Darius Rucker’s Songs of Summer Tour arrives at CMAC on Saturday, June 6 — and for anyone who has spent a warm Finger Lakes evening at that Canandaigua amphitheater, the pairing is almost self-evident. Rucker has spent the better part of three decades becoming exactly the kind of artist who was built for this setting: all-weather voice, songs that reward an open sky, a back catalog that spans two distinct careers and at least as many identities.
About Darius Rucker
The three-time Grammy Award winner’s trajectory remains one of the more genuinely interesting reinventions in popular music. Rucker spent the 1990s as the frontman of Hootie and the Blowfish — a band whose commercial peak was considerable — before pivoting to Nashville in the late 2000s and building a country career that has, by most measures, proven more durable than the first one. The instinct for a hook never left him; only the twang arrived.
The 2026 Songs of Summer run is a 20-city amphitheater tour promoted by Live Nation. At the CMAC date specifically, Rucker will be joined by George Birge and Austin Williams — newer country voices, both, who won’t be the reason most people make the drive to Canandaigua. Rucker himself said it plainly enough: “For me, it’s not summer if we’re not playing music outdoors.” Hard to argue with the sentiment when you’re booking a Finger Lakes amphitheater on a June Saturday.
About CMAC
CMAC — the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center — sits in Canandaigua against the kind of backdrop that makes outdoor concerts worth the logistics. It has become one of the premier summer sheds in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, drawing major touring acts season after season to a setting that earns the drive from Albany, Buffalo, and everywhere between. Doors open at 5:30 PM for the 7:00 PM show.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets start from $52.00 and are on sale now. VIP packages — including premium seating, meet-and-greet opportunities, backstage tours, and autographed posters — are available through VipNation.com. Get tickets here.