The headliners for next summer’s annual Country Music Festival, The Windy City Smokeout Show in Chicago, were just released, and OH students are showing excitement for the lineup.
For OH senior Addison Baumgartner, the lineup is already looking like an improvement from last year. “I really like it. I think they did it better than last year and I’m excited to go,” she said of the July 2027 concert series.
The show will hit its 14th anniversary of country music, food and drinks, along with a great time to enjoy with family and friends. Even with an exciting lineup, some fans still have artists they wish had been included. Others are already looking ahead to future festivals and the headliners for them.
Oh junior Layla Ensign has two artists at the top of her wish list for future festivals. “I want Zach Bryan to headline if he hasn’t done it yet, and then Ella Langley,” Ensign said.
Ensign also expressed that seeing Megan Moroney on the 2027 lineup helped convince her to buy the tickets, especially after the end of her Cloud 9 tour in August.
OH sophomore Addison Sullivan is excited to see Florida Georgia Line and Megan Moroney as headliners. However, one announcement shocked her. “I was most surprised that Stella Lefty was announced, because she is kind of a smaller artist right now,” said Sullivan.
Of course the excitement doesn’t just stop with the artists, getting tickets for some has been a different adventure on its own. Baumgartner said she had an easier time purchasing tickets because she had a presale code, while others like Ensign struggled with waiting for the website and expensive prices.
“Tickets were easy because I had the presale code to get in, but everyone else has been struggling with it a little bit,” Baumgartner said. She also added that tickets can be expensive but the experience of the festival is worth it.
Ensign had a similar experience purchasing tickets through the official website. She said the prices were high, but she recommended trying to buy tickets in the morning because the website could crash later in the day.
As the countdown to Windy City Smokeout 2027 continues fans are expressing all of their excitement.
Whether they are excited to see Megan Moroney again, or sing along to Florida Georgia Line, fans are ready to make the most of another year at the biggest country festival in Chicago.
