Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary on the sands of Fort Lauderdale Beach in South Florida on April 14, 15 & 16, 2023.
Day 3 was Sunday, April 16th. It was another hot one, but clouds kept creeping in as the day turned to night. Tens of thousands of country music fans showed up in force to live out the “No Shoes Nation” lifestyle romanticized about in Kenny Chesney’s songs. Despite it being the third and final day of the festival, the crowd showed up early and was full of energy, with the weekend’s strongest lineup to look forward to.
Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Niko Moon, Ashley Cooke, Shane Profitt and Dee Jay Silver kept the Allegiant Main Stage rocking all day long, from the paved VIP area right through to the sandy General Admission side. Jake Owen and Niko Moon are full of so much energy and joy on stage, that they could not sit still for a moment. Both will likely be headlining this festival in the near future. South Florida’s own Ashley Cooke shared a story about standing on the beach as a teenager at the very first Tortuga Music Festival, watching Kenny Chesney perform. On this day, she not only opened for Chesney on the main stage, she also performed a duet with him during his set, crushing ‘When The Sun Goes Down’. Dreams do come true when you work hard and believe in yourself.
Justin Moore, Collie Buddz, Kidd G, Nate Smith, Kylie Morgan and DJ Rock played the Sunset Stage presented by Visible by Verizon. Once again, the second main stage offered the most variety, and fans of each act had the chance to get up close to enjoy great songs from artists with their own unique style.
Megan Moroney, Alana Springsteen, Frank Ray, Mackenzie Carpenter and George Birge showed their skills on the Next From Nashville stage presented by Bacardi. This tent stage provides a chance to escape the sun and enjoy the talents of rising stars. There was a ton of talent on display this weekend, and some of these artists will be playing the main stage in the future.
The organizers of Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival clearly know what they are doing. The original schedule allows for a buffer in case of bad weather. Kenny Chesney hit the stage earlier than planned, in hopes of finishing before the lightning storm got anywhere close. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes into his set, as he was playing ‘Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven’, we were forced to evacuate due to dangerous weather approaching. Everyone left in an orderly fashion, hoping the storm would pass quickly. When word came down at 9:30 that Chesney would resume playing at 10:00, the majority of festival goers made it back in to see another hour of hits. Kenny kept things moving, playing mostly upbeat songs to get in as many as possible before the 11:00 noise curfew. No Shoes Nation was ecstatic to be able to sing along and dance with their toes in the sand.
Put Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival on your must-see list, and it just may become one of your annual traditions.
Shania And Carly Lead Day 2 Of Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival 2023