Zach Bryan Ends 2025 With Record-Breaking Show at Michigan Stadium
A Historic Night at the Big House
Zach Bryan may have scaled back his touring schedule in 2025 to pursue a master’s degree in Paris, but he still managed to close out the year with one of the most monumental live shows in U.S. history.
On December — in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Bryan headlined the first-ever concert at Michigan Stadium, better known as the Big House, alongside John Mayer, Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen, and Joshua Slone. The iconic venue — the largest stadium in America and third-largest in the world — has an official capacity of 107,601 but has hosted crowds as large as 115,000.
Tickets for Bryan’s show sold out within hours earlier this year, and fans quickly learned why: the event would go on to break the record for the largest ticketed concert in U.S. history.
“You guys just sold out the biggest ticketed show in American history,” Bryan wrote when tickets first disappeared. “I owe you my life, my humility, and every ounce of effort I have. I love y’all more than any song. What a wild and rowdy damn 6 years. God bless the musicians who came before us.”
Breaking the Attendance Record
When Bryan finally took the stage last night, over 112,000 fans filled the Big House — surpassing the previous record set just a year earlier by George Strait’s Kyle Field show in Texas, which drew 110,905. Before Strait, the record had stood since 1977, when the Grateful Dead drew 107,019 fans to Raceway Park in New Jersey.
Bryan’s 27-song set was punctuated by surprises, including a duet with John Mayer on a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil.” Bryan even joked with the crowd after flubbing part of the chorus:
“I told y’all I wouldn’t mess this up, but here we are.”
The crowd didn’t mind — the energy in the stadium rivaled any football Saturday in Ann Arbor.
A Tumultuous Year, A Triumphant Finish
The Michigan show capped off what has been one of the wildest years of Bryan’s career. Beyond achieving milestones like selling his catalog for a staggering $350 million and climbing into the ranks of the top ten highest-selling country artists of all time, Bryan also made headlines for very different reasons.
From feuds with fellow artists such as John Moreland and Gavin Adcock — including a fence-jumping confrontation at a festival — to backlash over sharp words aimed at fans, controversy seemed to follow him at every turn.
Yet none of that dampened his drawing power. Few artists in any genre could pull off what Bryan did in Ann Arbor: a record-setting, history-making night that reasserted his status as one of the biggest acts in the world.
What Comes Next?
As for the future, Bryan hasn’t revealed whether 2026 will bring a full tour or another year of select one-offs. But if the Big House proved anything, it’s this: wherever Zach Bryan shows up, the fans will too — in record numbers.
@sway_loww Zach Bryan Oklahoma smokeshow, can’t ever get tired of this song #oklahomasmokeshow #zachbryan #bighouse #michigan #countryconcert ♬ original sound – swaylow