Memorial Stadium in Clemson is rejoining the concert circuit in 2026.
George Strait will headline the first Death Valley Nights concert on May 2. He will be joined by Cody Johnson and Wyatt Flores for a performance “in the round” that Clemson leaders expect will be attended by more than 90,000, according to a news release.
The concert was announced at the Clemson Board of Trustees fall quarterly meetings.
The 81,000-seat Clemson landmark known as Death Valley to football fans is used almost exclusively for home games in the fall of every year, but it once hosted some of the most celebrated musical acts of its day, including the Rolling Stones in 1989. Others were Pink Floyd, U2, The Eagles and Billy Joel and Elton John together in April 1995 during their Face to Face tour, according to the news release.
George Strait’s return will make two in a row for the venue; he was the last concert at Memorial Stadium was in 1999 before the university stopped hosting musical acts in Death Valley.
Now, Clemson Athletics has announced a partnership with Clemson Athletic Ventures and Does Entertainment to bring concert events back to the stadium. Dubbed “Death Valley Nights,” the series of concerts promises a return of top-tier musical artists.
“Memorial Stadium has always been more than a football venue. It’s a place where unforgettable memories are made. With Death Valley Nights, we’re excited to bring that tradition full circle and create new experiences that will unite our students, alumni and community in the same spirit of pride and passion that defines Clemson,” Eric Sabin, executive senior associate athletic director for finance and operations, said in the release.
After the George Strait concert in 1999, nothing but football filled Memorial Stadium until April 26 of this year, when the Savannah Bananas brought their traveling baseball show to Clemson in front of a sold-out crowd of 81,000 people. It was the first time the stadium was reconfigured for a baseball game, and the biggest crowd in Banana Ball history, according to the release.
“That special event was over 18 months in the making, and plans for additional events have been going on for just as long,” Sabin said in the release. “Death Valley is going to provide unforgettable experiences for the community for years to come.”
