The Outlaw Music Festival concert featuring Willie Nelson, scheduled for July 1, 2025, at the Lucky Star Amphitheater in El Reno, Oklahoma, was canceled. The announcement, made on June 30 via Nelson’s Instagram, followed severe weather on June 29 at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri, which heavily impacted the tour’s equipment.
Heavy rain and strong winds at the Missouri show forced an audience evacuation and caused significant damage to the festival’s gear and instruments. Nelson’s team stated that the damage left insufficient time for assessment or repair before the next scheduled performance.
Despite efforts to continue, the damaged equipment necessitated halting production. Organizers from Blackbird Presents, Lucky Star Amphitheater, and DCF Concerts expressed regret and promised full refunds to ticket holders. The tour is expected to resume on July 4 in Austin.
Fans reacted emotionally to the news, flooding the Instagram comments with messages of disappointment, well wishes for Nelson, and hopes for a speedy recovery for the tour. Amidst the concern for the artists and equipment, a key question emerged: was Trigger, Willie Nelson’s beloved and iconic guitar, safe?
Numerous fans specifically asked about Trigger’s well-being, highlighting its legendary status. Willie Nelson personally responded in the comments, reassuring everyone that “Trigger is marked SAFE from the damage suffered to other instruments and equipment in the MO storm.”
Trigger, a deeply worn Martin N-20 guitar, has been a constant companion to Nelson since 1969, featuring prominently in his five-decade career. Named after Roy Rogers’s horse, the guitar has achieved such fame that it receives its own special pre-show moment, drawing crowds and cameras. Nelson’s bond with Trigger formed after his previous guitar was destroyed, and he sought a “gut-string” instrument with a sound like his idol, Django Reinhardt. Shot Jackson helped him find Trigger, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
The guitar has faced its own share of challenges, much like Nelson himself. It survived a house fire in 1969 when Nelson bravely rescued it. Later, during an IRS seizure of Nelson’s assets in the early 1990s, Trigger was sent to his daughter Lana for safekeeping in Hawaii. Today, the guitar bears a large, worn hole from years of constant play, which Nelson intentionally leaves uncovered, stating he needs “a place to put my fingers.” Despite its battered appearance, Trigger remains his steadfast musical partner. As Nelson once remarked, “We’re both pretty old, got a few scars here and there, but we still manage to make a sound every now and then.”
While the concert cancellation was a disappointment, fans gained a renewed appreciation for the enduring spirit of Willie Nelson and his iconic guitar, Trigger.