Take a midnight train to the Fred’s 2026 Peachtree City concert series
Denizens on the southside of Atlanta will be able to take in a wide variety of concert acts at the Fred Amphitheater this spring and summer covering multiple decades and genres.
R&B legend Gladys Knight, 81, is the doyenne of the 16 headliners coming to the 2,500-seat open theater owned by Peachtree City.
“She’s very selective where she plays, so we are thrilled to have her,” said Stephen Moore, president of RCS Productions, which oversees the Fred’s concert series.
Knight will be joined by acts from the 1970s (Atlanta Rhythm Section, Little Feat), the 1980s (John Waite, Bruce Hornsby, Bret Michaels of Poison fame, Pat Benatar and her husband, Neil Giraldo), the 1990s (Everclear, Collective Soul) and the past quarter century (Josh Turner, Blackberry Smoke).
There will also be longtime comedian Bill Engvall, a kid-oriented show (Peppa Pig) and cover bands honoring Queen, Journey and a combo of Elton John and Billy Joel. (All three cover bands previously did well at the Fred, Moore said.)
Six of the acts ― Bruce Hornsby, John Waite, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Gladys Knight, Pat Benatar and Collective Soul ― are part of a series. Tickets for returning series renewals will be available Feb. 25, while new series sales start March 2. Individual ticket sales for the 13 newly announced dates will be available March 6. The Fred uses Freshtix to sell tickets.
Blackberry Smoke, Peppa Pig and Bill Engvall are already on sale.
Last year’s Fred concert series didn’t do as well as 2024, but four of 14 concerts did sell out: Jeff Foxworthy, Styx, an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert featuring John Williams music, and the trio of Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors. Moore originally booked a Christian act for the first time last year, but the Newsboys “had changes in their lineup, so we decided not to move forward,” he said.
Moore said he had been chasing Blackberry Smoke for a while and was thrilled to get them for the first time. “That’s selling really well,” he said. “We thought it would be a good fit. They mostly play inside the Perimeter. This gives the folks on the southside a look.”
He said he is also excited to get Atlanta-based Collective Soul for the first time and Little Feat for what is being billed as the band’s final tour.
The Fred’s lineup
- Blackberry Smoke, country rock band from Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 4, $57.50-$252
- Bill Engvall, veteran actor and stand-up comic, 6:30 p.m., Sunday, April 12, $65-$120
- Bruce Hornsby, eclectic blend of pop-rock, jazz, bluegrass and classical, Friday, April 17, $39.50-$65
- Peppa Pig, “My First Concert,” 3:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18, $35-$60
- One Vision of Queen featuring Marc Martel, cover band performing Queen classics, Saturday, May 9, $40-$70
- Josh Turner, country artist, Friday, May 29, $52.50-$100
- John Waite, rock-pop singer, Saturday, May 30, $40-65
- Atlanta Rhythm Section with Firefall, Pure Prairie League and Orleans, 1970s rock acts, Saturday, June 6, $55-110
- Everclear with Fastball, 1990s rock acts, Saturday, June 13, $50-$79
- Gladys Knight, R&B legend, Saturday, Jun 20, $75-$120
- Bret Michaels, lead singer of Poison, Saturday, June 27, $69.50-$120
- Departure, the Journey tribute band, Saturday, July 11, $27.50-$55
- Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, 1980s rock legend, Friday, Aug. 7, $90-$135
- Face 2 Face — Tribute to Elton John & Billy Joel, Friday, Sept. 11, $25-$45
- Little Feat, 1970s rock band, Saturday, Sept. 12, $67.50-$95
- Collective Soul, 1990s Atlanta-based rock band, Sunday, Sept. 13, $69-$115
