Alison Krauss & Union Station Announce the ‘Arcadia Tour’

Musician Alison Krauss performs onstage with Union Station at Hyde Park, London, 2012. Jim Dyson/Getty Images

Bluegrass artist Alison Krauss is ready to hit the road. The award-winning fiddle player and vocalist recently announced the 2025 “Arcadia Tour” with her band, Union Station. It has been a decade since the group toured.

The tour kicks off in Louisville, Kentucky on April 17. Krauss and her bandmates will tackle a 73-show trek across North America before the grand finale on Sept. 28 in Hollywood, Florida. Krauss views the six-month string of shows as a thrilling new adventure fit for her band’s inspiring musical legacy.

New Music After 14 Years

When Krauss was a teenager, she signed to Rounder Records. Now headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the label focuses on roots-based music like bluegrass and Americana. In 1987, at the tender age of 16, she released her debut solo album “Too Late to Cry.” As she gained critical acclaim, her label paired her with a bluegrass band, Union Station, so she could have a backing band when performing live. Two years after releasing her solo album, she released an album with Union Station, “Two Highways.”

(L) The cover for Alison Krauss’s first solo album “Too Late to Cry,” 1987. (R) Cover for the 1989 album "Two Highways" by Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring original band members (L–R) Mike Harman, Alison Krauss, John Pennell, and Jeff White. Internet Archive. Public Domain

She spent the next several years releasing both solo and band albums. Throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s, the group won multiple awards for their record releases. Their 1992 record “Every Time You Say Goodbye” won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. Krauss and Union Station also won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 1997 and 2001 with their records “So Long So Wrong” and “New Favorite,” respectively. The lead single “The Lucky One,” from their 2001 release scored two Grammy awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Cover and insert for the 2001 album "New Favorite" by Alison Krauss & Union Station. The lead single, “The Lucky One,” scored two Grammy awards for Best Country Song. Internet Archive. Public Domain

All in all, Krauss has won 27 Grammy awards and a slew of others from organizations like the Country Music Association and the Gospel Music Association.

Since 1989, Union Station has released a total of six albums with Krauss. While appearing on the podcast “Toy Heart With Tom Power,” she announced she’d be releasing a new album with Union Station in 2025. The record will be the first collaboration between Krauss and her bandmates since 2011.

An Impressive Lineup

(L–R) Barry Bales, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Dam Tyminski, and Ron Block from Alison Krauss & Union Station’s 2011 album “Paper Airplanes.” Internet Archive. Public Domain

Union Station has experienced a few lineup changes since the band was formed. Larry Atamanuik, a drummer and original member, still provides percussion for the band. Other longtime members like guitarist Ron Block and bassist Barry Bales will also be touring with the group in 2025. A member of Union Station since 1998 and a renowned lap steel and Dobro guitar player, Jerry Douglas is highlighted in the billing as “Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas,” due to his solo acclaim.

A new member, Russell Moore, will round out the band’s sound. The bluegrass artist, best known for his work with the IIIrd Tyme Out band, will provide guitar and vocals. In a statement, he detailed his excitement over joining Union Station for the upcoming performances:

“To say I’m excited about recording and touring with Alison Krauss & Union Station would be a huge understatement. After 40 years of playing music full-time and leading my own group for 34 years, this opportunity is among the few things at the top of the list that my music career has offered me.”

Except for the first three dates of the tour, folk singer-songwriter Willie Watson will serve as the opening act for performances. The musician is well-known as one of the founding members of Americana band Old Crow Medicine Show.

A ‘New Exciting Chapter’

(L–R) Musicians Barry Bales, Jerry Douglas, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, and Ron Block of Alison Krauss & Union Station perform at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 10, 2012. Larry Busacca/Getty Images

For Krauss, she views 2025 as a year full of opportunities for her band, who hasn’t toured together since 2015. In a statement, she said, “I’m so grateful to get to make music again with my comrades of 40 years. They’ve always accomplished incredible work individually and have been constantly traveling because of it. We’re very inspired to experience this new exciting chapter in the band’s history.”

The first four months of the tour features dates throughout the United States. Stops include the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, The Chicago Theatre in Krauss’s home state of Illinois, and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The band will play select shows in Canada during the summer, including dates in cities such as Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto. The tour concludes with a trip throughout the Southern United States. The band will perform a stadium show in Charleston, South Carolina at Credit One Stadium. Shows throughout Florida will be held at venues like the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in northern Florida and Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida.

The band will also perform at select festivals throughout the tour, including a slot at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Mill Spring, North Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Tickets for the Alison Krauss & Union Station “Arcadia Tour” are available now. To learn more, visit AlisonKrauss.com.

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