Introduction:
Zimmerman also revealed he’s “working harder than ever right now” on new music.Bailey Zimmerman is closing out a huge year on a high note, having just been announced as a special guest for the 59th CMA Awards, which takes place this Wednesday night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
When asked what it means to step into this role on such a coveted night, the rising country star teased “that is for me to know and everybody else to find out.”
The announcement comes as Zimmerman prepares to launch his 30-date headlining Different Night Same Rodeo Tour early next year. Named after his sophomore album, the tour kicks off in Estero, Florida on February 19 and will take him to cities including Knoxville, Boston, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Nashville, and Toronto, before wrapping in Ottawa, Ontario on June 20.
Since revealing the dates for the upcoming trek, fans have been flocking to grab tickets, eager to see Zimmerman bring his new music to the stage. The tour isn’t entirely sold out yet, however the Illinois native says the response has been unbelievable. He was excited to share that within the very first day of the sale, roughly 60 to 65% of tickets were sold.
Reflecting on the realization of his success and the massively supportive fanbase he’s building, he told Country Now, “I’m just a kid from a trailer park that started singing four years ago and now I’m on my own arena tour.”
He is set to be joined on the road in 2026 by Hudson Westbrook and Blake Whiten as support on select dates. Zimmerman particularly called out Westbrook and explained why he was the perfect fit for the tour.
“I honestly think that’s why I chose Hudson to come on tour with me because that dude is his own groove, his own vibe. He’s not trying, he don’t need to outdo or whatever I’m doing. He’s his own thing… He knows who he is and that’s what you’re really looking for. Confidence. I feel like that’s what’s gotten me just to where I’m even at today, is the confidence I’ve had. I really do see that in Hudson. The dude is just on his own wave, blinders on head down and I can’t wait to just see the show he brings because it’s going to be a different than mine.”
Prior to announcing the tour, fans got a big dose of Bailey Zimmerman when he dropped his Different Night Same Rodeo project via Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville. This collection includes standouts like “Backup Plan” featuring Luke Combs, “Lost” featuring The Kid LAROI, “Holy Smokes,” “Holding On” and more.
The success of these songs has clearly fueled Zimmerman’s creativity and drive. In fact, he revealed that he’s already dedicating himself to songwriting in preparation for his next album.
“I’m actually working harder than ever right now, I’m not even going to lie,” he stated proudly. “I’ve been out in LA for three weeks. I’ve seen that almost a month. Seen. I’ve written probably, I don’t know, 30 songs or so…I don’t know what they are, of course, but I’ve just written a lot.
He continued, “Seeing the reaction from everybody with the album and seeing them love it so much is what gave me more confidence and to keep going and doing music that I love. The last album was a little experimental. There’s a lot of different sounds on there. It wasn’t so much like my first EP or my first album. So seeing all the love and seeing all that kind of sent me back into like, man, I’m going to not be so afraid to do cool stuff and try new things. So yeah, I’m excited. I’ve got a lot of cool stuff and we’ll just see what they think.”
Fans can tune into the 59th CMA Awards this Wednesday night to see what special surprises Bailey Zimmermna has in store. Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the show will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8:00-11:00 PM/ET on ABC. It will also be available next day on Hulu.