The biggest Gospel tour of the year is coming to a city near you. Festival of Praise, a 50-city concert tour features some of the best names in Gospel music including multiple GRAMMY®, Dove and Stellar Award-winning recording artists Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell, with Hezekiah Walker (in concert 9/30-10/31) and Israel Houghton (in concert 11/1-11/29). The tour also features Isaac Carree, Jessica Reedy and Zacardi Cortez. Marcus Wiley of the “Yolanda Adams Morning Show” will be this year’s festival host. The national tour kicks-off at Fallbrook Church in Houston, TX on September 30, and runs through November 29.
Pre-sale tickets for the tour begin on Monday, June 8. For a listing of tour dates and to purchase tickets, please visit www.festivalofpraisetour.com, additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks. Festival of Praise partnered with VIP Nation for premium concert ticket packages, which includes a VIP meet and greet in each market. VIP packages will be available by Monday, June 8, for more information, please visitwww.vipnation.com. The Festival of Praise International Tour will kick off in the first quarter of 2016.
Festival of Praise Tour 2015 will be held at arenas, performing arts centers and theaters, across the country. The family style tour, a phrase coined by Hammond and McClurkin, is a platform to uplift, motivate, encourage, inspire and entertain. The tour will feature some of Gospel’s biggest and brightest on the same stage with ensemble performances and music by each artist highlighting their classic hits and most memorable anthems. In conjunction with this year’s theme, Hammond produced “Trying to Make It Home,” a song which features vocal performances by Hammond, McClurkin, Burrell, Walker, Carree, Reedy and Cortez. The single is co-written by Hammond, Burrell, Carree, Reedy, Calvin Rodgers, and Phillip Feaster.
“The concept of ‘Trying to Make it Home,” is a collaborative effort by the artists on this tour and ties in perfectly with our purpose,” says Hammond, the co-creator of Festival of Praise. “With all the discourse, upheaval and negativity happening around the world, we all agreed that there’s one common thread that people are searching to find. People are trying to reach a safe place and home represents that for many people. Many of us are trying to make it home to family, trying to make it home from college, trying to make it home to a better marriage, trying to make it home from sickness and disease, and ultimately, all of us are trying to make it home to heaven.”
The Festival of Praise Tour 2014 was overwhelmingly successful, “We were blessed,” continues Hammond. “And we are back bigger and better. It will be an awesome evening of inspiration filled with a message of hope and restoration.”
The Festival of Praise Tour is created by Fred and Ray Hammond and produced by Face To Face, Inc. Adam Zagor of Universal Attractions Agency is the booking agent and Al Wash of ALW Entertainment is the entertainment consultant.
Festival of Praise 2015 Tour
Wednesday, September 30, Fallbrook Church, Houston, TX
Thursday, October 1, Hartman Arena, Wichita, KS
Sunday, October 4, Southern University Activity Center, Baton Rouge, LA
Friday, October 9, Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC
Saturday, October 10, Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, NC
Sunday, October 11, Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL
Saturday, October 17, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
Sunday, October 18, The Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, GA
Wednesday, October 21, Constant Convocation, Center, Norfolk, CA
Friday, October 23, Altria Theatre, Richmond, VA
Saturday, October 24, Lyric Opera House, Baltimore, MD
Tuesday, October 27, Hershey Centre, Toronto
Thursday, October 29, Agannis Arena, Boston, MA
Friday, October 30, Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, NY
Saturday, October 31, Ritz Theater, Elizabeth, NJ
Sunday, November 1, Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
Friday, November 6, Foxwoods Grand Theater, Mashantucket, CT
Saturday, November 7, Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY
Sunday, November 8, Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, PA
Monday, November 9, Palace Theater, Albany, NY
Thursday, November 12, Akron Civic Center, Akron, OH
Friday, November 13, Palace Theater, Columbus, OH
Saturday, November 14, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
Friday, November 20, Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
Saturday, November 21, Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN (Chicago market)
Sunday, November 22, Milwaukee Theater, Milwaukee, IL
Sunday, November 29, Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
