It may not be the biggest headline Kelly Clarkson will make this week, but the most talked-about celebrity of the moment has other news, as she is joining Brandi Carlile‘s 8th annual female-centric Girls Just Wanna Weekend gathering in January, the festival announced Tuesday.
Clarkson will join Girls Just Wanna Weekend in Mexico as a co-headliner with Carlile, atop a bill that also includes Americana leading light Sierra Ferrell, the Beaches, CMAT, Allison Russell, Brandy Clark and Lucius. It takes place at Mexico’s Barcelo Maya Resort Jan. 14-18, 2027.
The festival doesn’t typically book artists on the main stage two years in a row, but it’s making an exception for CMAT, who proved to be the breakout surprise for many who attended GJWW this past January.
The bill is rounded out by Titans of Americana (typically a round robin of well-known singer-songwriters, with the lineup TBA), Arroba Nat, Tish Melton, SistaStrings, Autumn Nicholas, the Carlile Family Band, the Marshgrass Mamas and comedian Kristin Key.
Besides her own headlining set, karaoke queen Clarkson is sure to be asked to stick around for the festival’s traditional closing night jam of all-1990s covers. (That’s not withstanding the possibility the festival will update it to an all-2000s night to allow the other participating artists to do Clarkson covers.)
This past January’s GJWW featured as co-headliners the Chicks and Sam Smith, the festival’s first nonbinary headliner. Past stars of the festival have included Shania Twain, Muna, Sarah McLachlan, Janelle Monae and Sara Bareilles. (Read Variety‘s on-site coverage of last year’s festival here and a joint interview with Carlile and Smith here.)
Most of Clarkson’s post-daytime-series gigs this year have been as part of a residency at Caesars Palace, although she has done other isolated concert appearances. She is currently a coach on season 30 of “The Voice” and issued her most recent single, “I’d Be Lyin’,” in July.
Carlile recently wrapped up the U.S. leg of her “Human” arena tour, which continues in the U.K. early next year, with a short all-request tour of smaller theaters set for November. Monday night, she performed at the Grammy Museum in L.A. and was interviewed on stage by Cameron Crowe to celebrate the one-year anniversary of her “Returning to Myself” album, which is in contention for the 2027 Grammys.
Ticketing for all-inclusive resort/festival passes and other information can be found at www.girlsjustwannaweekend.com.