For the past 16 years, the 30A Songwriters Festival has attracted thousands of dedicated live music fans from around the world to hear original songwriters spanning multiple genres perform their songs. The beach resort towns along Scenic Highway 30A on the Gulf of Mexico become a music mecca featuring 30 venues presenting over 130 songwriters and 300+ solo, band, and in-the-round performances throughout the weekend of January 16 – 20, 2025. TICKET LINK
30A Songwriters Festival will celebrate its 16th year with performances on the main stage at presenting partner Grand Boulevard’s Town Center in Miramar Beach with headline performances by renowned artists MELISSA ETHERIDGE, AMOS LEE, THE JAYHAWKS, THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT, MAGGIE ROSE, and SECRET SISTERS.
The festival welcomes these artists for the first time to 30A: KATIE PRUITT, CHARLIE STARR & BENJI SHANKS (BLACKBERRY SMOKE), NATALIE HEMBY, BRANDY CLARK, THE dBs, CHUCK PROPHET & HIS CUMBIA SHOES, TYLER RAMSEY, LINDSAY LOU (BAND), BRETT DENNAN, The STEWS, LANGHORNE SLIM, CHRIS KNIGHT, JOSH JOPLIN GROUP, WILLI CARLISLE, BEE TAYLOR (BAND), JONTAVIOUS WILLIS, JOSH ROUSE, PAUL MCDONALD & THE MOURNING DOVES, ANDREA VON KAMPEN, JILL SOBULE, BURRIS, KYLE DAVIS, JADA CATO, BETH BOMBARA, MALLORY JOHNSON, JESSICA SHARMAN, DAVID BORNÉ, ANNA GRACE.
AND THESE SHOWCASING ARTISTS:
Shawn Mullins, Livingston Taylor, Gary Louris, Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill, John Paul White, Jeffrey Steele, Lilly Hiatt, Dan Navarro, Kim Richey, Ruthie Foster, Black Opry Revue, the Josh Joplin Group, Tommy Womack, John Fullbright, Susan Werner, The Stews, The Pink Stones, Darrell Scott, Hayes Carll, Holly Williams, Emerson Hart, David Ryan Harris, Chris Stills, Nigel Wearne, Chuck Cannon, Robby Hecht, Nora Jane Struthers, Cousin Curtiss, Steve Poltz, Kelly Willis, Bob Schneider, Mary Gauthier, Kristy Lee, Certainly So, Tommy Prine, Amy LaVere & Will Sexton, Adam Hood, Abe Partridge, Will Hoge, Ryanhood, Brian White, Karyn Williams, Will Kimbrough, Ellis Paul, Jeff Black, Dan Bern, Griffin House, Garrison Starr, John Driskell Hopkins, Charlie Mars, Randall Bramblett, Levi Lowrey and Wyatt Durrette (Yesterday’s Wine), Gurufish, Donnie Sundal, Boukou Groove, Alice Peacock, Jaimee Harris, Larry Mitchell, Katie Martin, Pete Muller, Josh Osborne, Jonathan Singleton, Gordie Sampson, Austin Jenckes, Tia Sellers, Hannah Dasher, Gina Venier, Gavin Lucas, Paul Sikes, Brent Anderson, Tony Lane, Kyle Sturrock, Mary Bragg, Martha’s Trouble, Diane Durrett, Florence Dore, Alice Wallace, The Krickets, Rachel Laven, Spencer LaJoye, Ethan Hulse, Jessica Willis Fisher, Sarah Clanton, Jack Barksdale, Eliot Bronson, Hayley Reardon, Mike Kinnebrew, Liz Longley, Harrison Prentice, Sara Jean Kelley, Antje Duvekot & Colin Forhan, Scott Crompton, Wildlife Specials, Alexa Rose, Whitehorse, Colton Bowlin, Cat Ridgeway, Lilly Winwood, Bradley Cole Smith & Nelson Nolan, Caitlin Cannon, Wyatt Espalin, Kurtis John, Casey LeVasseur, Anna Shinholster, Hannah Thomas, The Saunders Boyz, Jennifer Lynn Simpson, Sara Hells, Rogers, The Sand Ole Opry with Mike Whitty, Sammi Accola, Gileah Taylor, Kyle LaMonica, Dion Jones & The Neon Tears, Theo Von, Adam Klein.
VENUES INCLUDE: AJ’s Grayton Beach, ANR at Camp Creek Inn, Beach Happy Cafe, Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant & Bar, Caliza in Alys Beach, Central Square Records, Corcoran Reverie, Drive the Coast, Fish Out of Water (FISH), Fonville Press, Grand Boulevard (Main Stage), Grayton Beer Taproom, Havana Beach Bar & Grill at The Pearl, Raw & Juicy at Hibiscus (Grayton Beach) Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Hotel Effie – The Lobby Bar, Hyatt Place – The Placery, LaCo, North Beach Social, Old Florida Fish House, Pickle’s, Raw & Juicy (Alys Beach), Red Fish Taco, Rosemary Beach Town Hall, Seaside Lyceum, The Bay, The Big Chill, The REP Theatre, and WaterColor Lakehouse.
SPONSORS INCLUDE: Americana Music Association, ASCAP, Blue Green Landscaping, Capital City Bank, Cathead Distillery, Centennial Bank, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Corcoran Reverie, CPC Office Technologies, Destin Jeep Rentals, Douglas Elliman, Driftwood Wine & Spirits, Emerald Coast Luxury Transportation, Emerald Coast Magazine, Epic Western, Fisher’s Flowers, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Grand Boulevard, Grayton Beer Company, Hwy 331.com, Latitude Margaritaville, Nutrl, William Burns Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Naumann Group Real Estate, National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, Odd Pelican, Ohana Day School, Panache Tent & Events, Panama City Golf Carts, Rosemary Beach Realty | Smith & Southern Collective, Silver Sands Premium Outlets, The Sorting Table, The Sound Wall / Opelika Songwriters Festival, Visit South Walton, Word of South, and 30A Company.
LODGING PARTNERS INCLUDE: 30A Beach Girls, Alys Beach, Camp Creek Inn, Courtyard by Marriott Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, Hibiscus Coffee & Guest House, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Homeowner’s Collection, Hotel Effie, Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard Residence Inn Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company, Rosemary Beach Inn, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, The Court, The Pearl Hotel, WaterColor Inn & Resort, and Vacasa.
The 30A Songwriters Festival production team transforms amphitheaters, town halls, restaurants, theaters, bars and covered patios into unique music venues with state-of-the-art sound systems with capacities ranging from 100 to 1000 seats indoors and 6,000 outdoors. WMOT, based in Nashville, will again interview and record select artists at the Festival for its World Cafe sessions aired throughout the year in conjunction with WXPN in Philadelphia.
The 30A Songwriters Festival is co-produced by Russell Carter Artist Management and the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton, and net proceeds from the Festival support the CAA’s mission to advance the Arts in Walton County, Florida.
“I have had the good fortune to see Melissa Etheridge with her band several times on tour this summer with the Indigo Girls,” comments Russell Carter, President of Russell Carter Artist Management and Festival Co-Producer. “Melissa is one of the greatest female rock n roll vocalists ever, and her lean mean band is perfectly tuned to support her immense writing and performing talent.” Carter continues, “can I say how happy I am to get the Jayhawks to swing south all the way from Minneapolis to the panhandle to perform on the main stage – I know they are a favorite of many loyal 30A fans who have requested them for years: “I’m Going To Make You Love Me,” “Waiting For the Sun,” “Blue” and that’s just a start. We welcome the Jayhawks – arguably the best living, working Americana band in the country!”
“The Songwriters Festival stands apart in South Walton as the sole cultural event that brings most of the South Walton communities together, in harmony, to produce a four-day, around-the-clock presentation of extraordinary music.” says Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County President & CEO and Festival Co-Producer Jennifer Steele. “From Thursday, January 16th through Monday, January 20th, the 30A corridor will be full of music fans enjoying wall-to-wall music venues, world-class musicians, and fabulous food & wine. If you haven’t experienced this immersive melodic experience, join us in 2025.”
Adds Carter, “There is a direct correlation between the success of the 30A Songwriters Festival and the richness of cultural arts experiences led by the Cultural Arts Alliance, including an Art in Public Spaces program (murals and sculptures), the Underwater Museum of Art, a professional theater, arts education, the Flutterby Children’s Arts Festival, and the ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival.”
Festival Weekend Passes are currently available at www.30asongwritersfestival.com. VIP tickets that include premium seating and complimentary gourmet food and drinks in the VIP tent on Saturday and Sunday afternoons are also available. For a full description of each ticket package including VIP mainstage and full weekend transportation packages for groups of 2 up to 12, visit www.30asongwritersfestival.com.
The 30A Songwriters Festival is presented by Grand Boulevard with additional support from Visit South Walton, WaterColor Inn and Resort, and ASCAP.
The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that fosters the inclusive and collaborative advancement of the Arts and envisions a thriving Walton County where everyone experiences the power of the Arts. As the creative core of our community for 30 years, the CAA provides accessible opportunities for all forms of art, every variety of maker, all levels of learners and art lovers. Through support for and presentation of creative and educational programs and services, the CAA strives to connect the people of Walton County to a broader view, critical exploration and answers only the Arts have the power to provide. Members of the CAA receive a 10% discount off weekend passes and admission to an exclusive performance on Wednesday, January 12th. Call (850) 622-5970 to become a member and take advantage of the discount. www.culturalartsalliance.com.
Russell Carter Artist Management is a full-service artist management firm that has worked with national recording artists since 1990 currently including Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Matthew Sweet, and Abe Partridge. Prior to forming RCAM, Russell Carter practiced entertainment law in Atlanta for ten years. He has been a board member of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) in Florida from 2012-2024. RCAM, based in the 4th Ward in Atlanta, books, promotes, and co-produces the 30A Songwriters Festival with the CAA and co-produces the Opelika Songwriters Festival in Alabama with the Sound Wall.
There is always something new and entertaining to do at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. The award-winning mixed-use center consistently offers the finest in shopping, dining, lodging and entertainment along the Emerald Coast. With a diverse mix of both first-to-market national brands and locally-owned retail stores and restaurants, there is something for everyone at this popular Town Center. Grand Boulevard is a Howard Group and Merchants Retail Partners property. Visit GrandBoulevard.com.
