Walker Hayes with Ingrid Andress and Breland to perform as part of IDEA Week
Country music star Walker Hayes will perform at 7 p.m. April 15 (Saturday) at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center at the University of Notre Dame as part of IDEA Week, an annual event celebrating entrepreneurs, innovation and the incubation of new ideas. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. EST Jan. 27 (Friday) through Ticketmaster.
Hayes, a native of Mobile, Alabama, has released three albums, and his single “Fancy Like” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list. In 2005, Hayes worked in Nashville as a songwriter for Colt Ford and Rodney Atkins. In 2017, he signed a contract with Monument Records and released the single “You Broke Up with Me.” Following the success of “Fancy Like,” Hayes released “Country Stuff the Album” in January 2022 and had the hit singles “U Gurl,” “AA” and, most recently, “Y’all Life.”
IDEA Week is hosted by Notre Dame, the South Bend-Elkhart region and various community organizations and businesses. It will be held April 15 through 21 at the University and other locations throughout South Bend and Elkhart and will be open to the public.
“Due to COVID, IDEA Week hasn’t had a major concert act since 2019. We’re thrilled to be able to bring this popular portion of the event back,” said Kelley Rich, interim vice president and associate provost for innovation at Notre Dame. “Walker Hayes’ concert will kick off IDEA Week and be a great prelude to what promises to be a fantastic week of events.”
Ingrid Andress and Breland will each open for Hayes. Andress is a Michigan native and four-time Grammy nominee. Her single “Wishful Drinking” featuring Sam Hunt garnered more than 130 million global streams and is platinum-certified. Andress’ album “Lady Like” was named one of Billboard’s Top 10 Best Country Albums of 2020. Her album “Good Person” was released in 2022. Breland is the son of ministers and a graduate of Georgetown University. His music bridges the genres of country, R&B, hip-hop, gospel and pop.
“We very much look forward to welcoming Walker Hayes, Ingrid Andress and Breland to Notre Dame,” said Anne Griffith, vice president for University enterprises and events. “This collection of artists will be sure to provide an incredible and memorable night at Purcell Pavilion and kick off IDEA Week.”
For tickets, go to Ticketmaster.com or use the Ticketmaster app. Fans are encouraged to use the Onsale Tips and Hints page to create an account or refresh their existing account for a quicker purchasing experience. For more information on where to eat, where to shop and what to do, with a complete listing of campus events and retail locations, visit Experience Notre Dame, and follow Experience Notre Dame on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Latest ND News Wire
- Gen. Martin Dempsey to speak at Notre Dame Forum event on ‘Hope, Global Stability and the Role of the United States’Gen. Martin Dempsey, the retired 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will join University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., for a fireside chat at 4 p.m. Friday (Oct. 10), as part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum. The discussion, titled “Hope, Global Stability and the Role of the United States,” is part of the exploration of this year’s Notre Dame Forum theme, “Cultivating Hope.” It will take place in Rooms 215/216 of McKenna Hall and will also be livestreamed. The event is free and open to the public.
- University of Notre Dame joins the Global Coalition of Ukrainian StudiesThe University of Notre Dame has joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies after signing a memorandum of cooperation, formalized Sept. 24, at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. Notre Dame joined four other American institutions that were also publicly welcomed to the coalition at this event: Arizona State University, Columbia University, Manor College and the Shevchenko Scientific Society.
- Alumni Association and YoungND honor 2025 Domer DozenThe Notre Dame Alumni Association announced its 2025 Domer Dozen cohort, honoring 12 graduates ages 32 and younger for excellence in their contributions in learning, service, faith and work — the core pillars of the association’s mission.
- Notre Dame School of Architecture poised for global leadership through historic investmentThe $150 million gift represents an unprecedented commitment in the 160-year history of American architectural education. In recognition of this landmark gift, the school will be renamed the Matthew and Joyce Walsh School of Architecture at Notre Dame.
- Board of Trustees announces external investigation into allegations of past sexual misconduct by former rectorThe University of Notre Dame today announced that the University’s Board of Trustees has convened a special committee at the request of President Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C., and John Veihmeyer, chair of the Board of Trustees, to oversee an external investigation into allegations that Rev. Thomas King, C.S.C., engaged in sexual misconduct while rector of Zahm Hall, where he served from 1980 to 1997. The external investigation will be led by Helen Cantwell at the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, and the key findings of the investigation will be shared with the University community.
- Notre Dame Democracy Initiative hosts bipartisan conversation with Western state governorsTwo Western state governors known to work across the aisle on policy issues such as water, housing and energy will visit the University of Notre Dame for a fireside chat about how Western state pragmatism can serve as a model for the country to overcome polarization.
