Live music in Beaver Stadium is so back.

Beaver Stadium will host its second-ever concert within the stadium and first since 2017. Luke Combs announced he’d stop in Happy Valley as part of his “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” tour on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Now that Penn State’s administration and Athletics is making steady progress toward alignment under Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft, perhaps concerts in Beaver Stadium will become more and more frequent.

Our optimistic staff got to thinking and brainstormed a handful of performances we’d like to see in Beaver Stadium.

McKenna Murphy: Olivia Rodrigo

If there is one artist that I think could bring the house down at Beaver Stadium, Olivia Rodrigo would definitely be my top pick. Maybe it’s the fact that her newest song “vampire” has been stuck in my head for weeks or that I still never recovered from hearing “driver’s license” for the first time in 2021.

Either way, I would love to see her perform in State College. I realize she may not be as popular as she was a few years ago, but with her new album coming out in just a few weeks, I believe Olivia Rodrigo headlining at the stadium would draw a large crowd.

Whether you only know the chorus of her songs from TikTok or a total stan, I think any student could enjoy watching her perform in Beaver Stadium.

Nina Jeffries: Harry Styles/One Direction Reunion

The artist I would like to see the most in Beaver Stadium is Harry Styles. Although I know this is the basic girl response, just close your eyes and imagine Beaver Stadium at max capacity. Are we playing Michigan? Ohio State? No. Harry Styles is in town. Out he comes in a classic blue-and-white getup, playing an absolute banger like “As It Was.”

Then, after a while, Harry decides he needs help with the “We Are” chant, but is the help from the crowd? Nope. A faint “Penn State” response can be heard in the distance. Where is it coming from? Who is it? None other than Niall, Liam, Louis, and Zayn because, yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is actually a One Direction reunion concert.

Aidan Conrad: HARDY

In order to perform at Beaver Stadium, you must bring the energy. There is not a current artist who would bring White Out level electricity more than HARDY. The mix of country and rock that his music provides reaches a large audience, and I’m confident that his loyal fanbase will fill Beaver Stadium.

He also opened for Morgan Wallen in front of 70,000 people in Columbus, Ohio, this summer. It’s time to bring him over to Happy Valley.

Luke Pieczynski: Dua Lipa

Is she from the United Kingdom? Yes. Does she have any connection to Pennsylvania whatsoever? No, but it doesn’t matter.

“Future Nostalgia” was revolutionary and everyone knows it. It’s what landed her right into the spotlight. Her work in the “Barbie” movie? Spectacular. The collaborations she’s done with other artists? Second to none. She’s a three-time Grammy winner for a reason.

Dua would undeniably sell out a crowd at Beaver Stadium and could make the State College area just about the most electric city in the country for a night on tour. I might even say that one of her performances might even beat the White Out in terms of noise. Dua, come to Beaver Stadium!

Haylee Yocum: Taylor Swift

This is the one we were all thinking of, right? I shouldn’t even have to say it, but let me put out a plea for Taylor to return to Penn State. As some of us may know, the Bryce Jordan Center played host to her Fearless tour in 2009 and photos of the concert hang in the hallways of the arena. There are old photos of Swift wearing Penn State merch, and it’s widely known that she hails from Pennsylvania.

The recent success of her Eras Tour has made it nearly impossible to secure tickets to a show. In my opinion, there’s no better place to perform than at one of the largest stadiums in the country, adjacent to a university utterly packed full of Swifties.

Joe Lister: Ice Spice

You thought I was feeling you? Yes, Ice Spice, I was. In fact, I would argue that much of Penn State would be feeling Ice Spice should she come to Beaver Stadium.

Sure, one of the baddest best artists of the present day might not draw the townies to a concert, but Ice Spice could certainly draw a crowd at Beaver Stadium. She attracts the modern day college student, which is what Beaver Stadium has always been designed for.

I’ve sat through a Walker Hayes concert at the Bryce Jordan Center. At worst, an Ice Spice concert cannot be as bad as that experience.

Lizzie Palmieri: The Jonas Brothers

While this may be the obvious answer, it still must be said: the Jonas Brothers should be “Burnin’ Up” Beaver Stadium for one magical night. From rocking the Bryce Jordan Center for two tours to celebrating Joe’s 21st birthday right here at Champs, the three brothers have a long-standing relationship with Happy Valley and are certified Penn Staters at this point.

Since the Jonas Brothers recently kicked off The Tour at Yankee Stadium, the timing is perfect. The obvious next step here is penciling in a pit stop to transport State College to the “Year 3000.” Penn Staters are a “Sucker” for you, Kevin, Nick, and Joe. In fact, Onward State’s very own managing editor is a certified Kevin girl herself (Editor’s note: It’s true). While I may have to differ on that debate for Joe-supremacy, our “Happiness Begins” with Kevin, Nick, and Joe in Beaver Stadium. “What a (wo)man gotta do?”