There’s nothing better than a good, old fashioned, live performance. Throughout the years, concerts have served as definitive moments in our lives, as well as the opportunity to bond with friends or loved ones while listening to some of the best artists of the time. In 2023, the top entertainers in hip-hop and R&B will take their talents on tour, so make sure to purchase those tickets early because they more than likely will sell out sooner than later.
Fresh off of the success of her second studio album, SZA will embark on the highly-anticipated SOS Tour in February. The 19-date run will hit cities such as Detroit, Toronto, DC, New York, Atlanta, and several others. That same month, the collection of KEM, Ledisi, and Musiq Soulchild will go on their Soul II Soul Tour until mid-May. For a bit of nostalgia, Janet Jackson and New Edition both start their separate tours, titled Together Again and The Legacy Tour, respectively.
Perhaps the most sought after tour is that of Beyoncé. At press time, no dates have been confirmed, but she announced that she would in fact be going on the road this summer. Audiences across the globe can also look forward to concert runs from The Weeknd, Lizzo, WizKid, and more.
Take a look at our list of concert tours that you shouldn’t miss in 2023.
01
Lizzo – The Special Tour (Now – 7/7)
Lizzo’s The Special Tour began last year at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida and is set to conclude in Oeiras, Portugal on July 7, 2023. Rappers Latto and Saucy Santana are supporting all the North American dates on the tour.
02
YG – The Red Cup Tour (1/20 – 2/23)
Following the release of his latest album I Got Issues, YG announced his The Red Cup Tour featuring special guests OhGeesy, Kalan.frfr, Day Sulan, and D3szn. The 17-city tour kicks off on January 20 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, CO making stops across the U.S. in Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit and more before wrapping up in Honolulu, HI at Neal S. Blaisdell Center on February 23.
03
KEM, Ledisi, Musiq Soulchild – Soul II Soul Tour (2/3 – 5/12)
The Soul II Soul Tour will support KEM’s most recent EP, Full Circle as well as Ledisi’s Ledisi Sings Nina, and The Wild Card. Musiq Soulchild will be joining the soulful legends as the tour’s supporting act. The 24-city tour begins in February and wraps up in May with the R&B veterans hitting Los Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis, and more.
04
Anita Baker – The Songstress Tour (2/11 – 12/23)
Produced by Live Nation, Anita Baker will bring her legendary songs to 15 cities starting on February 11 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL, then making stops across the country in cities such as Atlanta, Baltimore and Houston before wrapping up the tour at California’s Oakland Arena on December 23.
05
SZA – the SOS Tour (2/21 – 3/23)
The 19-date SOS concert tour and SZA’s first arena tour will begin on February 21, 2023 at Value City Arena in Columbus, and conclude March 23 at Kia Forum in Inglewood. Omar Apollo was announced as the opening act.
06
Nick Cannon’s – The Next Superstar Tour (2/25 – 4/8)
Nick Cannon’s The Next Superstar Tour will feature three stages of new talent discovery that include a BMAC x Ncredible Next Superstar Grant, a Next Superstar Educational Seminar, and a Next Superstar show with headlining talent performing. The tour will also feature performances by Symba, 24kGoldn, Justina Valentine, Hitman Holla, JD McCrary, Traetwothree, Klondike Blonde, DW Flame, and POP MONEY. The 24-city tour kicks off on Saturday, February 25 and concludes in New York City at Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center on Saturday, April 8.
07
Jill Scott – The ‘Who is Jill Scott?’ Tour (2/28 – 6/22)
In early 2020, Jill Scott was touring to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her album Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1, before it was cut short due to the pandemic. Now, Scott has announced the rescheduled dates for the trek. The 23rd anniversary tour of her debut LP will kick off February 28 in Augusta, Georgia, and pass through Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, and more, before wrapping up in June.
08
WizKid – More Love, Less Ego Tour (3/3 – 4/7)
WizKid’s More Love, Less Ego Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 20-city tour kicks off on March 3 at Toyota Center in Houston, making stops across the U.S. in Miami, Atlanta, Brooklyn and more before concluding on April 7 at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
09
New Edition – The Legacy Tour (3/9 – 4/30)
Following a massive 2022 tour, the famed R&B group decided to do it all over again this year and will take their “Legacy Tour” to arenas all over North America from March 9 through April 30.
10
Ella Mai- Heart On My Sleeve Tour (3/31 – 6/1)
Ella Mai announced her upcoming tour along with the release of a deluxe version of her sophomore album. The Heart On My Sleeve Tour will kick off in Connecticut on March 31st with a 34-city run that concludes in Toronto, Canada.
11
Janet Jackson – Together Again Tour (4/14 – 6/21)
Together Again is the upcoming tenth concert tour by American singer Janet Jackson. The tour kicks off on April 14, 2023, in Hollywood, Florida and will end in Seattle on June 21, 2023. The tour takes its name from Jackson’s international hit single from The Velvet Rope.
12
The Weeknd – After Hours Til Dawn Tour (6/10 – 10/16)
The After Hours til Dawn Tour is the ongoing seventh concert tour by Canadian artist the Weeknd, in support of his fourth and fifth studio albums, After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022). The second leg of the tour is set to conclude on October 16, 2023 at Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida in Santiago.
13
Beyoncé – ‘Renaissance’ Tour (TBA)
The Renaissance singer began booking stadiums and arenas to perform in 2023 last year. While the dates are currently unclear, Beyoncé is looking to begin her U.S Tour next summer. The last time Beyoncé embarked on a solo concert run was 2016’s Formation World Tour.
