Mat Kearney is headed back to The Music Hall in April

The singer-songwriter returns to Portsmouth on Monday, April 26, 2027, seven years after his last stop at the Chestnut Street landmark.

There's a particular kind of Monday that works in Portsmouth: a quiet start to the week, dinner downtown, and a songwriter you've loved for years playing a room that rewards listening. Mat Kearney is offering one. He plays The Music Hall on Monday, April 26, 2027, with a 7 p.m. start. Tickets are through The Music Hall.

The show was announced Oct. 28, which gives the Seacoast nearly six months of notice. That's plenty of time to plan, and with an artist who has a loyal following around here, it's also plenty of time for the good seats to go.

Kearney isn't new to this stage. JamBase's archive shows him at The Music Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, and Boston's The River listed him there as part of the venue's Intimately Yours series. April 2027 will be his first Music Hall date in more than seven years, and plenty of the people who were there in 2020 will be back.

A songwriter you've loved for years, in a room that rewards listening.

The road between those dates has been busy. In 2025, antiMusic reported he was touring behind a deluxe edition of *Still Drowning in Nostalgia*. He has also spent the past few years on what he calls The Acoustic Trio Tour. Promoter Jade Presents booked it in Fargo in 2023, and Vail's Vilar Performing Arts Center has it on the calendar for Jan. 23, 2027. Whether Portsmouth gets the trio format hasn't been spelled out on the venue's page, so check the listing for details as the date gets closer.

JamBase tags Kearney as rock, folk and indie, and that mix suits a room like The Music Hall. His songs mix storytelling with big, warm choruses, and they land best in a theater where the crowd can hear every word. A Monday night show only adds to that. Weeknight crowds tend to be there for the music, not the night out.

For Seacoast fans, the appeal is simple: a well-loved songwriter in one of the region's favorite rooms, without the drive to Boston. Kearney's audience has grown up with him over the years, and his shows have a way of feeling like a reunion as much as a concert.

Practical notes: the start time is 7 p.m. on Monday, April 26. Buy through The Music Hall's own site, which is the official seller, rather than a resale page, so you know what you're paying and where you're sitting. If you're making a night of it, book dinner nearby early. Downtown Portsmouth restaurants fill up even on a Monday when there's a show in town.

Seven years is a long time between visits, and April is a good season for a homecoming. Grab tickets, mark the calendar and get ready to sing along when the chorus comes around.

Sources: Mat Kearney at The Music Hall, Jan 29, 2020 (JamBase) (jambase.com); River Events Calendar – Mat Kearney at The Music Hall (The River) (theriverboston.com); Mat Kearney touring to support deluxe album Still Drowning in Nostalgia (antiMusic) (musicpressbox.antimusic.com); The Acoustic Trio Tour – Fargo (Jade Presents) (jadepresents.com); Mat Kearney (Vilar Performing Arts Center) (vilarpac.org); The Music Hall (venue tickets) (themusichall.org)