Willie Nelson Missing Outlaw Tour Opening on Doctor’s Orders

Willie Nelson will miss the opening run of shows on the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Tour due to an unspecified illness.

The 91-year-old country icon was slated to kick off the tour on Friday night (June 21) at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Ga., alongside Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss and Celisse. However, he won't be able to make the first weekend of shows on "doctor's orders," according to a post on his social media.

Nelson's team shared the following message on Friday afternoon:

We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well, and per doctor's orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days. He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week. In the meantime, Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, along with a few guests, will perform a special set to include Willie's classics and others songs. Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and Celisse will continue to perform as scheduled.

Nelson has continued recording new music and touring well into his later years, but he has been forced to cancel shows here and there in recent years due to various ailments.

According to Nelson's official tour schedule, the Outlaw Music Festival is slated to run through Sept. 20, when it wraps up with a show in Gilford, N.H. John Mellencamp, Billy Strings, Brittney Spencer and Southern Avenue are also on the bill for select shows.

Willie Nelson released his most recent album, The Border, on March 31, 2024. The project marked his 152nd album, according to a press release from Legacy Recordings.

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He's interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.