'People from all over': 2024 Gulf Coast Jam records largest ever turnout
PANAMA CITY BEACH − A popular country music festival held on the Beach continues to make history.
According to Rendy Lovelady, executive producer for the Gulf Coast Jam, this year's event garnered about 120,000 people over four days. It was held Thursday to Sunday at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach.
This is about 5,000 to 10,000 more people than in 2023, which previously held the record as the busiest year in the event's history.
"We sold to all 50 states this year," Lovelady said. "(Gulf Coast Jam) brings people from all over the country to see our beaches. ... It brings tourism to the marketplace. ... We bring jobs to the community, but more than anything, I think we bring good will to the community.
"People call Panama City Beach 'south Nashville' now because we have literally one of the biggest shows in the country."
The total attendance for this year's festival included about 30,000 people at the park each night. This includes the 25,000 people who purchased tickets, as well as event staff, the performers and their crews.
Lovelady said the event is capped at 25,000 tickets because that is how many customers it can safely accommodate.
"We don't want to make the experience uncomfortable to the consumer," he said. "Making it bigger is not the answer. ... We feel like we're pretty much at our capacity. We've talked about adding a few things that would increase the number, but it would not be to the main population."
Created in 2013, Gulf Coast Jam used to be held during Labor Day weekend. It was moved to the end of May, beginning of June 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The event has sold out nearly every year since it made the switch.
"When we were Labor Day weekend, we didn't have the volume that we have now − not event close," Lovelady said. "Labor Day weekend is the opening weekend of college football, so it always hit a very huge drop on Saturday. ... When we moved it to June, it's been another level."
The 2024 Gulf Coast Jam boasted headliners Parker McCollum, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson and Morgan Wallen.
It also attracted other artists, including Shane Smith & the Saints, Priscilla Block, Chase Matthew, Corey Kent, Kidd G, Austin Snell, Sadie Bass, John Morgan, Heartland, Peytan Porter, Deana Carter, Shelby Darrall and Chandler Flint.
During the first night of the festival on Thursday, event officials announced that Lainey Wilson is one of four headliners slated to perform at the 2025 Gulf Coast Jam. Lovelady plans to make additional headliner announcements in a couple of weeks.
New PCB festival: Bless your hearts: Another star-studded country music fest planned for Panama City Beach
Looking ahead, Lovelady said he plans to now shift gears and promote not only next year's Gulf Coast Jam, but the brand new Kickoff Jam, which was announced earlier this year and is scheduled Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.
Like Gulf Cost Jam, Kickoff Jam will be overseen by PCB Entertainment, of which Lovelady is executive producer. It also will be held at Frank Brown Park.
Tickets to both Kickoff Jam and the 2025 Gulf Coast Jam are for sale. For more information, visit www.kickoffjampcb.com and gulfcoastjam.com.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach's 2024 Gulf Coast Jam garners largest ever crowd
