Boots and Hearts dropped their 2023 list of headliners, bringing back some big names, Canadian favourites, and adding a little rock and roll to the mix.

From Thursday to Sunday (August 10-13) Tim Hicks, Nickelback, Keith Urban, and Tim McGraw will take the stage to close out the four nights of Boots and Hearts. Three of the four will be making return trips to the festival – Nickelback will make their BH debut.

Okay, there are a lot of thoughts and feelings about this announcement, so let’s start with Nickelback.

I’m into it. There, that’s where we’ll start. Nickelback is undeniably huge. The band has sold a billion or so album and tickets. They’ve got trophy cases of awards and plaques (soon to include a Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction). AND if you’re at a cottage or a field party or whatever and the music starts with country, and the party keeps going and the fire gets a little bigger and the coolers get a little emptier – you are just as likely to hear Nickelback get added to the playlist as you are Waylon or Willie.

They are not a country band – but thousands of country fans will be singing along on Friday night. It’s a TikTok meme come to life. Hey, maybe @kallmekris will make the trip!

Anyway, there you go. It’ll be fine. Nothing is broken. Nickelback will be loud, there might be pyro, folks will party and have a little rock and roll party at the end of their country music day.

For more visual friends, here’s a look at the headliners, backwards from Sunday to Thursday.

Now, the glaring, shining, rhinestone-covered anvil hanging over this lineup of course is the lack of women in the announcement and headlining talent.

Lauren Alaina is third-billed on Saturday and all we can hope for is that a lot of women will be added to join the lineup and take the stages at Boots and Hearts 2023. We could see women closing down the Front Porch stage from Friday to Sunday and earning giant cheers before the headlining acts. That would be awesome. I’d love to see it.

They belong there. We’ve seen the cheers and reception for new artists and superstars over the years. We want more of that. I don’t think we’re alone.

Shania Twain | Maren Morris | Lindsay Ell | Jess Moskaluke | Carly Pearce | Miranda Lambert | MacKenzie Porter | 

This isn’t to say that any of the men headlining or in direct support spots haven’t earned their way onto this bill or stages like it. Two things can be true at the same time. It is to say that one in nine announced acts for the festival isn’t a dude (or a set of dudes). Not a great start.

Let’s start with Tim Hicks here – Boots is darn near his home away from home at this point. I’m smiling just thinking about Stronger Beer in front of the Thursday night crowd. It’s going to be lovely. Absolutely.

And then, on the weekend proper, on back-to-back nights, Keith Urban and Tim McGraw are going to be on stage. Those names, those giant names with their giant hits and giant careers are going to blow crowds away like they’ve done before. They’ll sing and be sung to. They’ll give surprises and standards and it’ll be great. Stay tuned, I’m sure we’ll have more to share about them as we get closer and more excited.

And we’d be in the wrong if we weren’t mentioning the supporting acts. Dallas Smith is a bonafide Canadian country star (with rock roots of his own, ya know). HARDY is one of Nashville’s hottest writers and performers. Riley Green continues to climb and make a name for himself. Y’all know Lauren Alaina is going to put on a show. And Josh Ross is ready to show you all that he belongs on any and all the stages he can get on. Believe that.

Tickets for Boots and Hearts 2023 go on public sale Friday, November 18 at 10 am. Camping too. VIP as well. Whatever you’re looking for, it’ll be there.

Stay tuned for more announcements, thoughts, previews, news, and who knows what else as we count down the months to Boots and Hearts 2023 at Burl’s Creek.

Author profile

Joshua Murray

creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.