Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves to headline Willie Nelson's 4th of July picnic

Willie Nelson hosted his first Fourth of July Picnic in 1973—this year the Country Hall of Famer will host his 43rd of the series that has taken place all over Texas (plus one trip to Oklahoma and one to Missouri). The event returns to Austin for the first time in five years in 2015 and bills an impressive lineup of country outlaws. Eric Church, Merle Haggard, Kacey Musgraves, and Sturgill Simpson lead a group that also features Jason Isbell, Leon Russell, Chris Stapleton along with Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah Nelson and their respective bands.

In a release, Nelson chronicled the inspiration that prompted the series and helped him pick this year’s location, the Austin360 Amphitheater: “I got the idea from Woodstock about how music could bring people from different places together. I had just moved to Austin and had come to realize what a great music center it was and could be. I thought it would be a nice idea to, this year have it back in Austin, but at a more comfortable venue for the fans AND the pickers.”

Tickets for the event go on sale April 10, prices range from $35 to $75. More information can be found on Willie’s Picnic’s website.