Rascal Flatts Announces 2026 “Life Is A Highway” Tour Dates, Hits New York and New Jersey
My name is Kai Montgomery, and yes, I am reluctantly here to tell you that Rascal Flatts is getting back on the highway for 2026. Don’t applaud me yet; I have opinions.
Alright, listen up: Rascal Flatts, the trio of Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney, and Jay DeMarcus, are extending their comeback with a second leg of the “Life Is A Highway 25th Anniversary Tour” in 2026. The band confirmed the added dates after a strong 2025 run, and for those who sulked because New York and New Jersey were skipped last season, your grumbling is rewarded. The group will play UBS Arena at Belmont Park on Thursday, January 29, then swing into Newark’s Prudential Center on Friday, January 30. They’ll also stop in Albany at MVP Arena on Saturday, January 31, and return to Buffalo at KeyBank Center on Saturday, February 28.
Yes, this is the same outfit that unofficially retired in 2020 and then tiptoed back into touring in 2025, so this second leg feels less like a retirement reversal and more like a carefully staged encore. The band shared the news on Instagram, quoting a succinct, almost smug line: “We’re not ready to exit the highway just yet!” They also bring special guests Lauren Alaina and Chris Lane along for the ride, so you get a little extra value for the ticket price if you’re still pretending to be surprised.
What to expect at these shows? Based on 2025 set lists, they typically play about 18 songs, mixing the radio-smash staples with a few curveball covers. Set List FM documented a typical show that included “Life Is A Highway,” “What Hurts The Most,” “Bless The Broken Road,” “I Like The Sound Of That,” “My Wish,” and closer-type anthems like “Summer Nights.” Reviews from Across The Country praised the encore energy and noted that the band often welcomed their openers onstage for a communal singalong finale.
For collectors of detail and scalpers of truth, the official on-sale for the 2026 dates was set for Friday, August 15, and tickets are live across the usual outlets. Secondary market platform Vivid Seats is offering tickets with its 100% buyer guarantee, though expect prices to fluctuate above or below face value depending on demand. Do the math before you buy—that’s not advice, that is a public service.
In addition to touring, Rascal Flatts released “Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets” in 2025, a ten-track album featuring collaborative reworks with artists such as Backstreet Boys, Jonas Brothers, Carly Pearce, and Blake Shelton. The album aimed to freshen familiar hits, and yes, the retooled “Summer Nights” duet with Ashley Cooke is a toe-tapper that probably ruins your productivity for 3 minutes and 42 seconds per listen.
If you want to vet the openers before handing over your credit card, Lauren Alaina’s biggest Spotify hit is “ONE BEER” and Chris Lane’s most streamed track is “I Don’t Know About You.” So if your playlist tastes trend toward commercial country radio, you should be content.
Concertgoers who tracked the 2025 finale will remember the April 5 Jacksonville show at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, where the band’s set list leaned on fan favorites and even included a few classic rock covers. Expect that formula to repeat: crowd-pleasers, a spirited encore, and the predictable but oddly comforting certainty of a singalong at the end.
So yes, Rascal Flatts is back on the road, booking more dates, and making it official that they’re sticking around for the foreseeable future. You can buy tickets now if you’re committed, mildly nostalgic, or just in it for the fiddle-driven catharsis. Let the merch lines begin.
Final grumpy thought: enjoy the nostalgia, try not to cry in public, and for heaven’s sake bring earplugs if you know someone who screams the lyrics into their phone during the chorus.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Set List FM, Across The Country, Rascal Flatts Instagram, Vivid Seats
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
