For a band that’s sold over 10 million albums, played to more than five million fans in 40+ countries, and still calls itself a “band of brothers,” the Grand Ole Opry may be a new stage—but it’s another chapter in the story of Switchfoot that keeps getting bigger.
Just days before dropping their new album Forever Now on June 26, GRAMMY-winning rockers got the kind of career milestone you don’t see coming—even after nearly three decades on the road. The band has been invited to make its Grand Ole Opry debut on July 23, and the news came from some very familiar faces: the Jonas Brothers.
The surprise went down on the brothers’ iHeartPodcast Hey Jonas!, where longtime friends Nick, Joe, and Kevin delivered the Opry invitation on-air. The episode is now streaming on the iHeartRadio app and across podcast platforms.
“So incredibly honored to have been invited to debut at the Grand Ole Opry in July. Unreal!” Switchfoot shared. “Even better to hear the news from our friends the Jonas Brothers. So stoked… see you soon, Nashville!”
The moment is a full-circle payoff for a relationship that’s been building for years. The Jonas Brothers have frequently credited Switchfoot as a foundational influence in their early days. In 2023, Switchfoot celebrated the 20th anniversary of their 3x Platinum, Grammy-winning breakthrough The Beautiful Letdown by re-recording the album with a slate of guests—including the Jonas Brothers on the title track. The collaboration flowed both ways: last year, Switchfoot appeared on the JoBros’ album title track “Greetings From Your Hometown,” and in 2025 they became the first surprise guests on the JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown Tour, teaming up on Switchfoot’s “Meant To Live” and the Jonas Brothers’ “Hold On.”
Now, the Opry nod arrives as Switchfoot readies what may be their most ambitious project yet. Forever Now, their 14th studio album and first in five years, is a 13-track, guitar-driven concept record built around the emotional roller coaster of a person’s final day on Earth—what you’d think, regret, or finally say if you knew time was running out. Produced by longtime collaborator Mike Elizondo and recorded largely at his Phantom Studios outside Nashville, the album leans into “big guitars, big hooks, and big themes,” with lead single “Absolution” already impacting Alternative radio.
The Opry debut is just one part of a packed season. This fall, Switchfoot will hit 38 cities on their headlining Forever Now Tour with special guests Anberlin, including major stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Nashville. They also just wrapped their annual Bro-Am Beach Fest, which raised over $300,000 for the Switchfoot Bro-Am Foundation—adding to more than $3 million raised over 20 years for programs serving unhoused, at-risk, and disadvantaged youth.
Main image: Erick Frost