Since 2008 contemporary vocal group Celtic Thunder has built a successful career touring North America extensively. This fall, the quintet and its crew of backing musicians will undertake another 40-date run across the U.S. and Canada.
The late season tour launches September 24 at Casino Rama Entertainment Centre in Rama, ON, and continues through a November 23 performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL.
Highlights on the nine-week itinerary include shows on October 1 at Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY; October 9 at Citi Performing Arts Center in Boston, MA; October 23 at Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL; November 6-7 at the Grove in Anaheim, CA; and November 20 at Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA.
With the tour’s opening night still about six months away, only a handful of dates on the itinerary have gone on sale to the public at this point. Buffalo, New York City, Springfield, San Diego and Clearwater were the first markets to open ticket sales to the general public last week.
Most other cities are still awaiting onsale date announcements. Details will be updated as they become available on Celtic Thunder’s official Web site.
For the few cities were sales have started, tickets have been moderately priced, usually within the $30 to $50 range, though high and low prices vary from market to market.
That affordable price scheme may be part of the secret to Celtic Thunder’s success, along with the continued demand for Celtic-themed entertainment, which started more than a decade ago with productions like Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
Since Celtic Thunder was founded in 2008, the group has completed three lengthy tours of North America. The inaugural outing launched in fall 2008, hiting about 50 markets from coast to coast. ThThat run was followed by a 30-date spring 2009 tour leg and an additional 27 performances on a fall 2009 tour.
The upcoming fall trek will showcase a new concert program than Celtic Thunder’s previous road trips. This time around, the five vocalists will perform tracks from their February 2009 release, “It’s Entertainment.” While Celtic Thunder’s previous concert programs focused on traditional pieces with the occasional pop tune interspersed, the new album is almost entirely comprised of pop cover songs.
Celtic Thunder itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)
| September 24 | Rama, ON | Casino Rama Entertainment Centre |
| September 25 | Buffalo, NY | Shea’s Performing Arts Center |
| September 28 | Baltimore, MD | Hippodrome Theatre |
| September 29 | Pittsburgh, PA | Benedum Center |
| October 1 | New York, NY | Radio City Music Hall |
| October 2 | Upper Darby, PA | Tower Theatre |
| October 3 | Hartford, CT | Mortensen Hall at The Bushnell |
| October 4 | Manchester, NH | Verizon Wireless Arena |
| October 6 | Springfield, MA | Symphony Hall |
| October 8 | West Point, NY | West Point Military Academy |
| October 9 | Boston, MA | Citi Performing Arts Center |
| October 10 | Reading, PA | Sovereign Center |
| October 13 | Hershey, PA | Hershey Theatre |
| October 14 | Wilkes-Barre, PA | F.M. Kirby Center |
| October 16 | Norfolk, VA | Chrysler Hall |
| October 17 | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke Civic Center |
| October 19 | Indianapolis, IN | Murat Theatre |
| October 21 | Independence, MO | Independence Events Center |
| October 22 | St. Louis, MO | Fabulous Fox Theatre |
| October 23 | Chicago, IL | Chicago Theatre |
| October 24 | Minneapolis, MN | The State Theatre |
| October 26 | Broomfield, CO | 1st Bank Center |
| October 28 | San Francisco, CA | Warfield Theatre |
| October 29 | Eugene, OR | Hult Center for Performing Arts |
| October 30 | Everett, WA | Comcast Arena at Everett |
| November 1 | Portland, OR | Rose Garden Arena |
| November 2 | Spokane, WA | INB Performing Arts Center |
| November 4 | Sacramento, CA | Memorial Auditorium |
| November 5 | San Diego, CA | San Diego Civic Theatre |
| November 6 – 7 | Anaheim, CA | Grove of Anaheim |
| November 8 | Thousand Oaks, CA | Fred Kavli Theatre |
| November 10 | Phoenix, AZ | Dodge Theatre |
| November 12 | Grand Prairie, TX | Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie |
| November 13 | Houston, TX | Verizon Wireless Theater |
| November 14 | Fort Smith, AR | Arkansas Best Performing Arts Center |
| November 17 | Durham, NC | Durham Performing Arts Center |
| November 20 | Atlanta, GA | Fox Theatre |
| November 21 | Jacksonville, FL | Fox Theater |
| November 23 | Clearwater, FL | Ruth Eckerd Hall |
