After months of whispered rumors and fervent fan speculation that lit up social media like a Fourth of July bonfire, country music royalty Reba McEntire has finally lifted the curtain on her most ambitious outing yet: the Reba McEntire World Tour 2026. Slated to blaze through 28 cities across the United States and Europe starting in March, the tour promises a high-octane blend of timeless hits, fresh anthems, and the kind of heartfelt storytelling that has cemented McEntire’s status as the Queen of Country. But the real fireworks? Blake Shelton, her longtime friend and fellow Oklahoma trailblazer, is set to join her for the electrifying final three nights. And in a twist that’s got The Voice superfans buzzing, producers teased a last-minute bombshell: one standout contestant from McEntire’s team on Season 28 will crash the party as a special guest, revealed only at the eleventh hour to keep the energy unpredictable and the crowds roaring.
The announcement dropped like a thunderclap during a star-studded livestream from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Friday night, where McEntire, resplendent in a sequined fringe jacket that evoked her rodeo roots, beamed into homes worldwide. “Y’all, I’ve been itchin’ to hit the road again, to feel that rush of y’all singin’ back every word,” she drawled, her trademark Oklahoma twang wrapping the virtual audience in warmth. “This ain’t just a tour—it’s a celebration of where we’ve been, where we’re goin’, and all the promises we keep along the way. And honey, we’ve got some surprises that’ll knock your boots off.” Flanked by a massive LED screen flashing tour dates and teaser footage of pyrotechnics and pedal steel solos, McEntire revealed a itinerary designed to span oceans and time zones, blending intimate arena vibes with stadium grandeur.
Kicking off March 6 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans—a nod to her love for Cajun spice and Mardi Gras magic—the tour will snake through the American heartland with stops in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Chicago’s United Center. Crossing the Atlantic by mid-summer, it’ll conquer Europe with dates in London’s O2 Arena (July 18), Paris’s Accor Arena, Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, and culminating in a triumphant homecoming finale at Madison Square Garden in New York on August 15. “We’re talkin’ 28 cities, from the bayous to the boulevards of Paris,” McEntire explained. “Each night’s gonna feel like a family reunion—songs that’ll make you laugh, cry, and two-step till dawn.” The setlist, teased in snippets during the reveal, leans heavy on classics like “Fancy,” “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” and “Does He Love You,” interspersed with cuts from her 2023 album Not That Fancy and a few unreleased tracks penned during her The Voice coaching stint.
Ticket sales launched at midnight Eastern, and the frenzy was immediate. Within 15 minutes, the London and Chicago shows sold out, with secondary markets like StubHub seeing resale prices skyrocket to over $1,200 for nosebleeds. “I refreshed my screen at 11:59 and bam—gone,” tweeted one Chicago fan, @WindyCityReba, her post amassing 50,000 likes. “Reba’s got that Midas touch; everything she announces turns to gold.” The rush underscores McEntire’s enduring pull: At 70, with 35 No. 1 singles, 58 million albums sold, and a shelf full of Grammys, she’s not just relevant—she’s a phenomenon. Her last major trek, the 2023 Reba: Live Tour, grossed $40 million and sold 300,000 tickets, but insiders whisper this outing could double that, fueled by international demand and a post-pandemic hunger for live escapism.
Enter Blake Shelton, the 49-year-old baritone powerhouse whose gravelly charm and self-deprecating wit have made him a country staple since his 2001 debut. Announced as the co-headliner for the tour’s closing trio—London, Paris, and New York—Shelton’s involvement feels like destiny. The duo’s history runs deep: They’ve co-starred in Oklahoma Opry revues, traded playful barbs on The Voice (where Shelton notched nine wins before stepping back in 2023), and even collaborated on Shelton’s 2017 hit “Turnin’ Me On,” a duet that peaked at No. 27 on the country charts. “Blake’s like the brother I never wanted but couldn’t live without,” McEntire joked during the livestream, as Shelton appeared via video from his Tishomingo ranch, nursing a beer and grinning mischievously. “He’s got that big voice, bigger heart, and a knack for stealin’ the show. Those last three nights? We’re gonna burn it down—duets, surprises, maybe even a little friendly competition.”
Shelton’s addition amps up the star power exponentially. Fresh off his 2024 Friends & Heroes Tour, which paired him with icons like Martina McBride and Brooks & Dunn, the “God’s Country” singer brings a modern edge to McEntire’s classic repertoire. Expect crowd-pleasers like their joint rendition of “Why Haven’t I Heard from You,” plus Shelton staples such as “Home” and “Neon Light.” “Tourin’ with Reba? It’s a dream I didn’t know I had till she called,” Shelton said in a follow-up statement. “We’ll trade stories from the road, sing our hearts out, and remind folks why country ain’t just music—it’s family.” Fans, sensing the chemistry, flooded comment sections with pleas for encores: “Blake and Reba? Take my money and my soul!” one viral post read.
But the cherry on this sundae—and the secret that’s got Voice enthusiasts dissecting every episode—is the last-minute reveal of a special guest from McEntire’s Team Reba on Season 28. Airing its Blind Auditions through early October, the NBC juggernaut has McEntire coaching alongside Niall Horan, Michael Bublé, and Snoop Dogg, her red chair a beacon for raw talent. With her team now full at 12 diverse voices—from soulful crooners to pop-infused belters—speculation runs rampant on who’ll get the golden ticket to join the Queen onstage. “It’s all about liftin’ up the next generation,” McEntire hinted cryptically during the tour reveal. “One of my kids from The Voice is gonna surprise us all—announced at the final dress rehearsal, so even I won’t know till it’s time. Could be anyone who’s touched my heart this season.”
Team Reba’s roster reads like a cross-section of American dreamers, each with a backstory primed for the spotlight. Standouts include 25-year-old Los Angeles powerhouse Zoe Ramirez, whose four-chair turn on Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” showcased runs that had Bublé declaring, “That’s Olympic-level vocal gymnastics.” Then there’s 26-year-old Tampa firefighter Jamal Hayes, a one-chair steal for McEntire after his gritty take on Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” sharing how music pulled him through a warehouse blaze that left him with scars. Hailing from Athens, Georgia, 28-year-old single mom Lila Grant turned heads with a vulnerable cover of Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn,” earning McEntire’s solo buzz for her “honey-dripped storytelling.” And don’t sleep on 22-year-old Nashville songwriter Ethan Cole, whose original “Porch Swing Promises” blended folk introspection with country swing, prompting Horan to lament, “Reba, you snake—you got the poet I wanted.”
The wildcard frontrunner, however, is 24-year-old farm-raised powerhouse Asher “Ash” Donovan from rural Oklahoma, McEntire’s home turf. A four-chair sensation with a rendition of her own “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” that brought tears to the coaches’ eyes, Donovan’s gravelly alto and stage command echo Reba’s early days. “Ash reminds me of me at that age—feisty, fearless, with a voice that could fill a coliseum,” McEntire gushed in a Voice confessional. Raised on a cattle ranch where she learned to yodel corralling cows, Donovan auditioned after losing her father to illness, dedicating her performance to “the woman who taught me to sing through the storms.” If she’s the pick, imagine the duo harmonizing on “Fancy” in London—pure poetry, with McEntire passing the torch in real time.
This Voice-tour crossover isn’t just gimmicky; it’s a masterstroke of synergy. McEntire, who clinched Season 25 with soul singer Asher HaVon (no relation to our Ash), has long championed mentorship, turning The Voice into a launchpad for careers. Past alums like Season 24’s Huntley (now headlining his own tour) and Season 26’s Danny Wilson have opened for her shows, but embedding a current contestant elevates the stakes. “It’s about real-time magic,” says Voice executive producer Audrey Morris. “Reba spots ’em, nurtures ’em, then unleashes ’em on the world stage. Fans get to root for their fave Voice kid while seein’ Reba live—who wouldn’t buy tickets for that?” With Season 28’s Battles round kicking off October 13, viewers are scouring episodes for clues, turning #TeamRebaTour into a trending frenzy.
Beyond the glitz, the tour carries deeper resonance. McEntire, who’s juggled Broadway runs, sitcoms like Happy’s Place, and even a Broadway-bound jukebox musical of her hits, uses these road warriors to honor her roots. “Country’s about resilience—the dust bowl droughts, the late-night drives, the loves that break and mend,” she reflected in a pre-announcement interview. “This tour’s my way of sayin’ thank you to the fans who’ve ridden with me 40 years, and hey to the new riders joinin’ the herd.” Shelton echoes that, adding levity: “Reba’s the boss, but I’ll bring the beer and bad jokes. Together? Unstoppable.”
As presales climb—VIP packages with meet-and-greets and custom Stetsons already vanishing— the Reba McEntire World Tour 2026 feels less like a farewell and more like a bold new chapter. With Shelton’s swagger, a Voice phenom’s fire, and McEntire’s unyielding spirit, it’s poised to redefine legacy tours. In a genre forever chasing its next big heartbreak or hoedown, this one’s got it all: heart, heat, and a promise of surprises that’ll linger long after the encore fades. Saddle up, y’all—the Queen’s ridin’ high, and she’s takin’ us all along.
