Zach Bryan brings his With Heaven On Tour to The Woodlands at Dover Motor Speedway on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18 and 19, with Kings of Leon, Alabama Shakes and other opening acts joining him.
DOVER, DE — Zach Bryan arrives in Dover this weekend for a two-night stand expected to draw large crowds to The Woodlands at Dover Motor Speedway, prompting police to warn drivers that North DuPont Highway and surrounding roads could become heavily congested before and after both concerts.
The Dover Police Department issued a traffic advisory ahead of Bryan’s Friday and Saturday performances, telling motorists to expect delays, temporary changes in normal traffic patterns and a sizable law enforcement and transportation presence around the venue.
“Whether you’re headed to the concert or just trying to make it across Dover, slow down, pay attention, give yourself some extra time, and help us keep everyone safe,” police said.
The department even worked several Bryan song references into its warning, advising motorists “Heading South” on Route 13 to expect company and joking that there would be plenty of “Something in the Orange” in the form of traffic cones.
Two major nights at The Woodlands
Bryan is scheduled to perform Friday and Saturday at The Woodlands, the large outdoor music site on the grounds of Dover Motor Speedway.
Friday’s lineup includes Kings of Leon, with Fey Fili and Gabriella Rose also scheduled to perform. Saturday’s show features Alabama Shakes, again joined by Fey Fili and Gabriella Rose.
Parking is scheduled to open at noon, doors at 3 p.m. and the shows at 5 p.m., according to event information.
The venue sits along North DuPont Highway near the Dover Motor Speedway complex, putting thousands of concertgoers into one of the busiest commercial corridors in Dover during the afternoon and evening rush periods.
Police said the heaviest traffic is expected in the hours leading up to the shows and immediately after they end.
Drivers who are not attending the concerts are being urged to leave earlier than usual and be prepared for traffic pattern changes around the speedway.
Zach Bryan’s tour has moved through some of the country’s biggest venues
The Dover dates are part of Bryan’s 2026 With Heaven On Tour, a stadium-heavy schedule that has taken the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter through major venues across the United States.
Before arriving in Delaware, Bryan played stops including Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, AT&T Stadium in Arlington and State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Following the two Delaware shows, the tour heads to Toronto for two nights before moving on to Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama.
Bryan has grown from a largely independent singer-songwriter into one of the country’s biggest touring acts, blending country, folk and Americana with songs that have crossed into mainstream pop audiences.
His recordings include “Something in the Orange,” “Heading South” and “I Remember Everything,” the latter recorded with Kacey Musgraves and winner of a Grammy Award in 2024.
In 2025, Bryan’s concert at Michigan Stadium drew more than 112,000 ticketed fans, a crowd that Dover Motor Speedway said set a record at the time for the largest ticketed concert audience in U.S. history.
The Woodlands has hosted some of music’s biggest names
For Dover, the concerts also mark another chapter for a venue that has spent years operating as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s more unusual large-scale music destinations.
The Woodlands is a grass-covered concert and festival site tucked into the grounds surrounding Dover Motor Speedway, with wooded pathways and open fields directly beside the racetrack.
The property became nationally known as the home of the Firefly Music Festival, which brought artists including Paul McCartney, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Snoop Dogg and Lizzo to Kent County.
The site has also hosted large country events. The 2015 Big Barrel Country Music Festival featured Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Kacey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton.
Phish brought its Mondegreen festival to The Woodlands in August 2024, drawing another major destination crowd to the Dover property.
The venue’s location gives promoters room for large outdoor stages, camping, RV accommodations and festival-style grounds while remaining directly adjacent to the infrastructure used for major NASCAR weekends.
Dover Motor Speedway looking beyond racing
The Zach Bryan weekend is also part of a broader effort to use the Dover Motor Speedway property for more than motorsports.
Speedway officials have previously described The Woodlands as an important part of that strategy, allowing the complex to host large concerts and festivals in addition to NASCAR events at the Monster Mile.
Bryan’s two-night run is currently the major concert event being promoted at The Woodlands. The speedway’s next major announced events are NASCAR race weekends in May 2027, including the NASCAR Cup Series return on May 16.
No additional post-Bryan concerts were listed on The Woodlands’ current public event calendar as of Friday morning.
That leaves this weekend as the property’s marquee music event for the immediate future and one expected to bring thousands of visitors into Delaware news traffic corridors around Dover.
Police ask drivers to stay patient
Dover police are asking motorists to follow directions from officers and Delaware transportation crews stationed around the venue.
“PAY ATTENTION and please watch for and follow the directions of police and our awesome DelDOT partners working to keep everyone moving safely,” the department said.
Police also urged drivers to remain patient as concert traffic builds.
For residents simply trying to move through Dover, the advice is straightforward: expect more vehicles than usual, particularly on North DuPont Highway, allow extra travel time and anticipate delays both afternoons and late into the evening.