Alison Krauss & Union Station have announced that multi-instrumentalist Jacob Burleson will fill the utility role in the band for the 2026 leg of their Arcadia tour. During this year’s dates, Stuart Duncan joined the band on mandolin, guitar, and the occasional fiddle. Jacob will play guitar and mandolin.
A much younger artist than the rest of AKUS, Jacob is the son of Jason Burleson of Blue Highway, and had grown up around the various members of the group as a child.
Burleson tells us that Alison called him not long ago to see if he would be interested in the gig. When he said yes, he got together with them for a brief tryout to make sure everything gelled. It did, and plans are now set.
At the time he was chosen for the AKUS tour, Jacob was performing with Volume Five on guitar. He had previously held the mandolin spot with them as well.
An extremely strong player, he is sure to be a tremendous asset to the band on the road this spring and summer.
Jacob says that he feels honored to accept this position.
“I am relieved and thrilled to announce that I’ll be a part of the 2026 ARCADIA tour. To my generation, nobody shines brighter than AKUS. Getting the opportunity to play these iconic songs and be around these guys is the dream of every bluegrass musician. I’m in disbelief!”
Needless to say, his dad is chuffed as well.
The 2026 AKUS tour is set to begin in April, running through September, and covering most every part of the US. Notable stops include shows at both MerleFest and DelFest, two nights at Wolf Trap in northern Virginia, and three shows at The Ryman in September.
Dates are as follows:
- April 24 – Durham, NC – DPAC
- April 25 – Durham, NC – DPAC
- April 26 – Wilkesboro, NC – MerleFest
- April 28 – Huntsville, AL – VBC Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
- April 29 – Shreveport, LA – Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
- May 1 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Casino & Resort Durant
- May 2 – Stillwater, OK – The McKnight Center For the Performing Arts at Oklahoma State University
- May 3 – Bentonville, AR – The Momentary
- May 7 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
- May 8 – Gautier, MS – The Sound Amphitheater
- May 9 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
- May 14 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
- May 15 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium
- May 16 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center
- May 18 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre
- May 22 – Toledo, OH – Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
- May 23 – Pikeville, KY – Appalachian Wireless Arena
- May 24 – Cumberland, MD – DelFest
- June 7 – Niagara Falls, ON – OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
- June 9 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
- June 10 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
- June 13 – Madison, WI – The Orpheum Theater
- June 14 – Des Moines, IA – Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park
- June 16 – Moorehead, MN – Bluestem Amphitheater
- June 17 – Sioux City, IA – The Sioux City Orpheum
- June 19 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Theater
- June 20 – Camdenton, MO – Ozarks Amphitheater
- June 21 – Topeka, KS – Topeka Performing Arts Center
- June 23 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
- June 24 – Akron, OH – E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall at The University of Akron
- June 27 – Williamsburg, VA – Virginia Arts Festival
- July 10 – Westbury, NY – The Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair
- July 11 – Sidney, ME – The Bowl at Snow Pond Center for the Arts
- July 12 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall
- July 14 – Hershey, PA – Hershey Theatre
- July 16 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
- July 17 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
- July 18 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavilion
- July 20 – Easton, PA – State Theatre Center for the Arts
- July 22 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
- July 24 – Chautauqua, NY – Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater
- July 25 – Canandaigua, NY – CMAC
- July 26 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
- July 28 – Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent
- July 29 – Cohasset, MA – South Shore Music Circus
- July 31 – Wheeling, WV – Capitol Theatre
- August 1 – Columbus, OH – Ohio Expo Center and Fairgrounds
- August 14 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ford Amphitheater
- August 15 – Grand Junction, CO – Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park
- August 16 – Vail, CO – Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
- August 18 – Loveland, CO – Blue Arena
- August 20 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
- August 21 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
- August 22 – Seattle, WA – Marymoor Amphitheater
- August 23 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
- August 25 – Jacksonville, OR – Britt Festival Amphitheater
- August 27 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
- August 28 – Murphys, CA – Ironstone Amphitheatre
- August 29 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Pacific Amphitheatre
- September 11 – Davenport, IA – Adler Theater
- September 12 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival
- September 13 – Champaign, IL – State Farm Center
- September 15 – Evansville, IN – Aiken Theatre in The Centre
- September 18 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
- September 19 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
- September 20 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
- September 22 – Saint Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre
- September 26 – Lubbock, TX – Buddy Holly Hall for the Performing Arts
- September 28 – Flagstaff, AZ – Pepsi Amphitheatre at Fort Tuthill Park
- September 29 – Las Vegas, NV – Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas
- October 2 – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre
Further details and ticket information can be found online.
