BROWNWOOD – September 16, 2026 – Howard Payne University (HPU) is gearing up for an exciting night of worship with Grammy Award-winning Christian recording artist Chris Tomlin on Sunday, Sept. 20.
The concert, which is free to the public, will be held at the Brownwood Event Center’s outdoor stage, 601 Baker St.
Gates open at 4:30 p.m. No tickets are required. Admission will be first come, first served. No one will be allowed into the venue prior to 4:30 p.m. HPU’s Heritage Band will take the stage at 6:30 p.m., followed by Tomlin.
“Sunday is almost here, and it’s so exciting to watch how God is moving to pull everything together for this night of worship,” said Dr. Cory Hines, HPU president. “The HPU team, the city, all of our community and business partners and volunteers have been working for many months to bring this event to Brownwood. We’re praying for a wonderful turnout and for lives to be changed.”
Attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs, and food will be permitted inside the event center. A clear-bag policy will be enforced. No coolers are allowed.
For those who’d like to purchase food, the City of Brownwood recently announced that food trucks will be stationed along Congress Avenue in between the Lehnis Railroad Museum & Visitor Center and Central Fire Station. In addition, the city shared a list of other dining options that will be available on Sunday to accommodate visitors. More information can be found on the city’s website.
HPU athletics teams will be on hand to sell bottled water for $1 per bottle. Proceeds from water sales will benefit HPU teams.
General and accessibility parking will be available in marked lots surrounding the venue. Additional parking will be available on the HPU campus. There will not be a shuttle service, so guests are asked to plan accordingly. A guest map can be accessed and downloaded online.
For the latest information and a concert checklist, visit www.hputx.edu/ChrisTomlin.
Bruner Auto Family serves as the event’s presenting sponsor.
ABOUT CHRIS TOMLIN
TIME magazine heralded Chris Tomlin as the “most often sung artist in the world” as his music has inspired and uplifted an entire generation of believers. Along the way, Chris has scored 21 number-one singles, 30 top-10 hits (more than any other Christian artist) and spent a total of 157 weeks at No. 1 during his career. He’s sold more than 12 million albums, with over 8 billion career global streams, won a Grammy, three Billboard Music Awards, 30 Dove Awards (most recent win for Song of The Year for “Holy Forever”), became a two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year honoree and an ASCAP Songwriter of the Year. Chris is the first Christian artist to reach the billion streams threshold on Pandora and was presented with their BILLIONAIRE award. As one of the most successful Christian touring artists today, Chris has sold out venues everywhere, including New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver and more. In early 2019, Chris and his wife, Lauren, founded For Others, an organization that exists to raise awareness and empower best-in-class organizations to help end the child welfare crisis in the United States.
ABOUT HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERSITY
Howard Payne University, founded in 1889, is a Christ-centered liberal arts university in Brownwood, Texas, dedicated to preparing students for lives of faith, leadership and service. With more than 100 majors, minors and pre-professional programs across six schools, serving three locations, HPU combines academic excellence with meaningful personal connection in a close-knit campus community.
Guided by its five core values — centered on Christ, focused on community, called to service, committed to excellence and dedicated to stewardship — Howard Payne prepares students through rigorous academic programs, vibrant student life, competitive athletics and service opportunities that equip graduates to make an impact in their communities and professions.