Luke Combs is one of the biggest names in country music today. The singer-songwriter from North Carolina has taken the genre by storm with hit songs like “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours,” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” Combs is known for his high-energy live shows, leaving fans wondering just how long they can expect the superstar to be on stage during his concerts.
Typical Luke Combs Setlist Length
For his headlining concerts and festival performances, Luke Combs typically plays for around 1 hour and 30 minutes. This gives him time to perform 20-24 songs during his set. The length provides a full concert experience for fans, while still leaving them wanting more when he exits the stage.
Most Luke Combs concerts follow a similar setlist structure. He likes to kick off the show with some of his most upbeat songs to get the crowd energized. Tracks like “Honky Tonk Highway” and “Cold As You” are often used early in the set. He’ll then mix in several of his chart-topping singles, like the emotional “Even Though I’m Leaving” and the fun drinking anthem “1, 2 Many.”
Towards the middle of his set, Luke will strip things down with an acoustic segment. Here he’ll take time to interact with the audience and showcase his skills as a storyteller and guitarist. A few slower cuts typically make up this portion of the show.
Combs then brings the energy back up before closing out strong with his biggest hits. You can count on sing-along songs like “Hurricane” and “When It Rains It Pours” making the final section of the setlist. He usually ends the main portion of his show with the feel-good “Beautiful Crazy” before returning for a quick encore.
Setlist Variations
While Luke Combs’ setlists have a lot of consistency, he does make slight tweaks from night to night. Factors like the venue size, city location, and day of the week can lead to small changes.
For example, at larger concerts and festivals, Combs may extend his setlist to 20-25 songs. At more intimate venues with stricter curfews, he might have to trim things down to 16-18 tracks. Luke is also known to switch up the setlist order, moving the acoustic section to later in the show some nights.
He’ll often perform unique covers or bring out surprise guests at certain locations too. When playing Nashville, Combs has been known to invite country star pals like Eric Church on stage. So while the general framework stays the same, Luke Combs fans do have incentive to catch him on multiple tour stops.
Average Setlist Length by Tour
Looking back at Combs’ previous tours provides a good indication of what fans can expect from his future concerts. Here’s a breakdown of the average set times from some of his most notable tours.
Don’t Tempt Me With a Good Time Tour – 90 minutes
In 2019, Luke Combs hit the road on his first ever headlining tour – the Don’t Tempt Me With a Good Time Tour. During these shows, his set spanned around 90 minutes on average. The tour supported Combs’ first two EPs, as well as his debut album, This One’s For You.
Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour – 1 hour 25 minutes
Combs’ 2019 Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour saw him level up to larger venues, which allowed for longer sets. He played for an average of 1 hour and 25 minutes each night. The tour promoted his then-new EP The Prequel.
What You See Is What You Get Tour – 1 hour 30 minutes
In 2020, Luke Combs headed out on his first official arena headlining tour – the What You See Is What You Get Tour. He played packed stadiums and arenas across North America on the massive trek. The average set length ended up being around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Of course, COVID-19 cut this tour short in March 2020.
Festival Performances – 1 hour 15 minutes
When playing major country music festivals, Luke Combs usually gets slotted for hour and 15 minute sets. These festival gigs include Stagecoach, Lollapalooza, and Country Thunder.
The shorter time allows festivals to pack in more artists per day. But Combs always makes the most of it, playing his very best tracks.
Factors That Affect Set Length
Why does Luke Combs’ set change slightly from night to night? There are a few key factors that determine how long the country superstar is able to play.
Venue Curfews
The main limiting factor is strict venue curfews. Most concert halls and arenas have a specific time the show must end by each night – usually between 10:30-11pm. Even huge artists like Combs are required to abide by these cutoffs. So some nights Luke simply doesn’t have the option for extended encores or a 25-song set.
Production Values
Bigger venues allow Combs the freedom to have elaborate lighting, video boards and pyrotechnics at his shows. The grander production scales up how long it takes to change between songs and outfits. At smaller clubs, the transitions are quicker, giving him time for more songs.
Tour Leg
Artists will often play slightly shorter early in a tour run while working out production kinks and getting back into a tour groove. Towards the end of a tour leg, they’ve built up momentum and play longer. Combs follows this natural progression too.
Festivals vs. Solo Shows
When playing a festival, Combs gets limited to roughly 75 minutes. But for his own headlining concerts, he can stretch out sets up to 1 hour 45 minutes since he controls the schedule.
Luke Combs Encore Songs & Length
A highlight of any Luke Combs show comes when he returns to the stage for multiple encore songs after the main set finishes up. His encores typically last around 15-20 minutes in total.
After exiting following his current mega-hit “Forever After All,” Combs usually returns quickly due to fans’ deafening cheers. He’ll then play 2-4 additional songs, sending the crowd home happy.
Some of his most common encore tracks include:
- “Hurricane”
- “When It Rains It Pours”
- “Country As She Gets”
- “She Got the Best of Me”
Luke often ends the night on the feel-good “Beautiful Crazy,” bringing his band back out one final time to join in singing the chorus. It leaves the crowd smiling and provides an upbeat conclusion.
Average Opening Act Set Length
Most Luke Combs concerts also feature an opening act to kick off the night’s music. This gives fans time to file into the venue before Combs takes over.
Typically, Combs’ openers play for 30-40 minutes at arena shows. At larger stadium concerts, the opening set may stretch to 50-60 minutes just due to the longer load-in time.
Morgan Wallen, Ashley McBryde, Drew Parker, and Ray Fulcher are among the acts who have opened for Combs. All talented rising stars who benefit from the exposure.
How Long Do Fans Wait for Luke Combs?
Dedicated Luke Combs fans start waiting extremely early to get the closest spots for his concerts. The most committed listeners line up 10+ hours in advance to get the coveted front row spots at general admission shows.
On average, fans tend to start waiting outside the venue 4-6 hours before the opening act is scheduled to take the stage. Even when assigned seats, Luke Combs’ diehard fans want to soak in the exciting atmosphere.
This leads to tailgates and lively pre-show parties surrounding Combs’ concerts. Fans pass the time chatting, playing cornhole, and listening to Luke Combs playlist hits outside. It builds the hype for an energetic show when doors finally open.
Conclusion
Luke Combs has earned a reputation for being an entertainer who delivers incredible marathon sets. While his concerts consistently clock in around 1 hour 30 minutes for the main show, he’ll often go even longer on special nights.
No matter what the final set times add up to, fans agree that Luke Combs’ concerts are well worth the price of admission. From the elaborate production, surprise guests, and fiery encores, Combs goes the extra mile to provide an unforgettable experience.
When he hits the stage, the crowd is on their feet singing along until the very last chord rings out. Combs has joined the ranks of country legends like Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney who leave it all on stage. Judging by Combs’ staggering success so far, he’ll be bringing his electric sets to venues everywhere for decades to come.
