The first ever Live on the Plains is coming to the Auburn-Opelika area on Nov. 9, featuring the sounds of Headliner Tyler Childers and smaller country artists. The one-day music festival welcomes all guests ranging from large families to solo music lovers. Gates will open at 3 p.m. but attendees are encouraged to arrive early for parking and a tailgating experience outside of the venue.
Peachtree Entertainment is adding Live on the Plains to their resume of music festivals which include Rock the South and Rock The Country.
The festival is located at Sistrunk Farms in Opelika, a family farm in Society Hill and home of the notorious Auburn Rodeo. Although there has been speculation online, Live on the Plains is not a rebranding of the Auburn Rodeo.
“There is actually no rodeo aspect at Live on the Plains, so I think that is a common misconception. Live on the Plains is a brand new festival we're bringing to Auburn, and it's creating a new tradition for folks to look forward to every fall,” said Holly Doscher, senior vice president of marketing for Peachtree Entertainment. “Auburn Rodeo has been around for decades, and we wanted to create something separate from the rodeo, ensuring that Auburn rodeo continues on its legacy and remains special to the community as its own tradition.”
Doscher encourages fans looking for a fun weekend, especially those interested in the rodeo, to join them at Live on the Plains as Peachtree will announce exciting news about this spring’s Auburn Rodeo.
Tickets were sold at four-tiered pricing levels after the announcement of the festival in August for as low as $89.99 before fees. With only level four tickets left, general admission is $119.99 and VIP is $219.99.
General admission includes access to all of the artist’s performances as well as a variety of food vendors. For an additional price, VIP access provides fans the closest seating to the stage as well as private bathrooms and concessions.
The most pricy of the ticket plans, the elevated VIP lounge, includes all the perks of a VIP ticket and exclusive access to shaded and seated lounge. No matter what ticket plan chosen, attendees are allowed to free roam in any of the general admission areas.
On-site parking is an additional $40, but rideshare drop-offs are allowed.
Doscher points to the Live on the Plains website’s Know Before You Go and FAQ landing pages for any remaining questions attendees have for this weekend.
Hudson Westbrook, a small-town Texas native, is the first of the artists set to perform at Live on the Plains. Inspired by the melodies of Red Dirt Revolution and George Strait, Westbrook brings a nostalgic sound back to modern country music.
Marking the halfway point for his “tour supporting honky-tonk hitmakers,” Westbrook is slated to perform at 4 p.m.
Nineteen-year-old Bayker Blankenship from Tennessee rose to internet fame just this year after going viral on TikTok, and in a few short months, he signed a record deal with Creative Artists Agency in September.
Blankenship will perform at 4:45 p.m.
Braxton Keith is from San Antonio, and his band’s music “[blends] modern sounds with the best elements of old-school country.”
Keith will perform at 5:45 p.m.
Mountain Grass Unit consists of a quartet that “merges bluegrass with country, jazz, funk, rock and metal influences.”
The group will perform at 7:30 p.m.
Headliner of the event Tyler Childers began writing bluegrass music in his Kentucky hometown at thirteen years old. Since the critical acclaim of his 2017 album Purgatory, Childers has been a leading artist for country music stars.
Childers was the perfect pick for Live on the Plains. “I think for what we're trying to evoke with that community and family feeling event, we couldn't think of anyone better than Tyler Childers,” Doscher said.
Childers will perform at 9:30 p.m.
Helen Catherine Rauch, freshman in public and professional writing, has previously attended Rock the South and is eager to reunite with friends from out of town at Live on the Plains this weekend for one main reason.
“I'm super excited for Tyler Childers. That's the reason I bought tickets,” Rauch said. “I'm really into his music. And, like, I've heard of the smaller artists that are performing before him, but I haven't actually listened to their music. So I'm also excited for that.”
On the condition that this year’s festival is a success, Rauch said she would enjoy it if Live on the Plains became another Auburn tradition.
“I never got to go to the actual Auburn rodeo. So if [Live on the Plains] is fun, then absolutely, like, bring in bigger artists every single year. That'd be a good time,” Rauch said.
The Auburn community can expect many more Live on the Plains festivals to come in the upcoming years.
“Our goal is to have the Auburn rodeo in the spring every year with Live on the Plains every fall,” Doscher said. “Really, it's an event that offers an experience for everyone to enjoy, from just live music.”
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Jennifer Santiago is a freshman in exploratory studies from Enterprise, AL. Santiago has been with The Auburn Plainsman since Fall 2024.
