ST. GEORGE — The 2023 Fourth of July celebration headliner has officially been announced, with mega-star Kelsea Ballerini making her way to St. George for the region’s biggest Independence Day show.
The news broke Tuesday morning during a press conference in Greater Zion Stadium on the Utah Tech University campus. VIPs from the community gathered for the announcement many have been waiting an entire year to hear.
“This has been a lot of hard work and effort in the making,” Ben Lindquist, general manager for Canyon Media and St. George News, said. “As a company, this will be our 37th Fourth of July that we put on. And it’s incredible.”
The press conference panel included Lindquist, St. George Mayor Michele Randall, Washington County Commissioner Victor Iverson, United We Pledge President Dennis Leavitt, City of St. George Communications Director David Cordero and Utah Tech University Events and Promotions Director Megan Church.
“I think it’s an interesting time for our nation,” Lindquist said. “There’s so much division. And I think for us, our partners and our key sponsors, this is an opportunity for us to bring people together and to unite people, even if it’s for one night. For us to bring people together and remember what a great country we live in and great community is what excites me the most about this.”
This is the first year the newly renovated Greater Zion Stadium will house the event. Church said the stadium will have an entrance on both the west and east sides, which will improve the flow. The towering structure where the press conference was staged has officially been completed and will shade a majority of the field, providing relief from the summer heat. Additional bathroom facilities will be available to the public.
“This is the largest single gathering event in Southern Utah,” Church said. “Just overall, having this finished and completed project is going to really elevate the experience that people have while they’re in the stadium, and we’re excited to welcome people here.”
Lindquist said the event, which he believes may draw approximately 17,000 attendees this year, wouldn’t be possible without support from the city, the county, United We Pledge and Utah Tech.
As the media event progressed, the anticipation grew. Lindquist gave headliner hints, stating the artist would be the first female country singer to headline the celebration. She’s recently been nominated for the Female Country Artist of the Year along with the Visual Media of the Year award for her hit song “Heart First”
Ballerini is a three-time Grammy nominee, the winner of multiple CMA Awards, CMT Awards and ACM Award nominations. She’s also been dubbed “America’s Sweetheart.”
“She’s been selling out basically every show she’s had, including the Salt Lake Show, which sold out in 6 minutes,” Lindquist said. “So without further ado, I’m extremely excited to announce this year’s performer for the Fourth of July Celebration is … Kelsea Ballerini.”
The announcement drew applause and reactions of excitement from those in attendance.
Lindquist said while Ballerini is a big-name artist whose tickets have cost upwards of $300, the Fourth of July tickets are under $50. All listed ticket prices will include fees, so there are no surprise costs upon purchase. Free tickets will be given away through community partnerships and radio stations like 99.9 KONY Country.
As for the pre-show, Leavitt said the goal is to provide a bigger and better event than the year before. This year, the “Tribute to America” will include a musical performance for the Star Spangled Banner, youth choir performances and more.
“We’re unveiling the largest flag that’s ever been flown in the United States of America,” Leavitt said. “We believe in celebrating Independence Day, America, all that’s good about this nation, and United We Pledge is just so happy to offer this pre-show to what’s been 30-plus years of tremendous entertainment for July 4. We’re so blessed and proud to be a part of it.”
Liberty Week, sponsored by United We Pledge, will feature a variety of events such as an exhibit that will include $75 million worth of American history. Leavitt said 1,000 exhibit tickets sold the first day they were available.
Liberty Week will also include golf tournaments, VIP nights, galas, interfaith community prayer, art and essay contest and a convoy to unveil the enormous flag. For a full list of Liberty Week events, visit the United We Pledge website.
Randall said this year’s fireworks are choreographed to music, which will allow people to listen and watch from various locations. The firework show is also set to be bigger than ever.
“We know people are coming,” Iverson said. “This is a great place and this is the way we show people what we’re about. Not just for Liberty Week but the other events throughout the year that this is a patriotic community. There’s no better way to come together to celebrate the common heritage that everyone shares.”
The university encouraged all food truck vendors interested in the event to reach out and apply.
Tickets for this year’s Fourth of July celebration will go on sale to the public Friday, April 21, at 10 a.m. To gain access to pre-sale tickets, which will be available on Thursday morning, visit the KONY Country website or follow the station on Facebook.
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