BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Academy of Country Music's reigning New Female Artist of the Year will headline a preview night at Musikfest next summer, it was announced Monday.
Megan Moroney, who kicked off her career with the triple-platinum hit "Tennessee Orange" in 2022, will be perform at 7 p.m. July 31, ArtsQuest announced.
Tickets, at $39 to $134.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at the Musikfest website or at the box office at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.Musikfest.org
Tickets, at $39 to $134.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at the Musikfest website or at the box office at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.
Before playing Musikfest, Moroney will perform live from Times Square in New Year City on ABC-TV's "New Years Rockin' Eve" at 8 p.m. Dec. 31.
Moroney is the fifth headliner announced for Musikfest’s 42nd year, following announcements of country singer Riley Green performing Aug. 1, Americana rock band The Avett Brothers on Aug. 2, country singer Darius Rucker on Aug. 3 and 2000s rapper Nelly on Aug. 6.
Tickets for all of those remain available.
Musikfest the 42nd year of which will run Aug. 1-10, with a preview night July 31, in downtown Bethlehem and the SteelStacks campus in South Bethlehem.
A big hit to start a career
"Tennessee Orange" was Moroney's debut single, released in December 2022, and it reached No. 4 on the Country Airplay chart.
Her debut album, "Lucky," released in 2023, hit No. 10 on the Country chart and sold gold. It also produced a second platinum hit, "I'm Not Pretty," which peaked at No. 14 on the Country Airplay chart.
"Tennessee Orange" also won the County Music Television Awards Female Breakthrough Video of the Year in 2023, and was nominated as Country Music Association Awards' Song of the Year.Awards show data
"Tennessee Orange" also won the County Music Television Awards Female Breakthrough Video of the Year in 2023, and was nominated as Country Music Association Awards' Song of the Year.
Also that year, Moroney won the ACM's New Female Artist of the Year and also got her nominated as the academy's Female Artist of the Year.
Moroney's sophomore album, "Am I Okay?," was released in July and hit No. 3 on the Country Albums chart. It also crossed over to No. 9 on the overall albums chart.
Its first single, "Can't Break Up Now" with Old Dominion, peaked just inside the Top 20 on the Country Airplay chart, and the title track, released in August, peaked at No. 19 on the Country chart.
A third single, "No Caller ID," peaked at No. 13 and sold gold, and a fourth, "Indifferent," at No. 21.
On Nov. 1, Moroney released her first Christmas album, an EP called "Blue Christmas...Duh."
Continuing with country
With five of its 11 headliners announced for next year, Musikfest already has announced three country acts — tied for the most country music headliners the festival has ever had.
Musikfest rarely booked country music acts in its early years. But for the past decade, it has consistently booked country — with success.
The festival seemed to turn a corner on country in 2013, when it booked Darius Rucker, who gave the festival its only sellout that year.
Then in 2014, country singer Keith Urban also was the only sellout, as well as giving Musikfest its then-earliest sellout (by early February).
Rucker again was the festival’s only sellout in 2015, and Lady Antebellum its only sellout in 2016. In 2017, country singer Toby Keith was among three headliners who sold out.
In 2022, Musikfest offered three country acts: Marin Morris, Walker Hayes and Dan+Shay. None of those sold out.
The Moroney announcement also makes it the earliest time in Musikfest's history that five headliners have been announced.
The announcement means people can buy tickets in time for Christmas presents, and purchase them at the box office at ArtsQuest Center during ArtsQuest’s Christkindlmarkt, Thursdays-Sundays through Dec. 22 at SteelStacks.
