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, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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