Eric Church to Headline Inaugural Carolina Kickoff Festival
A Carolina boy himself, Eric Church will headline the first-ever Carolina Kickoff in Greenville, North Carolina. Scheduled for August 20th, the festival will bring as many as 50,000 fans to the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on East Carolina University’s campus, with Church topping a multi-band bill that also includes Kid Rock, Margo Price, Arkansas-based rock band Amasa Hines, Americana duo the Harris Brothers and country-pop up-and-comer David Ray.
It’s Church’s only North Carolina date of the year, bringing the Chief — who grew up in Granite Falls, four hours to the west — back to his home state. If the festival proves to be a popular event, the Carolina Kickoff may become an annual tradition, kicking off ECU’s fall semester for years to come. In the meantime, however, it’s just a one-off event, with wallet-friendly ticket prices — starting as low as $29 — meant to cater to students and townies alike. The 2016 football season of the ECU Pirates will launch days later, with a non-conference matchup against Western Carolina on September 3rd.
Carolina Kickoff is one of nearly a dozen festivals on Church’s summertime tour schedule, which also includes appearances at Gulf Coast Jam, Country Thunder and Kentucky’s Red White and Boom Music Festival.