Zach John King is having the year of his life. The Fayetteville, Georgia native went from independent releases to opening stadiums for Morgan Wallen — and this fall he headlines his very first tour. So what does the Zach John King 2026 setlist actually look like? Here’s everything he’s been playing, plus a preview of the headline run every fan is waiting for.
The Zach John King 2026 Setlist
Throughout 2026, King has been a go-to opener on the biggest tour in country music, delivering a tight, high-energy set built to win over stadium crowds. Here’s a representative setlist from that run:
Hole in the Wall
Backwoods
Life Behind Bars
Lose You
Should’ve Been a Cowboy (Toby Keith cover)
Get to Drinkin’
It’s a lean six-song set — opener slots don’t leave much room — but it’s stacked with the songs that made him. Depending on the night, he’s also rotated in fan favorites like “Space” and “Slow Down.”
The Toby Keith Cover Is a Highlight
One of the smartest moves in King’s set is his cover of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” Dropping a beloved, instantly recognizable classic into a short opening set is a surefire way to get a stadium of neutral fans on his side — and it’s a fitting nod to the traditional country lineage King is building on.
For a young artist still introducing himself to massive crowds, choosing a singalong that everyone already knows is exactly the right call.
The Song That Started It All: “Get to Drinkin'”
King closes his set with “Get to Drinkin’,” and for good reason — it’s his breakout single and the song that put him on the map. Released in February 2026, it climbed into country radio’s Top 20 and racked up tens of millions of streams.
King has described the track as being about the way a few drinks can make bad memories feel good again — convincing yourself that the heart you broke actually wants you back, seeing an old flame through rose-colored glasses. Co-written with hitmaker Rhett Akins among others, it fuses modern country grit with a sleek, almost indie-rock pulse. It’s become his signature, and it’s fittingly the name of his upcoming headline tour.
Where the Songs Come From
King’s setlist pulls from a catalog that’s grown fast. His 2024 breakout “Wannabe Cowboy” put him on the radar, his acclaimed 2025 EP Slow Down expanded his following, and his 2026 debut album I’m What You Get — 20 songs, all co-written by King, with guest turns from Brent Cobb and Brooks & Dunn — cemented his sound.
That sound is the throughline of the whole set: steel-toed country grit colliding with polished, rootsy rock, built around electric guitars and King’s smoky vocal edge.
A Breakout Year — Through Adversity
King’s 2026 has been a whirlwind of milestones: a Grand Ole Opry debut, a Stagecoach appearance, opening slots for Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan, Riley Green, and Thomas Rhett, and spots on multiple “artists to watch” lists. He also weathered real heartache, stepping back from several dates in the summer following the death of his father — a reminder of the person behind the rapid rise.
Through it all, he’s kept building toward the moment that may mean the most: playing for his own fans.
The Get to Drinkin’ Tour: His First Headline Run
Here’s what fans are really excited about. King launches his debut headline Get to Drinkin’ Tour on October 1, 2026, trading stadiums for intimate club rooms of roughly 500 to 900 people — and most dates sold out almost immediately.
Here’s the current run:
Oct 1 — Indianapolis, IN (Hi-Fi)
Oct 8 — Columbus, OH (A&R Music Bar)
Oct 10 — Milwaukee, WI (The Rave)
Oct 13 — Toronto, ON (Horseshoe Tavern)
Oct 16 — New York, NY (Mercury Lounge) – sold out
Oct 17 — Boston, MA (The Sinclair)
Oct 30 — Knoxville, TN (Open Chord)
Nov 4 — Nashville, TN (Exit/In)
Nov 5 — Nashville, TN (Exit/In)
Nov 6 — Lexington, KY (The Burl)
For King, these small rooms are a big deal — he’s called it his first real chance to see who his fans actually are. Expect a significantly longer, deeper setlist than his opener sets, likely digging into more of I’m What You Get.
The Zach John King 2026 setlist has been a masterclass in making the most of a short opening slot — breakout hits, a killer Toby Keith cover, and that closing punch of “Get to Drinkin’.” But the real show is just around the corner. When the Get to Drinkin’ Tour kicks off in October, fans will finally get the full-length Zach John King experience.
We’ll update this post with a full headline setlist once the tour begins. Bookmark it and check back.
Heading to a show? Grab tickets here, check live setlist updates before you go, and find everything on his official site.
For more, see our breakdown of Tucker Wetmore’s 2026 setlist.
