BREAKING: Tortuga Music Festival Evacuated
The three-day musical festival kicked off on Friday afternoon.
Photo Courtesy Tortuga Music Festival
Tortuga Music Festival has advised attendees to evacuate the festival grounds due to severe weather.
The festival issued a statement via social media on Friday afternoon alerting fans to leave the premises to take cover.
“During this weather evacuation, please move quickly and calmly to the nearest exit and proceed to a protected area. Please seek shelter for your safety. Thank you for your cooperation,” the statement read.
The festival added, “We expect this to weather event to pass quickly. Please follow our socials for updates!”
Festival Issues Statement
Historic Flooding In Fort Lauderdale
Inclement weather in the area recently shut down the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) due to historic flooding. According to the airport’s website, FLL reopened at 9 am local time on Friday, April 14.
According to CNN, the city of Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities experienced “monumental” flooding when “a month’s worth of rain fell in just one hour.” This caused the streets to be flooded with some areas exceeding two feet of water.
Many festival attendees wondered if the festival would continue due to the flooding and closed airport. On Thursday, the festival issued a statement confirming the show would go on.
“Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival is continuing to move forward with opening the gates at noon tomorrow,” the statement read. “We look forward to a great weekend, for a great cause, and the best fans in the world to enjoy Tortuga X.”
It appears Dee Jay Silver, DJ Rock, Catie Offerman, Pillbox Patti, Aaron Raitiere, Red Clay Strays, Wade Bowen, Deana Carter, Pecos & The Rooftops, Lukas Nelson & POTR, Tyler Braden were able to perform prior to the evacuation.
While it remains unclear which artists were performing at the time of evacuation, it appears Lauren Alaina was set to take the stage just minutes after the weather announcement.
When the weather passes and the event organizers give the all-clear, fans will be able to return to the festival grounds for performances by Wiz Khalifa, Cole Swindell, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Brett Young and headliner Eric Church.
UPDATE:
The festival grounds will reopen at 6 pm local time.
The three-day, ocean-side festival, which raises funds for marine conservation efforts, will take place on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from April 14 through April 16, 2023.
In partnership with Live Nation, Tortuga Music Festival’s 10th-anniversary lineup includes headlining performances from Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain and Eric Church.
The event features three stages, including the Main Stage, Sunset Stage and the Next From Nashville Stage, all of which feature artists across a musically diverse lineup.
In addition to Chesney, Twain and Church, other artists confirmed to perform on the Main Stage include Ashley Cooke, Alexandra Kay, Dee Jay Silver, Niko Moon, Jake Owen, Carly Pearce, Shane Profitt, Jameson Rodgers, Brittney Spencer, and Cole Swindell.
Collie Buddz, Corey Kent, Kidd G, Wiz Khalifa, Mike., Justin Moore, Kylie Morgan, Dylan Scott, Nate Smith, The Wallflowers, Tropidelic, and Brett Young will perform on the Sunset Stage.
The Next From Nashville Stage, which is a stage dedicated to emerging acts based out of Music City, will feature Chayce Beckham, George Birge, Tyler Booth, Mackenzie Carpenter, Erin Kinsey, Dylan Marlowe, Chase McDaniel, Megan Moroney, Frank Ray, and Alana Springsteen as well as a special performance from Ray Wylie Hubbard.
In addition to delivering a stellar lineup, the festival also has a commitment to supporting ocean conservation efforts.
Each year, Tortuga Music Festival raises funds and also serves as an opportunity to educate the public about the critical environmental issues taking place within the oceans.
Fans will be able to explore the Rock the Ocean’s Conversation Village while on-site to learn more about the work of the organization and how to get involved. For more information on ocean conservation, visit tortugamusicfestival.com/conservation.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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