Tim McGraw Speaks Out Against Concertgoers Who Throw Things at Artists: ‘You Could Really Injure Somebody’

As Tim McGraw prepares to hit the road in 2024 for his Standing Room Only Tour featuring Carly Pearce, the singer and 1883 actor is speaking out about the troubling trend of concertgoers throwing items onstage at artists.

“I think it’s terrible,” McGraw told CNN in a new interview. “I mean, you could really injure somebody and you could miss and hit somebody in the audience and injure somebody. What happens if somebody gets hurt? Then it ruins the show for everybody … if somebody can’t continue performing.”

In recent months, a rash of such incidents have occurred. Kelsea Ballerini had a bracelet thrown at her that hit her in the face. Kane Brown and Morgan Wallen have each been struck by boots that were thrown onstage. Bebe Rexha was hit in the face by a cell phone, requiring her to get stitches. Cardi B recently retaliated by throwing her microphone at a concertgoer who splashed a drink on the singer.

McGraw added, “I’m used to soft goods being thrown at me. And that’s fine, but don’t throw anything that’s got any heft to it that’s gonna hurt somebody. I just think that it’s just not appropriate to do. Everybody’s there to have fun and there’s just no need in any of that. Hopefully it doesn’t happen, but I’ll try to stay calm if it does.”

McGraw will launch his Standing Room Only Tour in March of next year, and is preparing for the release of the tour’s namesake album, McGraw’s 17th studio project, in August.

“I wanted this music on this album to reflect life in general and be life-affirming and positive,” he said of the music the album contains, noting that much of the album was crafted during the pandemic. “I wanted the music to sort of reflect that, living the good life and being the best person that you can be and knowing we all make mistakes, but you wake up the next day and try to be a better person.”