Get to know C2C headliner Lainey Wilson

Country to Country is back this March 2025 for three-days of non-stop country music in London, Glasgow and Belfast from Friday 14th- Sunday 16th March 2025.

Lainey Wilson
Published 8th Oct 2024
Last updated 10th Oct 2024

Grammy award-winning, CMA award-winning and reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson will headline the Country to Country Festival Saturday 15th March. The country star will also have artists Dylan Gossett, 49 Winchester, Tucker Wetmore and Wyatt Flores perform that very same night!

The three-day music event hosts a rotating line-up of country’s biggest music stars, traveling across London, Glasgow and Belfast! Having kickstarted in 2013, C2C has become Europe’s biggest and best hotspot to see country music’s best perform.

With another star-studded lineup, get to know Saturday nights headliner Lainey Wilson👇👇

Who is Lainey Wilson?

Lainey Wilson is a highly acclaimed American country singer-songwriter.

When and where was she born?

Wilson was born on May 19th, 1992 in Baskin, Louisiana, U.S.

How old is Lainey Wilson?

She is 32 years old.

Lainey Wilson’s Early Life

Wilson grew up alongside her paremts and younger sister, Janna, in Baskin, Louisiana.

She became interested in music at a young age, attending the Grand Ole Opry at age nine furthering her interest. She began writing songs in her preteens, releasing her first EP on MySpace in 2006 titled Country Girls Rule.

In high school, she took up her very first job impersonating Hannah Montana at birthday parties, fairs and festivals across Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.

Lainey Wilson performing as Hannah Montana

First years in Nashville

Wilson moved to Nashville, Tennessee in August 2011, after finishing high school to chase her dreams of becoming a country music artist.

Trying to make her own way, she lived in a camper trailer outside of a recording studio in Nashville, while performing at a variety of small shows.

In 2014 she released a self-titled album on the Cupit label that was followed by her 2016 album Tougher. The second record release helped gain Wilson’s traction on the American country albums chart making its way to the Billboard Top Country Albums play.

Her second EP issued in 2018, led to her signing her first publishing deal with Sony/ATV.

Wilson’s Breakout years

Signing with major-label recording contract with the BBR Music Group in 2019, this saw the beginning of her breakout success with her major label single ‘Dirty Looks’.

With her growing success, Wilson toured with Morgan Wallen in 2019, with her songs also being featured in the Paramount Network show Yellowstone that same year.

Her third studio album ‘Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ included her two breakout singles ‘Dirty Looks’ and ‘Things a Man Oughta Know’. The tracks gained heavy media attention, reaching number one on Billboard Country Airplay and number three on Hot Country Songs.

Lainey Wilson's Bell Bottom Country album

Making her ongoing mark, Wilson appeared as a supporting act on Jason Aldean’s ‘Back in the Saddle Tour’ in 2021 and collaborated with Cole Swindell on his single ‘Never Say Never’, which was released as the second single from Swindell’s fourth studio album Stereotype.

Followed by her 2022 single Heart Like a Truck and then came the Bell Bottom Country album in the same year.

Wilson received a groundbreaking six nominations at the 56th Annual Country Music Association Awards, becoming the fourth artist to receive six or more nominations as a first-time nominee. She also joined the cast of Yellowstone in 2022 where she portrayed a local musician, Abby.

Lainey Wilson in Yellowstone

Her success continued into 2023 receiving a leading nine nominations at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2023, winning five including the top honour Entertainer of the Year, making her the first woman to win Entertainer of the Year since Taylor Swift in 2009.

Lainey Wilson CMA Awards

Wilson released her fifth studio album Whirlwind in 2024 which included Hang Tight Honey as the lead single, peaking at number 13 on the US Billboard Country Airplay charts.

Take a look through upcoming country tours and festivals in the UK:

Here You Come Again (musical)

If you can't catch the iconic Dolly Parton live in person - then why not treat yourself to the next best thing? That's right, for the first time ever, all of the legendary country singer's biggest and best hits can be experienced in the new 'rollicking and joyous' musical comedy Here You Come Again! Featuring hits such as 'Jolene' and 'Islands In The Stream', the musical is touring the UK this year, and you can catch it in locations such as Birmingham, Sheffield, London, Glasgow, Norwich, Cheltenham, Woking, Salford, Bath, Milton Keynes, Blackpool and Liverpool - with dates running from now, all the way up to 7th December 2024. It is expected the musical will even continue into 2025, however these dates are yet to be confirmed.


Buy tickets here!

Elles Bailey

Elles Bailey - a favourite on Absolute Radio Country's 'The Front Porch' with Baylen Leonard - is heading on her biggest headline tour to date this Autumn, spanning 16 shows across the UK! The epic shows are seeing the genre-splicing roots singer perform songs from her new album 'Beneath The Neon Glow', having started in Lincoln Wednesday 25th September 2024. The tour is now taking in shows in range of cities, including Cambridge, Bristol, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Wolverhampton, with the run ending in Leeds on Sunday 1st December.


Buy tickets here!

Brothers Osborne - 2025

Kicking off 2025 strong will be country rock duo Brothers Osborne, who are lined up to be heading to the UK & Ireland in January. The duo will be bringing us nine dates as part of their 'Might As Well Be Us World Tour', with John and TJ Osborne playing shows in Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and London in January 2025, from Friday 17th - Thursday 30th January, with support coming from Tyler Braden.


Buy tickets here!

Corey Kent

Rising country star Corey Kent is scheduled to captivate UK audiences in February 2025! Bringing his 'The Black Bandana Tour' across the pond, with his powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics, Corey is set to perform in in cities like Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and London, from 2nd - 11th February 2025.


Buy tickets here!

Carly Pearce - 2025

The incredible Carly Pearce will be gracing the UK with tour dates in 2025! The singer's 'hummingbird' tour will be heading around the UK & Ireland throughout February 2025, beginning in London on 19th, before visiting Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast, before culminating in Dublin on 28th. The tour supports Carly's fourth studio album, 'Hummingbird', which she released in June 2024.


Buy tickets here!

Country To Country 2025

Taking place at London's The O2, Glasgow OVO Hydro and Belfast SSE Arena on the weekend of Friday 14th to Sunday 26th March 2025, the world-renowned Country To Country Festival returns! The blockbuster line-up has been revealed for next year's country bonanza, with Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Cody Johnson serving as the headline acts. With other huge names like Dylan Gossett, Tyler Hubbard, Chayce Beckham and 'A Bar Song' icon Shaboozey joining the bill, check out the incredible Country To Country 2025 line-up, as well as our complete guide to Country To Country 2025.


Buy tickets here!

Morgan Wade - 2025

The spectacular Morgan Wade will be heading to the UK & Ireland in 2025, as part of 'The Obsessed Tour' - which will also see her perform around Europe. Playing four huge shows throughout the UK & Ireland, the 'Time to Love, Time to Kill' singer will be performing her largest UK headline show to date at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London on 25th March 2025, before calling at Manchester's Albert Hall on 26th, Whelan's in Dublin on 27th, then finishing at the O2 Academy Glasgow on 30th.


Buy tickets here!

Scotty McCreery - 2025

'Fall of Summer' star Scotty McCreery delighted fans with the news that he is returning to the UK with tour dates! You can catch the country star live in concert in May 2025, with dates starting in Belfast on 23rd May. Scotty will then travel through Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester, before ending the run in London on 30th!


Buy tickets here!

Zach Bryan - 2025

We're set to see TWO huge shows from 'Pink Skies' superstar Zach Bryan in June 2025, with the singer headlining American Express presents BST Hyde Park on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th. With a full line-up set to be announced still, the Saturday show is now sold-out, with tickets still available for Sunday.


Buy tickets here!

Noah Kahan - 2025

The wonderful Noah Kahan revealed that he will be returning to the UK in 2025 for a huge headline gig! The chart-topping 'Stick Season' singer is set to headline BST Hyde Park, in London, on 4th July - with special guest Gracie Abrams, famed for hits such as 'I Love You, I'm Sorry' and 'That's So True'!


Buy tickets here!

The Long Road Festival 2025

August Bank Holiday 2025 will see the return of the three-day The Long Road Festival - celebrating the music, lifestyle and influences of Country! From Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th August 2025, the festival returns to Stanford Hall estate in Leicestershire with a range of incredible artists across the five stages.


Buy tickets here!

Darius Rucker with special guests Jake Owen and The Shires - 2025

The incredible Darius Rucker is heading back to the UK in 2025! Not only that, but he's bringing very special guests Jake Owen and The Shires with him too. Performing in Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London, shows will run from Monday 29th September 2025 through to Sunday 5th October.


Buy tickets here!

Tyler Childers - 2025

Mark your diaries, as Tyler Childers will be bringing an unforgettable show to the UK in 2025! The 'All Your'n' singer will be performing at The O2 in London on Saturday 15th November 2025, with the announcement coming as a surprise to fans here across the pond. The special performance will mark Tyler's first headline show at the famous 20,000-capacity O2 Arena.

Buy tickets here!

How to listen to Absolute Radio Country:

Listen to Absolute Radio Country across the UK on your digital radio, the free Rayo app, by hitting the play button below or by asking your smart speaker to "play Absolute Radio Country".