Even amid personal and professional trials, The Mavericks are turning the spotlight into a testament to music, friendship, and the singular voice of Raul Malo. The band has announced Dance The Night Away: A 35-Year Musical Legacy Celebrating The Mavericks & Honoring Raul Malo, a special two-night tribute set for December 5 and 6 at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.
The shows will honor frontman Raul Malo as he continues treatment for cancer, including leptomeningeal metastases (LMD). While Malo will attend both nights, he will not perform. In their announcement, the band described the event as a tribute to “decades of history and contributions to American and Latin music,” with The Mavericks backing a remarkable lineup of friends and collaborators performing songs from their expansive catalog.
The guest list reads like a cross-section of Americana, country, and roots music—artists who have respected, worked with, or been influenced by the band. Scheduled performers include Chuck Mead, Cimafunk, Emily West, Hector Tellez Jr., Jaime Hanna, James Otto, Jamey Johnson, JD McPherson, Jeff Hanna, Jesse Dayton, Jim Lauderdale, Jimmie Vaughan, Joshua Ray Walker, Maggie Rose, Mandy Barnett, Marty Stuart, Nicole Atkins, Nikki Lane, Patty Griffin, Ray Benson, Seth Walker, Steve Earle, Sweet Lizzy Project, Wade Hayes, Waylon Payne, Wendy Moten, and more to come.
“These shows will take the place of our previously scheduled Ryman dates,” the band noted, adding that all existing tickets remain valid. Malo expressed his gratitude in a press statement, saying he’s “really looking forward to these two nights at the Ryman,” and calling the outpouring of support from fellow musicians, fans, friends, and family “something special.”
Formed in Miami in the late ’80s before establishing roots in Nashville, The Mavericks have spent more than three decades pushing boundaries with a sound that blends country, rock, Latin rhythms, and big-band soul. Their work has earned Grammy, CMA, and ACM awards, as well as a fiercely devoted worldwide following through hits like “Here Comes the Rain,” “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” and “Dance the Night Away.”
Malo publicly shared his diagnosis earlier this year, later updating fans that his condition had progressed. Despite the gravity, he emphasized feeling supported rather than afraid, praising his wife, sons, family, bandmates, team, and fans for surrounding him with love.
The Mavericks canceled all remaining 2025 touring except for a promised “something special”—now revealed to be these tribute nights at the Ryman.
Dwight Yoakam, who co-headlined much of 2025 alongside The Mavericks, recently shared his own message of support, writing that he would “deeply miss the exuberant and enormous musical joy” Malo brought to the stage and that fans everywhere were sending prayers and hope for healing.
