REGINA, Sask. — Country Thunder Saskatchewan is going pink for 2027, with multi-platinum country star Megan Moroney officially announced as the festival’s first headliner.
Moroney will take over the Main Stage Sunday, July 11, closing out the 44th annual Country Thunder Saskatchewan in Craven, which runs July 8 to 11.
The announcement came Thursday morning after days of increasingly obvious clues, including pink billboards, pink cowgirl boots and a sparkling pink microphone, all pointing toward Moroney and her latest album, Cloud 9.
Megan Benoit, digital manager for Country Thunder Music Festival, says the mystery created plenty of buzz across Saskatchewan, while some fans had already figured it out.
“This week, we’ve seen a bit of a pink takeover with Country Thunder Saskatchewan. Lots of billboards. People have been really questioning what’s going on, but there have been people who knew exactly what was going on the whole time because they are huge fans of this artist,” Benoit said.
She says bringing Moroney to Craven is a major moment for the festival, particularly because it will mark her first Country Thunder Saskatchewan appearance.
“She has really taken off in the last few years. The trajectory of her career has been very fun to follow,” Benoit said. “Even her Cloud 9 tour that she’s done across the U.S. and had a couple Canadian dates, she’s just done so well, selling out show after show. So it’s a huge win for us to bring her to little old Craven.”
Moroney’s third studio album, Cloud 9, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 earlier this year, while the album’s pink aesthetic became a central part of the rollout.
Country Thunder leaned heavily into that identity ahead of Thursday’s announcement, turning its billboards, website and social media channels pink.
Benoit says the festival had been pursuing Moroney for some time before everything finally came together.
“She was someone that we’ve had our eye on for a while,” she said. “We work very closely with her team, making sure that this fits her schedule, and when that contract officially got signed, we were all over the moon.”
Festival founder and CEO Troy Vollhoffer says Moroney represents the kind of major talent Country Thunder wants to bring to Saskatchewan.
“Megan Moroney is one of the most exciting artists in country music right now and the energy she brings to a stage is exactly what Country Thunder Saskatchewan is all about,” Vollhoffer said.
He says the booking is also a thank-you to generations of fans who have made the Craven festival a Saskatchewan summer tradition.
“This one is for the fans who have been coming to Craven year after year, some for decades, and who have made this festival what it is,” Vollhoffer said.
Benoit says Moroney’s highly produced live shows should translate especially well to the festival’s Main Stage.
“If you are a Megan Moroney fan and you’ve had the privilege of seeing some of her shows, you know that she brings true production, and everything is really thought out carefully,” she said. “So I know that she’ll bring that to the festival, and I’m sure we can expect some fun outfits and just a huge, huge attendance from our fans.”
Moroney is the first name announced for the 2027 lineup, but Country Thunder says there are considerably more names to come.
Benoit says the festival is working through its remaining headliners and full lineup, with more announcements expected in the coming weeks.
“For right now, Megan Moroney is the name,” she said. “She’s the It Girl of country music and she’s the name that everyone in Saskatchewan is going to be talking about.”
The festival has also released a limited number of single-day tickets specifically for Sunday, July 11, alongside weekend passes, premium options and camping. Country Thunder’s official website currently lists its 2027 lineup as still being announced.
Benoit expects Moroney’s Saskatchewan debut to draw both longtime Country Thunder fans and people discovering the festival for the first time.
“I think we’re going to see a ton of new fans to the festival and, of course, returning fans that have been coming for a few years,” she said. “They’re going to all be very excited, singing along, every word.”
And after a week of pink clues, speculation and anticipation, Benoit says the next step for fans is simple: getting ready for Craven.
“We’ve got some other headliners that are all coming together and we’re excited to announce, filling up that lineup and hopefully have an announcement in the next few weeks here so you can find out who else is playing,” she said.
“Head over to countrythunder.com, read through all the ticket descriptions, the camping, and then buy your tickets today.”
