Garth Brooks announced on Monday night (Sept. 13) that his Dive Bar Tour will return on Oct. 11 for vaccinated ticket holders with a special kickoff show in Oklahoma City.

Brooks returned to his live broadcast Inside Studio G, which typically broadcasts weekly on Facebook Live and SiriusXM at 7PM EST/4PM PT, on Monday night after a two-week break. After opening with an acoustic performance of "Guy Goin' Nowhere" and featuring some heartfelt video messages from fans, Brooks announced the tour's return and spoke about his love of dive bars.

Aside from being easier locations to implement vaccination policies, Brooks believes dive bars are full of people from all walks of life. In his words, they generate a more intimate performance setting that's ripe to play old favorites.

"Our stuff is made for dive bars," Brooks explains.

Tickets to the Dive Bar Tour will only be available through country radio station call-in contests, and proof of vaccination is required for entry. JakeFM 93.3 is handling the distribution of tickets for the Oct. 11 show. Further dates and locations beyond Oklahoma City will be announced throughout the rest of the fall and into the holiday season.

Brooks also shared on Inside Studio G that his Stadium Tour is unlikely to return this year, though he's waiting to make a final call. He took a number of #askgarth questions from the audience in last night's episode, before singing off to perform at Loretta Lynn's Hometown Rising benefit concert for flooding in Tennessee.

You can catch up on this week's episode of Inside Studio G on Facebook Live.

5 Hottest Country Tours of Summer 2021


There’s a lot to consider when making a list of the hottest tours of summer 2021, including star power, opening acts, venues and set lists. Add to that concerns and cautions as the country begins to emerge from a pandemic and that no one has seen live music in 14 months. It’s quite likely you’re craving live music like a drug that’s just out of reach ... or you’re scared shirtless to surround yourself with 10,000 fans indoors. 

All the emotions about reengaging with the live country music community are valid. While at first it seemed September would be start-up month, several tours on this Hot List begin in July and August at outdoor venues across America. The No. 3 tour and No. 1 tour on our list are mostly indoors, but both are banking on increased safety that comes from a majority of the population having the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Once those lights go down, all of these worries will be carried away by the buzz in the air (and maybe, from your cup). Find five total professionals on this list of Hot Summer Tours, each bringing a total stage show, plus several in-demand opening acts with a proven track record of live entertainment at the highest level. There’s no fat on any of these country tours — if you stick to the tailgate through an opener’s set, you’ll truly be missing something special. 

As always, let us know who you can’t wait to see on tour in 2021 via Twitter or email

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