Beautiful beaches and great music? Yes please. The 30A Songwriters Festival gets its name from a stretch of scenic highway that links a series of Gulf Coast beach towns along Florida’s Panhandle. During this four-day event, bars, cafes, hotels and theaters along Highway 30A all open their doors for hundreds of band and solo performances.
While the music spans pop, rock and country, the festival focuses on celebrating American songwriting (backed by dulcet dobros, electric guitars and soft harmonies). This year, headliners include Jeff Tweedy, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Rosanne Cash, and KT Tunstall. Old stalwarts will also return: catch sets from king of country Americana Steve Earle, and John Oates, Rock n’ Roll hall-of-famer from Hall & Oates.
But most of the fun of the 30A Songwriters Festival comes from discovering still rising stars — incredibly gifted songwriters you’ve never heard of. Don’t miss Sunny War’s soft-edged punk prayers, the rocking country of lady trio Chapel Hart or grungy-folk duets of The Rough & Tumble. If you’re a hardcore fan, make sure to get to a venue plenty early so that you can snag a good spot; shows are crowded and fill up fast. Snow birds might remind you it gets chilly in the evenings, but if you’re coming from the snow vortex central of the midwest, the mild Florida winter will feel like a dream.
The Specs
- More than 6,500 music lovers and songwriting aficionados attend the 30A festival each year.
- Weekend Passes are $447.74 ($425 + $22.74 fee). VIP Weekend Passes are $1208.99 ($1150 + $58.99 fee). Other group VIP ticket tiers are also available — view all the options here.
- Festival mobile app coming soon. Check the 30A site for updates.
- Make it a winter break getaway, and peruse Fifty Grande’s guide to Florida.
FAQs
What is the closest airport to the 30A Songwriters Festival?
Fly into Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), and grab a rideshare to your hotel or AirBnb.
Where is the 30A Songwriters Festival located?
At venues along the scenic 30A highway in Walton County, Florida.
Who will headline the 30A Songwriters Festival?
Jeff Tweedy, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Rosanne Cash, KT Tunstall.
Which artists are on the 30a Songwriters Festival lineup?
Kelly Willis, Shannon Whitworth And Woody Platt, Sunny War, Chapel Hart, John Muq, Jack Barksdale, The Pink Stones, David Childers, Megan Burtt, Rachael Kilgour, Pete Francis, Derek and Katelyn Drye, Matthew Killough, Mike Kinnebrew, Caitlin Cannon, Baylee Littrell, Rodney Crowell, John Oates, Steve Earle, Matthew Sweet, Mindy Smith, Drivin N Cryin, Aaron Lee Tasjan (with Band), Parker Millsap, Peter Yarrow, David Ryan Harris, Shawn Mullins, Robyn Hitchcock, John Fullbright, Black Opry Revue, Vicki Peterson And John Cowsill, Jeffrey Steele, David Lowery (Cracker), Emerson Hart, The Rev. Shawn Amos &The Brotherhood, Mary Guthier, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Will Hoge, Chuck Prophet, Florence Dore, Dan Bern, Abe Partridge, Jeff Black, Heather Maloney, Scott Miller, Grant-Lee Phillips, Garrison Starr, Gurufish, Will Kimbrough, Kim Richey, Paul Mcdonald, Brendan Abernathy, Charlie Mars, Dan Navarro, Mary Bragg, Eliot Bronson, Pat Byrne, Robby Hecht, The Kennedys, Joe Leathers, Michael Farren, Martha’s Trouble, Darden Smith, Brian White, Karyn Williams, Diane Durrett, The Rough & Tumble, Becky Warren, The Tall Pines, Levi Lowrey, Bradley Cole Smith, Trisha Gene Brady, Meaghan Farrell, Jesse Lynn Madera, Alice Peacock, Jennifer Lynn Simpson, Sammi Accola, Chris Alvarado, Pete Francis, Kurtis John, Casey Levasseur, Cat Ridgeway.
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