The 15th Annual 30A Songwriters Festival

If you’re a fan of great music and the writers who pen the songs you love, you’ll want to make plans to attend the 15^th Annual 30A Songwriters Festival — coming to the beautiful beach communities of Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast January 12^th thru 15^th, 2024.

This winter weekend of music and fun has now become one of the top songwriters’ festivals in the country and is revered by artists and music lovers around the globe, with more than 180 artists, encompassing over 280 performances at more than 30 venues. The 15^th annual 30A Songwriter’s Festival has something for everyone. Whether you’re a fan of ’70s folk music, ’80s rock, ’90s soul, or current country, this festival covers it all with some of the biggest hit writers and performers to ever grace the beach resort towns along Scenic Highway 30A.

The 2024 lineup includes a long list of well-known and up-and-coming artists, including headliners Jeff Tweedy, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Rosanne Cash, KT Tunstall, Grace Potter and Rodney Crowell.

A Lineup of Both Well-Known and Up-and-Coming Artists

Also in the lineup are: Steve Earle, John Oates, Shelby Lynne, Shawn Mullins, Black Opry Revue, Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, Mindy Smith, Peter Yarrow, Matthew Sweet, Shannon Whitworth and Woody Platt, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Parker Millsap, Kelly Willis, Mary Gauthier, Drivin N Cryin, Amy Lavere & Will Sexton, Kim Richey, Robyn Hitchcock, David Lowery (Cracker), John Fullbright, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Dan Navarro, Ken Block & Drew Copeland (Sister Hazel), Irene Kelley, The Rev. Shawn Amos & The Brotherhood, Fastball, Jeffrey Steele, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Emerson Hart (Tonic), Beth Nielsen Chapman, Chuck Prophet, Will Hoge, Chapel Hart, Florence Dore, Dan Bern, Abe Partridge, Gretchen Peters, Garrison Starr, Will Kimbrough, Joe Leathers, Brian White, Karyn Williams, Adeem the Artist, Grayson Capps, Liz Longley, Michael Farren, Paul McDonald, Jeff Black.

And additionally on the schedule are: Darden Smith, Heather Maloney, Charlie Mars, Mary Bragg, Eliot Bronson, Kristy Lee, Pat Byrne, Robby Hecht, David Ryan Harris, Alice Peacock, the Kennedys, Sunny War, Jack Barksdale, The Pink Stones, David Childers, Megan Burtt, Rachael Kilgour, Derek and Katelyn Drye, Matthew Killough, Mike Kinnebrew, Baylee Littrell, Scott Miller, Grant-Lee Phillips, Gurufish, Cooper Carter & The Royal Senders, Martha’s Trouble, Diane Durrett, The Rough & Tumble, Becky Warren, Cat Ridgeway, Levi Lowrey, Madeline Hawthorne, Bradley Cole Smith, Trisha Gene Brady, Meaghan Farrell, Jesse Lynn Madera, Jon Muq, Pete Francis, Caitlin Cannon, Grace Pettis, Lilly Winwood, Meg McRee, Brendan Abernathy, Vanessa Peters, Humbird, Sarah Holbrook & Shannon LaBrie, Casey Kearney, Clare Cunningham, MacKenzie Roark, Crys Matthews, Honeyboy and Boots, Okay Kenedi, Adrian & Meredith, Red Harp, Joy Clark, Pete Muller, Roberta Lea, The Tall Pines, Jill Andrews, Jennifer Lynn Simpson, Sammi Accola, Chris Alvarado, Dave Franklin, Kurtis John, and Casey Levasseur.

Performances Along 30 Miles of Beach Communities

The festival is spread across a span of roughly 30 miles of South Walton’s unique beach communities and is comprised of the large outdoor main stage at Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach, along with dozens of smaller venues spanning the beach communities of Scenic Hwy. 30A — including popular restaurants, entertainment venues, hotel lobbies and cafés.

Returning Artist Says the Festival Never Disappoints

“It never disappoints. 30A Songwriters’ is a songwriter’s and performer’s dream festival,” said Casey Kearney, a fifth-year returning artist, had this to say about her love of 30A Songwriter’s Festival. “Every single venue has insanely talented writers and performers and I always end up discovering new writers to become a fan of myself, while also performing.”

Jeffrey Steele, another returning songwriter, said he always looks forward to the 30A Songwriters’ Festival.

“Not only as another opportunity to do what I love, singing and entertaining, but also seeing the fans, my writer friends I don’t see often, and catching up and hangin’ at the beach,” Steele said.

The 30A Songwriters Festival Benefits Several Arts-Related Programs

The festival is one of many endeavors made possible by Walton County Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) and is co-produced by Russell Carter Artist Management. Additionally, net profits support the CAA’s mission to advance Walton County arts by supporting programs such as Art in Public Spaces, The Foster Gallery, the Underwater Museum of Art, and many more.

The 30A Songwriters Festival is not just about music; it’s also about giving back to the community. Co-produced by Russell Carter Artist Management and the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County, the net proceeds from the festival support the CAA’s mission to advance the arts in Walton County, Florida. The success of the festival has a direct correlation with the richness of cultural arts experiences in the community, supporting programs like the Art in Public Spaces program, The Foster Gallery, the Underwater Museum of Art, and many others.

“It began as a small event and grew quickly into a premier one-of-a kind musical showcase for world-class songwriters,” Russell Carter said of the festival he helped create. “Our goal is to curate a festival that presents the absolute best in touring songwriters and performers. We want our audiences to experience musicians representing diverse genres of music – jazz, blues, country, folk, Americana, and rock, with just two stipulations – they have to write their own music and they have to be really great at it!”

Grab Your Festival Tickets Today!

Weekend passes are available at the festival website, with VIP tickets including premium seating, gourmet food, and drinks also on the site.

Places To Stay During the 30A Songwriters Festival

Need a place to stay in the area? Just visit BeachGuide’s Highway 30A Vacation Rentals for details on hotels, condos, and houses offering everything you and your friends or family need for a perfect winter stay at the beach. View units and book online on BeachGuide, or save a little time and call a friendly BeachGuide vacation planner 7 days a week at 888-698-1488.

This article was originally written by Will Estell in 2023 and updated for 2024 by BeachGuide staff.