Country superstar Brad Paisley to headline Stadium of Fire 2011; Pop sensation David Archuleta will also perform

February 25, 2011 | 4 Comments

America’s Freedom Festival is excited to announce CMA Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley will officially headline 2011’s Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 2nd at Brigham Young University’s LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. American Idol alumnus and Utah native David Archuleta will also perform at the event.

Paisley is a consummate singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer, which has earned him three Grammy Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards and 13 Academy of Country Music Awards. He has released 18 #1 singles, with the last 14 consecutive. Paisley has also released nine critically acclaimed studio albums. His most recent album, Hits Alive, is a two-disc set of original studio hits as well as live performances from some of Paisley’s most popular concerts. Paisley’s innovative H20 World Tour played to over 879,000 fans in 2010 and placed as the #1 country tour for attendance by Pollstar, the concert trade publication. Paisley’s current single “This Is Country Music” is the title track from his next album, which will be in stores May 24.

“Brad Paisley is one of country music’s most exciting live performers,” said Carl Bacon, America’s Freedom Foundation trustee and senior executive producer of the event.

“Brad will create a thrilling atmosphere at Stadium of Fire this year. We couldn’t be happier that he’s joining us for America’s best patriotic celebration.”

David Archuleta was runner-up during season seven of the phenomenally successful American Idol television series on the FOX network. The Murray, Utah native is now a household name, seeing enormous success with the song “Crush,” which charted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of its 2008 release and has since sold two million downloads.

“We have been trying to get David back for some time since he wowed our crowd at Stadium of Fire with the national anthem at age 13,” said Bacon. “His popularity in

Utah is unparalleled.”

This year’s show will also feature performances from the three winning finalists of the first Stadium of Fire Talent Search, a unique talent competition that will spotlight up to 40 aspiring contestants from around the country in both online and live auditions between February and July. The three top contestants will perform live at Stadium of Fire to compete for cash prizes of up to $10,000. In an exciting conclusion to the months-long event, Stadium of Fire’s audience will vote for

the winner via text.

The night will also include the Stadium of Fire Dancers, the biggest stadium fireworks show in America and other surprises.

Tickets to Stadium of Fire will go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 4th at 9 a.m. and will be sold simultaneously online at www.stadiumoffire.com, www.byutickets.com and at the BYU Marriott Center ticket office in Provo. Members of the Freedom Festival’s email list will have the option to purchase tickets before the general public, on March 2nd, so fans are encouraged to visit www.freedomfestival.org to sign up for advance ticket opportunities.

The Stadium of Fire event, now in its 31st year, has grown to become one of the United States’ premier patriotic celebrations, attracting an average attendance of 50,000 people and broadcast live to over one million military men and women in more than 100 countries via the American Forces Network.

Stadium of Fire is presented by America’s Freedom Festival, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization supporting educational programs and events that promote freedom and democracy. For the seventh consecutive year, the event will be created, produced and directed by the award-winning production team of Baruch/Gayton Entertainment Group.