An artist boasting 16 ACM Awards, nine CMA Awards, a Grammy and eight no. 1 hits is set to light up the Buffalo Chip on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Sturgis, SD (Sep. 23, 2025): While others are still hitting the snooze button after the 85th Sturgis Rally, the Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling® is already wide awake and cooking breakfast on the 86th Rally with the announcement of country music superstar Lainey Wilson. Wilson brings her own unique brand of “Bell Bottom Country” to the Sturgis Rally for the first time ever on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. Passes are available now at BuffaloChip.com.
“Lainey Wilson is one of those artists who skyrocketed to the top of the country charts a few years ago and has not come back down,” said Sturgis Buffalo Chip CEO Rod Woodruff. “She has won nearly every prestigious award there is, and her unique brand of authentic country music is going to be a huge hit with the rally visitors and locals alike. You might think that it’s way too early for an announcement of this caliber, right? But planning the Sturgis Rally never ends, and we’re all about it eight days a week, 366 days a year.”
The 16x ACM, 9x CMA and Grammy Award-winner and Grand Ole Opry member is a prolific songwriter who has scored eight no. 1 hits including “4x4xU,” “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” “Watermelon Moonshine” and the 2x Platinum Certified “Heart Like A Truck.” At the 2025 ACM Awards alone, Wilson took home four awards – Entertainer of the Year (second consecutive win), Female Artist of the Year (third consecutive win), Album of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. She is nominated for six awards at the 2025 CMA Awards, which will be held Nov. 19, 2025 in Nashville.
For the 2026 event, Buffalo Chip guests can experience world-class concerts, charity rides, events, a freedom celebration, custom bike shows, stunts, women’s events, racing and more. The festival runs Aug. 7-16, 2026. For a full list of Sturgis Buffalo Chip events, see BuffaloChip.com/EVENTS. The Buffalo Chip is home to the Sturgis Rally Information Center™ and is the official sponsor of Sturgis.com’s free Official Sturgis Rally Registration Program.
About the Sturgis Buffalo Chip
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip® is the award-winning leader in music and motorcycle lifestyle experiences. Hailed as The Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling® and The Best Party Anywhere®, it has been the epicenter of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally since its establishment in 1981. Every August, the Buffalo Chip brings together the world’s largest gathering of music and motorcycle fans, with visitors from all 50 states and over 20 countries. It remains one of the world’s most televised and longest-running independent music festivals. The Chip advances the Sturgis Rally by being home to the Sturgis Rally Information Center™ and the official sponsor of the Sturgis.com Official Sturgis Rally Registration.
