LOCAL

'Massively successful': 2023 Gulf Coast Jam sets records; Morgan Wallen booked for 2024

Nathan Cobb
The News Herald

PANAMA CITY BEACH − Rendy Lovelady says the 2023 Gulf Coast Jam was without a doubt the largest.

As executive producer of the event, Lovelady said the 2023 concert, which was held from Thursday to Sunday at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, garnered a crowd of more than 110,000 — almost 30,000 people every night.

For comparison, the 2022 concert previously held the record, with attendance of about 80,000.

"The weekend was massively successful," Lovelady said. "It was the biggest festival we've ever done, ever, and it was by far. We had just massive amounts of people. ... Everybody had a great time, and we're happy. It was just an amazing event."

He noted it was relieving for this year's event to be so successful in the wake of some controversy. About a month before the concert, officials announced Morgan Wallen would no longer headline the Saturday night show because of a vocal cord injury.

The 2023 Gulf Coast Jam was by far the largest in the event's history, garnering a combined crowd of more than 110,000. The local festival is held at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach.

The event was fortunately able to land country music star Kenny Chesney as his replacement within about a day of the announcement.

"That whole debacle was just crazy, but (it's great) to see that everything went so perfectly," Lovelady said. "(Chesney) came in and just mesmerized the crowd."

Thursday crowd:Thousands jam out at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach at 2023 Gulf Coast Jam

Looking back:Traffic detours ahead: Law enforcement prepares for Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach

He also said Wallen has committed to perform at the 2024 Gulf Coast Jam. Tickets for the concert went on sale Thursday, and as of Monday morning they were almost half way sold out. Lovelady credited a lot of the festival's success to Mayor Mark Sheldon, who is his business partner in producing the Gulf Coast Jam.

"We've only been on sale four days, and we're already almost halfway sold out," Lovelady said. "Not only did (Wallen) commit to coming back, but he committed to coming back for the same price that we had him this year. It's a huge ethical, integral part of who he is to be able to honor his deal.

"He could have walked away, and he didn't. ... When I announced him from the stage on Thursday night, the crowd we crazy."