autumn in Connecticut apparel and gifts

Mary J. Blige adds Hartford dates to The For My Fans Tour

Mary J. Blige
XL Center 1 Civic Center Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103 
April 8, 2025
Tickets go on sale on December 13, 2024 via LiveNation.com

The For My Fans Tour

Grammy and Emmy award-winning and Oscar-nominated, “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” Mary J. Blige is adding nine additional dates to her highly-anticipated “The For My Fans Tour,” where she will be joined by special guests NE-YOand Mario

Produced by Live Nation, the now 36-city tour includes a stop at XL Center in Hartford, CT, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The tour also includes a stop at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

The tour comes on the heels of her new album “Gratitude,” which was released on November 15, through her own Beautiful Life Productions and in partnership with 300 Entertainment. The tour and album are both a celebration of the love and gratitude that Mary has towards her life, family, friends, and her beloved fans. In August, she dropped the first single off the album, “Breathing” featuring Fabolous.

VIP

The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets including reserved booths & tables, access to the VIP Lounge, exclusive VIP merch item, limited edition VIP poster & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com!

Tickets

Tickets will be available starting with Citi presale beginning on Tuesday, December 10 (details below). Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, December 13 at 10 AM at LiveNation.com

Presale

Citi is the official card of The For My Fans Tour presale. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning on Tuesday, December 10 at 10 AM until Thursday, December 12 at 11:59 PM through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com

Mary. J. Blige – The For My Fans Tour 2025 Dates

Thu Jan 30 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum 

Fri Jan 31 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center

Sun Feb 02 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum – ADDED SHOW

Mon Feb 03 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Wed Feb 05 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena – ADDED SHOW

Thu Feb 06 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

Sat Feb 08 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena 

Tue Feb 11 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live 

Fri Feb 14 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Sat Feb 15 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena – ADDED SHOW

Mon Feb 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center – ADDED SHOW

Tue Feb 18 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Fri Feb 21 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena

Tue Feb 25 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Fri Feb 28 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena – ADDED SHOW 

Sat Mar 01 – Los Angeles, CA – Intuit Dome

Mon Mar 03 – San Bernardino, CA – Yaamava’ Theater – ADDED SHOW*

Fri Mar 07 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Sat Mar 08 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center

Wed Mar 12 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center

Fri Mar 14 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sun Mar 16 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Wed Mar 19 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Sat Mar 22 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center

Mon Mar 24 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Wed Mar 26 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena 

Fri Mar 28 – Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall 

Tue Apr 01 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – ADDED SHOW

Wed Apr 02 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena 

Fri Apr 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena 

Sun Apr 06 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

Tue Apr 08 – Hartford, CT – XL Center– ADDED SHOW

Thu Apr 10 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 

Fri Apr 11 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena 

Mon Apr 14 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Thu Apr 17 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center – ADDED SHOW

*Without NE-YO and Mario

Mary J. Blige

Mary J Blige to perform at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut in April 2025
Mary J Blige photo via Live Nation

Iconic Grammy and Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated artist, actress, producer, and entrepreneur Mary J. Blige is a figure of inspiration, transformation, and empowerment. With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (37 nominations), an Emmy award, two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a SAG nomination, Blige has cemented herself as a global superstar. This past October, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of their Class of 2024.

Influenced at an early age by the music of Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight, Blige brought her own gritty, urban-rooted style—fusing hip-hop, soul, and honest, frank lyrics—to the forefront on her 1992 debut album What’s the 411? Blige continued to redefine R&B and began forging a unique niche for herself on her second album, 1994’s My Life.

Each subsequent album she released reads like a chapter from an autobiography. In February 2022, Blige released Good Morning Gorgeous, which has since earned her six 2023 Grammy nominations including Album and Record of the Year. The album release led into a historic performance at the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar. Her performance earned her a 2022 Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Blige most recently released her 15thstudio album Gratitude and will next embark on the “For My Fans” tour, kicking off January 30, 2025 in Greensboro, NC.

On the acting side, Blige starred as Florence Jackson in the 2017 Netflix breakout film Mudbound, to which she received critical acclaim including two Academy Award nominations for Best Support Actress and Best Original Song. She became the first person ever to be nominated in an acting and song category for the same film. Among many other credits, Blige just wrapped her tenure on the hit STARZ series POWER BOOK II: GHOST. The fourth and final season just concluded on Starz and continued to break records for the network through its final season.

On the producing side, Blige launched her production company, Blue Butterfly, and signed a first-look TV deal with Lionsgate. Blige also signed a first-look non-scripted deal and a second-look scripted deal with BET. In 2021, Blige worked with Oscar-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth and Amazon on her documentary Mary J. Blige’s My Life celebrating the 25th anniversary of her famed album My Life, of which she was the focus and EP. Following her 2023 Lifetime films “Real Love” and “Strength of a Woman,” Blige has signed on to executive produce multiple new projects for Lifetime, beginning with “Family Affair” (working title) coming in 2025.

NE-YO

NE-YO is a three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning R&B hitmaker, iconic songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose illustrious catalog has generated a combined total of 23 billion streams worldwide. His debut single, 2005’s “So Sick,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified quadruple-platinum. Since then, the Motown Records/Compound Entertainment recording artist has racked up a collection of global hits including “Sexy Love,” “Closer,”“Because of You,” “Miss Independent,” and “Push Back” [feat. Bebe Rexha and Stefflon Don].”

Additionally, NE-YO has proven to be as powerful with his pen as he is in the recording studio and on stage, penning bangers like Rihanna’s “Unfaithful,” “Russian Roulette,” and “Take a Bow,” along with Beyoncé’s 2006 breakup anthem “Irreplaceable” and songs for such artists as Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion and Mario among others. 

The multihyphenate has also leveraged his platform as a musician to pivot into acting. His film and television credits include NBC’s World of Dance,Netflix’s Dance MonstersEmpire, Stomp the YardSave the Last Dance, Battle: Los Angeles, George Lucas’ Red Tails, The Wiz Live!, Starz’ Step Up: High Water, Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding and The Sound of Christmas. He starred in the latest season of 50 Cent’s acclaimed drama series BMF on STARZ. 

Mario

Mario is a GRAMMY-nominated, platinum-selling R&B singer, songwriter and hitmaker hailing from Baltimore, MD. A dominant 2000s run, which began after the church-bred singer was signed by Clive Davis to J Records during his teenage years, included Top 5 hit “Just A Friend,” and “Let Me Love You,” the generation-defining serenade that spent nine weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning the singer widespread acclaim. Mario’s subsequent album, Turning Point, generated a ‘Best Contemporary R&B Album’ GRAMMY nomination as well as two Billboard Awards, and is part of a robust catalog that includes four debuts inside the Top 5 of Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, beginning with his gold-certified debut, Mario.

Mario’s hit-making prowess and status as a superior vocal performer led to a spot on Billboard’s ‘Artist of the Decade’ list. His expanded entertainment profile includes an independent label, New Citizen, launched in 2016, and a slew of marquee acting appearances, including major roles in blockbuster films and shows Step UpFreedom Writers, and Empire. Mario will make his film production debut this holiday season, when his New Citizen-produced Christmas film, Style Me For Christmas, airs on BET.

This December, Mario releases his sixth studio album as part of his new deal with Epic Records, marking his first solo LP since 2018. Glad You Came, is executive-produced largely by James Fauntleroy, who worked for over a year on the project in-studio with Mario.

Share your XL Center  experience with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram

Click here for more information about the XL Center 
Click here for the latest news at the XL Center
Click here for upcoming events at the XL Center
Click here for the latest news in Hartford
Click here for events in Hartford
Click here for the latest news in Hartford County
Click here for events in Hartford County

Click here for Hartford Merch
#theartfordlife860 HartfordI Clover Hartford • I’d rather be in HartfordI Really Really Miss Hartford  Just a kid from Hartford Hartord Coordinates Hartford Pride

Click here for Hartford County Merch

Hartford t shirts Hartford hoodies Hartford sweatshirtsMugs •  StickersBlankets

New England Hemp Farm, hemp discount code, connecticut hemp, cbd discount code, cbd coupon code, finding connecticut

••••• Message center •••••••

Finding Connecticut Gift & Event Guide

Did you miss our annual Connecticut Gift & Event guide post? You can read it here. It has everything to Connecticut merch to Connecticut based authors and books to over 50+ events around the Connecticut.

OnWashington gift card

One card, multiple choices! The gift that’s a sure thing-the OnWashington Gift Card, a community-based digital gift card that is a wonderful way to support local small businesses. Consumers can purchase an OnWashington E-Card to send as a gift which can be used at participating restaurants, shops, and salons that are part of AGW SONO Partners’ extensive Washington Street Historic District portfolio. With the OnWashington Gift Card, purchasers can write a personal message and send it to family, friends, and colleagues via email, text, or physical copy. All digital and always available on your phone, recipients can choose to spend it at any participating merchant or mix it up and spend flexibly at multiple locations. Current OnWashington Gift Card merchants include: Eco Evolution, Cheese & Bread,  Salon Etre, Tablao Wine Bar, Oishi Sushi & Izakaya, Jean’s Closet, Mecha, Donovan’s, Lazy Sister, Music & Industry, Pokemoto, Himalaya (2025), and more to come! Click here to purchase.

Connecticut Merch

Looking for Connecticut merch? Think of us this holiday season. All proceeds help us grow Finding Connecticut. 

Our popular collections 203 • Two o’ Three • 860 • Eight Six O’ • I Really Really Miss Connecticut • Just a kid from Connecticut • Pride • Love & Live • Connecticut Fall

We also have merch by town, not all towns are available yet. You can always contact us and we can order the design you are looking for. 

Save 10% on all products with promo code Post10. Always free shipping

Fairfield Theatre Company Events

Sex and the City creator Candace Bushnell brings her True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City to FTC click here to purchase tickets.

Click here to read our interview with Candace Bushnell.

Fall Cooking Classes

Looking for fall cooking and holiday ideas. Click here for AMG Catering. & Events Fall cooking schedule.

Gourmet Cookies

Indulge in Keksi gourmet cookies, featuring classic flavors such as chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, as well as new monthly creations. Made with the highest quality ingredients, each bite is a delicious treat. Perfect for any cookie lover! Save 20% with code CONNECTICUT24

Hartford Wolf Pack November 2024 home games

12.11.24 –Hartford Wolf Pack vs Hershey Bears click here to purchase tickets
12.14.24 – Hartford Wolf Pack vs Laval Rocket click here to purchase tickets
12.20.24 – Hartford Wolf Pack vs Providence Bruins click here to purchase tickets
12.28.24 – Hartford Wolf Pack vs Providence Bruins click here to purchase tickets

Movie showtimes at Prospector Theater

Looking to see a movie. Click here for showtimes

Let’s create with Victory Designs

Need help with your creative needs? Our team has 20+ years of experience with Adobe, Shopify, and WordPress, and we offer affordable graphic design and web services. Let Victory Designs assist you with bringing your ideas to life.

Connecticut business owners:
Are you a local business owner in Connecticut looking to boost your visibility and reach more customers? Look no further! Our platform provides a unique opportunity to showcase your business to an engaged audience of people who love and live in Connecticut. By partnering with us, you can reach potential customers who are actively seeking things to do, places to dine, and local merchants and service providers to support. Don’t miss out on this chance to grow your business and connect with the local community!

Connecticut with us! 

Get our news straight into your inbox daily for free!


Stay connected with us on social media
FacebookInstagram • Threads • Tiktok XGoogle NewsNewsbreak
Join our Reddit community 

Share your Connecticut experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram

Click here to return to Finding Connecticut’s home page

Don’t miss our reviews

Concert reviewsRestaurant reviewsFamily restaurant reviews

Looking for the latest news by region, topic and events

Latest news by region

Fairfield County Hartford County •  Litchfield County •  Middlesex CountyNew Haven County • New London County• Tolland CountyWindham County 

Latest sports news by team

Hartford Wolf PackHartford Yard GoatsConnecticut SunNorwich Sea Unicorns • 

2024 schedules

Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford Yard GoatsConnecticut Sun • Norwich Sea Unicorns

Events by region

Fairfield CountyHartford County • Litchfield County • New Haven CountyNew London CountyMiddlesex CountyTolland County Windham County

Events by Interest

ArtSportsFamily FriendlyHistoryConcertsFarmers’ Markets 

Events by the month

 November 2024 • December 2024January 2025February 2025March 2025April 2025May 2025June 2025July 2025August 2025September 2025October 2025November 2025December 2025

Events by venue

College Street Music HallSpace Ballroom • Westville Music BowlDistrict Music HallFairfield Theatre Company •  Hartford Stage The Bushnell Goodspeed Opera House •  Mohegan SunFoxwoods New York Comedy Club StamfordWestport Country PlayhouseGoodspeed Opera House