By Rupert Howell
The worst kept secret in North Mississippi is out—Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour 2016 is coming to Panola County Wednesday, October 12. Tickets go on sale online next Tuesday, June 21.
John and Amy Thomas have been in the loop since October of last year as their property, FT Farms at 2130 Macedonia Road, is the site of the concert which is expected to draw 20,000 fans of Bryan who last month was named top country artist at the Billboard Music Awards.
A few of Bryan’s many hits include Country Girl (Shake It for Me), Drunk on You, I Don’t Want This Night to End, Crash My Party, Someone Else Calling You Baby.
Bryan has been the recipient of the Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association “Entertainer of the Year” award and has sold over 7 million albums and 27 million singles worldwide as of 2015.
Farm Tour’s staff members have previously met with representatives of law enforcement and Emergency Management to iron out potential problems that might accompany the expected large following in the middle of a soybean field in rural Panola County.
The Batesville concert will begin the second week of his two week Farm Tour 2016 now in its eighth year.
Although whispers and social media have been buzzing about the concert for weeks, the Thomases were bound by contract not to discuss the matter until after Bryan’s people made the announcement.
Amy Thomas said the Macedonia Road site was picked after planners were shown six or eight Panola locations. She indicated planners were looking for a large contingent from nearby Ole Miss to attend the concert.
Parking opens at 2 p.m. and the concert begins at 6 p.m. Parking passes are also available. Tickets for previous Farm Tours have sold out with no tickets available at the gate according to the website, lukebryan.com.