Musician A.J. Croce, the acclaimed singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who has spent more than three decades forging his own path, is once again stepping into the shared musical legacy he carries with his late father, folk icon Jim Croce. This week, Croce announced the 2026 leg of his widely praised Croce Plays Croce Tour, a series that has grown into one of the most heartfelt and compelling tribute experiences in contemporary touring. The newly unveiled run expands his already successful celebration of the Croce family songbook, bringing the music to audiences across the United States from March through September 2026.
The 16-date stretch begins March 10 at the Lyric Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama, before heading to Huntsville’s VBC Mars Music Hall the following night. From there, Croce will visit several historic and fan-favorite venues, including Graceland Soundstage in Memphis on March 13 and the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville on March 14. On March 15, the tour moves to the Brown County Music Center in Nashville, Indiana, followed by stops in Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Arlington, Austin, and Houston.
After a short break, Croce resumes the tour on April 9 at the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, New York. The northeast run includes Tarrytown Music Hall on April 10, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket on April 11, and Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, New Hampshire, on April 12. The 2026 leg then concludes on the West Coast, with a September 23 performance at Santa Barbara’s historic Lobero Theatre and a final show on September 27 at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California.
Tickets for the newly announced dates go on sale December 5 at 10 a.m. local time, with more information available at ajcrocemusic.com.
At its heart, the Croce Plays Croce Tour is a musical tribute that bridges generations. While Jim Croce left an indelible mark on American folk and pop before his tragic passing in 1973, A.J. Croce has built a formidable career of his own. Across 11 studio albums, he has blended elements of blues, soul, jazz, and rock, collaborating throughout his career with legends like Ray Charles, B.B. King, James Brown, Willie Nelson, and Rod Stewart. These collaborations helped shape A.J.’s artistic identity long before he embraced performing his father’s music.
In a recent conversation with Pollstar, Croce reflected on the long personal journey that led him to this deeply meaningful project. “I was touring for 30 years before I ever really performed any of my father’s music,” he shared. “I think it’s one of those things where you have less to prove to yourself as you get older and less to others, and it’s more about the joy of doing it.”
For Croce, the decision to blend his father’s celebrated catalog—which includes timeless hits like “Time in a Bottle,” “I Got a Name,” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”—with his own original material was not immediate. “It just took time; it took a lot of years of playing a lot of different styles of music, writing with hundreds of different people and thousands of songs,” Croce explained. “Finally, I felt like I could do this in a way that allows me to be who I am as an artist. I wanted to have the freedom to do my own music, and the freedom to connect my father’s music with my music.”
That artistic balance has become a defining element of the tour’s success. Audiences and critics alike have responded enthusiastically to the show’s combination of musical storytelling, emotional depth, and spirited performance. The 2025 leg of the tour drew strong attendance and positive reviews, with standout performances at The Wilbur in Boston, The Town Hall in New York City, and Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. At the Ryman alone, Croce grossed $97,323 from 1,639 tickets sold, according to Pollstar Boxoffice.
Each concert offers more than just a setlist—it presents a dynamic narrative of the Croce legacy. Through songs, anecdotes, and personal reflections, Croce honors the past while showcasing the vitality of his own career. The performances are known for being both nostalgic and invigorating, making them appealing to longtime fans of Jim Croce as well as newer audiences discovering the family’s musical roots through A.J.’s contemporary lens.
Croce is represented in North America by Paladin Artists, who continue to support the tour as it grows into one of the most successful legacy-celebration tours currently on the road.
Croce Plays Croce 2026 Tour Dates
- March 10 – Birmingham, AL – Lyric Theatre
- March 11 – Huntsville, AL – VBC Mars Music Hall
- March 13 – Memphis, TN – Graceland Soundstage
- March 14 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
- March 15 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
- March 17 – Oklahoma City, OK – Criterion
- March 18 – San Antonio, TX – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
- March 20 – Arlington, TX – Arlington Music Hall
- March 21 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre – Austin
- March 22 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
- April 9 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Universal Preservation Hall
- April 10 – Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall
- April 11 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino
- April 12 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
- Sept. 23 – Santa Barbara, CA – Lobero Theatre
- Sept. 27 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery