Country star Dwight Yoakam will perform at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s Hard Rock Live venue on Thursday, July 30, 2026. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Dwight Yoakam is a legendary artist whose influence has reshaped the landscape of country music and beyond. With over 25 million albums sold worldwide, he is a 21-time GRAMMY® nominee and multiple GRAMMY® Award winner. His catalog includes 12 gold albums and 9 platinum or multi-platinum releases, with five topping Billboard Country Albums chart and 14 landing in the Top 10. Nearly 40 of his singles have charted on Billboard, including 14 Top 10 hits.
A recipient of the Americana Music Association’s Artist of the Year award and BMI Country Music’s President’s Award, the highest honors bestowed by each organization, Yoakam was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.
His latest release, Brighter Days (Via Records/Thirty Tigers), marks his first new album in nine years. Released in November 2024, the album was written and recorded over a three-year period and features twelve brand-new songs written or co-written by Yoakam. It also includes three seemingly disparate covers: “Keep On the Sunny Side” by the Carter Family, “Bound Away” by Cake, and “Time Between” by Chris Hillman of The Byrds, artfully woven into the same body of work in the unmistakable style that could only be Dwight Yoakam.
A passionate curator of musical heritage, Yoakam launched his SiriusXM channel Dwight Yoakam and The Bakersfield Beat: Where Country Went Mod in 2018, spotlighting the Bakersfield sound and its far-reaching influence. The channel celebrates the Bakersfield sound and those whom it has inspired. Guests have included Post Malone, Lukas Nelson, Beck, Chris Hillman, Jakob Dylan, and Jackie DeShannon.
In 2016, Yoakam released Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars..., on Sugar Hill Records. Featuring a band of bluegrass luminaries, this album boasts a collection of reinterpreted favorites from his catalogue, as well as a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”. Produced by nine-time GRAMMY® winner Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton), Jon Randall (songwriter of “Whiskey Lullaby”), and Yoakam himself, and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, this album reflects the love for bluegrass music that Yoakam developed at an early age in Kentucky and that has inspired him for many years thereafter. In 2018, Yoakam released two songs, “Pretty Horses” and “Then Came Monday” (the latter written with Chris Stapleton).
Yoakam is a multifaceted artist, seamlessly blending his musical talents with a robust acting career. He has appeared in over 40 feature films, including notable roles in Sling Blade (1996) and Panic Room (2002). He later reunited with Billy Bob Thornton for David E. Kelley’s Amazon series Goliath. Yoakam portrayed Warden Burns in Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky (2017) alongside Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig and took on the role of Howard Polk in Clint Eastwood's Cry Macho (2021). Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his acting range alongside acclaimed actors such as Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, and Matthew McConaughey.
Whether on stage, in the studio, or on screen, Yoakam continues to evolve as one of the most compelling and culturally significant artists of our time.
Tickets for Dwight Yoakam start at $72.20. This show is all reserved seating. Ages 21 and up. The Hard Rock Live box office is open every Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on show days starting at 12 p.m. Visit https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0500647A371C5307
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is located at 5400 West 29th Ave. in Gary, IN, directly adjacent to the I80/94 Burr Street Interchange. For more information, call 219-228-2383 or visit www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com.
About Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana:
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s $300 Million casino and entertainment destination opened to the public on May 14, 2021. Hard Rock’s premier 200,000-square foot entertainment complex features over 1700 slots and 80 table games totaling more than 2,100 gaming positions. In addition to the Hard Rock Live performance venue, Hard Rock Casino’s five dining options include Hard Rock Café, Council Oak Steaks and Seafood, YOUYU Noodle Bar, Fresh Harvest, and Constant Grind Coffee Shop, and also features a retail shop. For more information, contact https://www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com.
About Hard Rock Live:
The Hard Rock Live performance venue is outfitted with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. The sound equipment features an L-Acoustics K2 line array system with KS28 subwoofers and KIVA-II front fill. Hard Rock Live has excellent sightlines. Hard Rock Live can seat up to 1,894 with an overall capacity of 2,700 including standing room only.