Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Gulf Shores is preparing to welcome back Sand In My Boots after a yearlong break. The beachside music festival is expected to draw thousands of fans to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Its return will bring more customers to local hotels, restaurants and shops ahead of the summer tourism season. Organizers are building on a sold-out debut that earned praise from city leaders and local businesses.

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 for late May, right before summer officially starts, the multi-day event serves as a major kickoff to the local tourist season, turning 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 ran into the summer, organizers didn't have enough time to secure the city’s required caliber of talent for 2026. Rather than rush the lineup or revert to older formats, the city and organizers agreed to skip 2026 to ensure enough lead time to recruit top-tier artists for a 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, accounts for over $5 million.
• Business Traffic: Local hotels, vacation rentals, shuttles, and restaurants report major revenue spikes, with some nearby dining locations seeing business surges 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 lineup is expected 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.