The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular returned to Chattanooga for its 20th year with a capacity crowd. More than 10,000 people filled the UTC McKenzie Arena on Sunday.
"The tradition of excellent music and impacting ministry continued with Skillet, Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, Building 429, for KING & COUNTRY, NewSong, Family Force 5, Blanca, About a Mile and VERIDIA and orator Tony Nolan," officials said.
Conceived and created in 1995 as "January Jam" by CCM group Newsong and produced and promoted by promotions companies, Premier Productions in Greenville and DMI Concerts in Chattanooga, Winter Jam has run annually since all over the United States.
"From the beginning, Winter Jam was based on the idea of removing cost barriers, so more people could attend, be encouraged by the music, and hear the gospel," organizers said.
Tickets were not required for the event, as a $10 general admission was collected at the door.
Alan Knowles, president of DMI Concerts said “God continues to bless Winter Jam in Chattanooga and 46 other cities through the music of ten leading artists in the industry.” Over the past two decades, The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular has featured many of the top names in Christian music, including TobyMac, Third Day, Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mandisa, MercyMe and others.
The tour has outpaced any other tour's attendance for the past four years (according to Pollstar, 1st Quarter). So far the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular has seen more than 400,000 people come through the doors. The east coast portion tour wraps up March 29 in Peoria, Il.
DMI Concerts is in its 30th year as a producer of Christian concerts in the Chattanooga market.