Rock The Ocean’s 12th annual Tortuga Music Festival is officially in the books, and man was it a weekend to remember.
With over 40 artists, perfect 80 degree weather along the Fort Lauderdale Beach, and plenty of staff members whipping up cocktails all hours of the day, Tortuga was by far the best country music festival I’ve attended in my lifetime – and I’m going to explain why.
Typically the first thing that grabs your attention before making plans to attend a festival, or any concert for that matter, is obviously the lineup. Along with Combs, Urban and Jelly Roll as headliners, Tortuga enlisted some heavy hitters across multiple different scenes in the genre, including the likes of Megan Moroney, Wyatt Flores, Cody Jinks, Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis, Gary Allan, Rodney Atkins and more, ensuring there was something for everyone throughout the three-day event.
And although the lineup didn’t disappoint, Tortuga continuously sets itself apart from the competition you could say by how organized they are. From the stage and shop/food setups, locker locations, VIP sections, etc. – you can tell there was a lot of attention to detail put into the planning. And aside from the setup, Tortuga donates a portion of proceeds and merchandise sales to ocean conservation efforts every single year.
And one thing I noticed and LOVED is that there were staff members walking around passing out cigarette waste packets to ensure smokers were able to safely dispose of their butts on the beach, preventing toxic chemicals from eventually seeping into the the water, as well as having them be digested by marine animals. Everyone loves a good drunk cig, so instead of banning nicotine products, Tortuga put a plan in motion that was a win/win for everyone.
The main headliner on night one was Jelly Roll, followed by Keith Urban on night two and Luke Combs on night three. Of course, the beach was absolutely packed for all three as the sun started to set and the alcohol started, well – alcoholing, but the highlight of the festival HAD to be the The Next From Nashville Stage presented by BACARDÍ.
If you are a casual country music listener then there’s a good chance you might’ve bought tickets just for the vibes and main acts. And hey, to each their own, but the BACARDÍ Next From Nashville Stage was BY FAR the most intimate stage out of the three. Aside from being the only one underneath a massive tent for a little break from the hot sun, the setting felt personal, almost like a local event in your hometown except the performers weren’t a cover band featuring your 50 year-old uncle and his longtime drinking buddies, it was artists like fricken Avery Anna, who currently boasts almost ten million monthly listeners on Spotify.
So take the backyard BBQ vibe (except on the beach) and replace it with country music’s hottest up-and coming acts…and that’s what the Next From Nashville Stage was like. Oh, and waaaay better cocktail options from BACARDÍ (plus, they poured ’em up strong. Shhh).
Aside from Avery Anna, this years Next From Nashville lineup consisted of Bayker Blankenship, Bryce Leatherwood, Kassi Ashton, Noah Hicks, Kashus Culpepper, Lauren Watkins, Mae Estes, Charlie Worsham and more. Of course, every artists’ dream is to play on the Main Stage, but one thing I can say fursure is even the artists seemed to have a fun time playing for fans in that type of setting. Most even came out and met with fans and signed autographs after their set was over – something you didn’t see from any other stage.
And while there were DJ’s at every stage, BACARDÍ’s Next From Nashville featured more than just live music, they also provided line dancing presented by PBR on Saturday and Sunday evenings – ensuring a fun atmosphere the entire festival.
All in all, Tortuga is one of those festivals that even if your favorite artist isn’t performing that year, you go anyway. It’s more than a few concerts put together – it’s an experience. And the BACARDÍ Next From Nashville stage offers you the most unique opportunity – having the privilege of saying you got to see a handful of artists BEFORE they became household names and headliners. And to be honest, some of them are THAT close.
Check out this video of Avery Anna performing “Indigo,” her popular collaboration with Sam Barber that currently has over 150 million streams on Spotify alone, on the Next From Nashville Stage, as well as a handful of photos showcasing the exciting atmosphere that BACARDÍ provided all weekend.
