice change of pace, and it makes sense as a stop on the tour.
On the bill for this year’s festival are two of the biggest known songwriters on the planet: Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. On top of that, you can find other sets by some smaller names.
Full lineup:
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Allison Krauss
Maren Morris
Mavis Staples
Celisse
Many of these names were just in Jersey for Outlaw Festival, but Willie Nelson, 91, couldn’t make that show due to illness, so it’ll be his first set in the Garden State since August of last year.
Mavis Staples is the only one on the lineup who wasn’t on the bill for Outlaw Festival in New Jersey, so it’ll be his first show in just a few months in the state. He performed at the American Music Honors in West Long Branch, but he hasn’t done a full set in the state since his show at NJPAC in 2019.
Willie’s picnic is known for having big names, and Bob Dylan is that guy for this year. Tyler Childers was that guy last year, so while on paper Bob Dylan sounds a lot better, Childers is known for putting on a better show. Also on the bill in Austin last year was Shakey Graves, who appeared at Sea.Hear.Now in 2022.
This will be the first time Willie’s 4th of July picnic is in New Jersey since 1983, when it was held at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, now known as MetLife Stadium. The lineup featured Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard among others. In short, 40 years ago, Willie could play stadiums by himself.
Past picnics have featured names like Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Luke Combs, and Johnny Cash. New Jersey is excited to have Willie back for his annual 4th of July picnic!
NJ Music Festivals 