Eric Church to perform at Wells Fargo Center in October

Country singer Eric Church will perform inside the Wells Fargo Center this fall as part of an extensive North American tour, the latest sign that the music industry is eyeing a return to normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Church will bring The Gather Again Tour to Philadelphia on Oct. 9. It's one stop on a 55-city tour throughout the United States and Canada. 

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The stage for the show will have an in-the-round setup, meaning that it will be situated at the center of the venue to allow for as many fans to attend the concert as possible. 

The Wells Fargo Center currently cannot exceed 20% capacity for indoor events, but Church's concert is expected to be at full occupancy.

Tickets will go on sale May 7.

"I cannot wait to get back out on the road and play live music for good friends," Church said in a video shared on social media Wednesday. "Cannot wait to see you on The Gather Again Tour."

The show is among the first concerts booked at the Wells Fargo Center since the public health crisis began early last year. 

Justin Bieber is scheduled to perform at the arena in July. My Chemical Romance, Dan + Shay and Harry Styles are all on tap for September. Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin will follow Church in October. Andrea Bocelli will perform in December. The Weeknd is scheduled for April 2022, and Rogers Waters is on tap for August 2022.

“In a typical year, Wells Fargo Center hosts nearly 3 million guests for dozens of live concerts and events, and things just haven’t been the same without those shows over the past year,” the Wells Fargo Center's President of Business Operations Valerie Camillo said. 

“Finally, though, you can hear the music at the end of the tunnel, and we can’t wait to once again host world-class entertainers here in Philadelphia in front of full capacity crowds.”

Celine Dion was the last artist to perform at the Wells Fargo Center, in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut down the music industry for the past year. 

Though some musicians, including Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, are still postponing or canceling tours, others are moving ahead. The Firefly Music Festival in Delaware also is planning a fall return. 

Church will be touring behind a triple album called Heart & Soul that will be released in three parts later this month. The album is available for pre-order on his website.

In February, Church performed the national anthem alongside Philly native Jazmine Sullivan at Super Bowl LV.

The 10-time Grammy Award nominee is known for chart-topping hits like "Drink in My Hand," "Talladega," "Record Year" and "Springsteen." 

Church, 43, is a seven-time Academy of Country Music Award winner and four-time Country Music Association Award winner. He was the 2020 CMA Entertainer of the Year and is a nominee for ACM Entertainer of the Year.

Sixers and Flyers fans returned to the Wells Fargo Center last month for the first time amid the COVID-19 pandemic.