Gulf Shores, Ala. — (GSN) — The beachside music festival "Sand In My Boots" is officially locked in for a return to the white-sand shores of Gulf Shores, Alabama, from May 20–23, 2027. Scheduled in late May right before summer officially starts, the multi-day event serves as a major kickoff to the local tourist season, transforming a quiet shoulder-season period into a booming economic surge.

The event originally debuted in 2010 as the Hangout Music Festival, establishing a multi-year tradition of music on the Alabama Gulf Coast. However, the festival underwent a major transformation when country superstar Morgan Wallen and promoters AEG Presents took over the site to rebrand the event as "Hangout Presents: Sand In My Boots". With Wallen personally curating the lineup, the festival shifted its musical focus toward country, Southern rap, indie, and rock artists.

The inaugural "Sand In My Boots" edition in May 2025 proved to be a resounding success. All 40,000 tickets sold out in just 90 minutes. City leaders and police officials praised the new format and demographic, noting a well-behaved crowd that resulted in significantly fewer arrests—dropping to 37 arrests compared to 94 at the 2024 festival. Residents and local business praised the event's organization and crowds.

Despite the overwhelming success, the festival took a year off in 2026. Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft explained that because contract negotiations and public input meetings extended into the summer, organizers lacked sufficient time to secure the city’s required caliber of talent for 2026. Rather than rushing the lineup or reverting to older formats, the city and organizers agreed to skip 2026 to ensure enough lead time to recruit top-tier artists for the 2027 return.

The festival brings substantial financial benefits to Gulf Shores and surrounding coastal communities:

• Attendance: Draws 40,000 fans daily, bringing visitors from all 50 states and international locations.
• Economic Boost: Past festival iterations have generated up to $60 million in total economic impact for the region.
• Local Revenue: Direct tracked spending from festival staff and contractors along with city tax revenues account for over $5 million.
• Business Traffic: Local hotels, vacation rentals, shuttles, and restaurants report major revenue spikes, with some nearby dining locations seeing business surge over 20% during festival weekend.

The inaugural 2025 Sand In My Boots festival featured a multi-genre lineup headlined by Wallen, Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn, and HARDY. Designed as a cross-genre beach vacation, the roster showcased country hitmakers such as Riley Green, Bailey Zimmerman, Chase Rice, ERNEST, and Ella Langley plus more. The musician line-up is expected to be announced in November.

With planning underway for May 2027, residents and business owners alike look forward to welcoming back the festival to launch another summer season on Alabama's beaches.