Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular—the record-breaking, multi-artist Christian music tour—is due to head West for the first time, later this year.

Plans are being made for a dozen or so dates on the West Coast in November. "That's our goal right now, to get out there and play some cities that we think would be open to it," said Eddie Carswell, of the founders and tour host Newsong.

Many of the artists who appeared on the bill for the 46-city tour that ended in Peoria, Ill., April 3—ranking No. 1 in the world year-to-date, according to Pollstar—will take part again. "A couple of them probably can't do it because they already have commitments, but hopefully a lot of the people will be coming back," Carswell told Christian Retailing.

The lineup for the 16th annual tour, which broke its attendance record for the fourth year in a row, included Chris Sligh, Francesca Battistelli, KJ-52, Kutless, Red, the David Crowder Band and Newsboys. With a pay-at-the-door ticket price of $10, the tour saw a total attendance of 524,230—more than turned out for the likes of Bon Jovi, U2, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, according to Pollstar's 2011 Worldwide "Top 100 Tours" chart for January-March.

Carswell said that he and the other organizers had wanted to take the event West for some time. The farthest West previous tours got to included a stop in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Click here for more information on the Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular.

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