Gulf Coast Jam garners 100,000 people over four days; tickets already going fast for 2026
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Despite some weather delays and a mandatory evacuation from lightning, Rendy Lovelady says the 2025 Gulf Coast Jam was a success.
As executive producer of the popular country music festival, Lovelady said the event garnered a combined 100,000 people over its four days. It was held May 29 to June 1 at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach.
"We had close to 100,000 people in the park over the four days," he said. "The event) helps the community. ... It helps feed people. It fills the restaurants up. It fills the hotels up. It's just a great thing.
"It also draws international attention to our little beach here."
The 2025 Gulf Coat Jam featured performances from headliners Sam Hunt on Thursday, Lainey Wilson on Friday, Tyler Childers on Saturday and Blake Shelton on Sunday.
Stormy weather conditions caused delays on Thursday, and an evacuation on Friday, but operations ran smoothly Saturday and Sunday.
Lovelady credited the event's success in the wake of challenges to its volunteers and first responders, as well as contributing organizations, including the Bay County Sheriff's Office and Panama City Beach Police Department.
He noted ticket combined attendance for 2025 was about 20,000 less than in 2023, which holds the record as the best year in the event's history.
That said, he is confident 2026 will be another record-breaking year for the festival. On Thursday evening, officials announced the entire lineup for next year, sparking a surge of ticket sales unlike anything Gulf Coast Jam has ever experienced.
"When we announced our new lineup, we sold almost four times faster in the four days of the festival than we've ever sold," Lovelady said. "This next one is going to be huge."
The complete lineup for 2026 is:
Thursday, May 28, 2026 − Gannon Fremin, Walker Montgomery, Cooper Alan, Wyatt Flores, Treaty Oak Revival and headliner Keith Urban.
Friday, May 29, 2026 − Hueston, Cole Goodwin, Brent Cobb, Jackson Dean, Marcus King and headliner Chris Stapleton.
Saturday, May 30, 2026 − Hannah McFarland, Ashland Craft, Josh Ross, Ole 60, Koe Wetzel and headliner Riley Green.
Sunday, May 31, 2026 − Skeez, Them Dirty Roses, Elizabeth Nichols, 49 Winchester, Muscadine Bloodline and headliner Post Malone.
Attention jammers: Gulf Coast Jam 2026 lineup announced: Headliners include Riley Green and Post Malone
For more information on the event, or to purchase tickets, visit visit gulfcoastjam.com.
See more coverage at newsherald.com
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Gulf Coast Jam 2025 garners 100,000 people over four days
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
13-06-2025
- Associated Press
Music Review: Dierks Bentley's 'Broken Branches' offers safe, familiar, cold beer country
Nashville hitmaker Dierks Bentley has delivered 'Broken Branches,' his eleventh studio album that leans into some well-tread country rock territory, the kind that invariably involves broken hearts, trucks and a cold beer. Look, Bentley knows what he's doing. The album is 11-tracks of catchy, country rock radio filler and there's not much mystery to its musical roadmap. But therein lies his calling card: Dependable songs with few rough edges. Thematically, many of the tracks on the superstar's latest effort hint at internal struggles, but allow Bentley and the listener to escape them unscathed. 'Jesus Loves Me' is an admirable acoustic slow burn about finding religion but losing a woman. 'Thought maybe if I hit my knees / She'd think about hitting the brakes,' Bentley sings. There is slight salvation for the Phoenix-born singer: 'Yeah, Jesus loves me / But she don't.' On the title track, the jukebox stomp 'Broken Branches,' Bentley gets a nice assist from fellow country hitmakers John Anderson and Riley Green. Ostensibly it's an energetic drinking song about family lines, but lyrics like 'We shoulda gone to college / Coulda gained a little knowledge,' which pull from a popular childhood rhyme, feel like they're underperforming. What Bentley does extremely well is execute what his — and the modern genre's — biggest fans might expect. Tales of a tough exterior with a warm, if fragile, heart underneath. But his familiar is derivative. Palatable country is how you get on the radio and stay on it. Songs about beer and trucks are Spotify deliverables. If you like your country artists with a longer rap sheet, you'll need to look further than 'Broken Branches.' Even the few attempts at invention don't totally land, like the rowdy, rocking 'She Hates Me,' which includes a surprising interpolation of post-grunge band Puddle of Mudd's 2001 hit 'She (Expletive) Hates Me.' If there's a pleasant find here, it's Stephen Wilson Jr. duetting with Bentley on the opening track, 'Cold Beer Can.' It's the most memorable song on the album — with its plucky instrumentation and ascendant chorus, which showcase Wilson Jr.'s rich voice and guitar talents. It also does what Bentley aims for, but misses, throughout the record: It addresses life's touching moments over brews.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Yahoo
3 teens arrested after deadly shooting in Panama City Beach
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – The Panama City Beach Police Department has arrested three teenagers in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday night. According to a news release, authorities working in the area of the Waffle House located at 10327 Front Beach Road, heard gunfire coming from the parking lot shortly after 10 p.m. Authorities responded quickly and found 19-year-old Ja'Dion Love Hughes suffering from a gunshot wound. Hughes was taken to Ascension Sacred Heart, where he later died from the injuries. The course of the investigation revealed that a physical altercation happened in the Waffle House parking lot over the purchase of an illegal firearm. Authorities said that during the altercation, 18-year-old Ja'Zai Mitchell allegedly shot and killed Hughes. After the shooting, 18-year-old Kiydre McCullough attempted to dispose of the weapon by hiding it in bushes nearby before he fled the scene with Mitchell in a red Chevrolet Camaro. The authorities said that as the suspects were fleeing, Mitchell disposed of another firearm by throwing it from the vehicle into the shoulder of the road. Soon after, authorities located and stopped the vehicle, taking Mitchell and McCullough into custody. Mitchell is being charged with Second Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, Tampering with Evidence and Grand Theft of a Firearm. McCullough is being charged with Accessory After the Fact to Second-Degree Murder, Accessory After the Fact to Attempted Murder and Tampering with Evidence. The third suspect, a 16-year-old, is being charged with Violation of Probation and has been transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice for processing. Mitchell and McCullough have been transported to the Bay County Jail to await their first appearance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
Gulf Coast Jam garners 100,000 people over four days; tickets already going fast for 2026
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Despite some weather delays and a mandatory evacuation from lightning, Rendy Lovelady says the 2025 Gulf Coast Jam was a success. As executive producer of the popular country music festival, Lovelady said the event garnered a combined 100,000 people over its four days. It was held May 29 to June 1 at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach. "We had close to 100,000 people in the park over the four days," he said. "The event) helps the community. ... It helps feed people. It fills the restaurants up. It fills the hotels up. It's just a great thing. "It also draws international attention to our little beach here." The 2025 Gulf Coat Jam featured performances from headliners Sam Hunt on Thursday, Lainey Wilson on Friday, Tyler Childers on Saturday and Blake Shelton on Sunday. Stormy weather conditions caused delays on Thursday, and an evacuation on Friday, but operations ran smoothly Saturday and Sunday. Lovelady credited the event's success in the wake of challenges to its volunteers and first responders, as well as contributing organizations, including the Bay County Sheriff's Office and Panama City Beach Police Department. He noted ticket combined attendance for 2025 was about 20,000 less than in 2023, which holds the record as the best year in the event's history. That said, he is confident 2026 will be another record-breaking year for the festival. On Thursday evening, officials announced the entire lineup for next year, sparking a surge of ticket sales unlike anything Gulf Coast Jam has ever experienced. "When we announced our new lineup, we sold almost four times faster in the four days of the festival than we've ever sold," Lovelady said. "This next one is going to be huge." The complete lineup for 2026 is: Thursday, May 28, 2026 − Gannon Fremin, Walker Montgomery, Cooper Alan, Wyatt Flores, Treaty Oak Revival and headliner Keith Urban. Friday, May 29, 2026 − Hueston, Cole Goodwin, Brent Cobb, Jackson Dean, Marcus King and headliner Chris Stapleton. Saturday, May 30, 2026 − Hannah McFarland, Ashland Craft, Josh Ross, Ole 60, Koe Wetzel and headliner Riley Green. Sunday, May 31, 2026 − Skeez, Them Dirty Roses, Elizabeth Nichols, 49 Winchester, Muscadine Bloodline and headliner Post Malone. Attention jammers: Gulf Coast Jam 2026 lineup announced: Headliners include Riley Green and Post Malone For more information on the event, or to purchase tickets, visit visit See more coverage at This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Gulf Coast Jam 2025 garners 100,000 people over four days
