Widespread Panic to play two nights in Bend this summer

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Southern rock jam band Widespread Panic is set to return to Central Oregon for a two-night run at Hayden Homes Amphitheater this summer, bringing one of the genre’s most dedicated touring acts back to a venue that regularly draws national headliners to Bend.

The shows are scheduled for Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11. Tickets for both nights, along with two-day passes, go on sale Friday, March 27 at 10 a.m. PT through Ticketmaster.

The announcement adds to an already busy summer concert lineup along the Deschutes River, where Hayden Homes Amphitheater has become a key stop for major touring acts and a significant driver of Bend’s seasonal tourism economy. Local businesses, including restaurants, hotels and outdoor recreation outfitters, often see increased traffic tied to large concert weekends.

Widespread Panic, formed in the mid-1980s in Athens, Georgia, has built a reputation as a “road warrior” band with a devoted fan base that frequently travels city to city. The group was founded by vocalist and guitarist John Bell, bassist Dave Schools and late guitarist Michael Houser, later expanding to include drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo Ortiz and keyboardist John Hermann. The current lineup features guitarist Jimmy Herring and drummer Duane Trucks.

Over more than three decades, the band has become known for marathon live shows and repeat sellouts at major venues, including 60 consecutive performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. They have also headlined major festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.

Widespread Panic has sold more than 3 million albums and 4 million downloads and continues to release live recordings through its ongoing archive series. The band was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

With Bend’s growing reputation as a premier outdoor concert destination, the July shows are expected to draw both local fans and traveling audiences, continuing the city’s trend of hosting nationally recognized touring acts during the peak summer season.