Hangout Music Festival Will Skip 2026

Gulf Shores officials have confirmed that there will be no Hangout Music Festival or Sand in My Boots Festival in 2026. The announcement came directly from Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft during a city council meeting earlier this week.

The pause arrives just months after the festival’s major 2025 makeover. Hangout Music Fest — first held in 2010 — was rebranded as Sand in My Boots for its 2025 edition, curated by Morgan Wallen. That shift proved to be a major success: the festival sold out its 40,000 tickets, drew strong economic impact, and earned positive feedback from local businesses and city officials.

But even with the successful rebrand, the 2025 festival marked the end of Hangout’s 10-year franchise agreement with Gulf Shores, setting the stage for renegotiations.

Why There’s No 2026 Festival

According to Mayor Craft, the decision came down to timing. Negotiations for a new agreement extended into late July 2025, leaving organizers too little time to secure the type of headlining acts the city expects for an event of this scale.

“We delayed too long, or they did, to be able to get the kind of acts that we required them to have to be successful in 2026,” Craft said.

Because major festivals typically book talent a year or more in advance, Craft confirmed that organizers couldn’t move forward with a 2026 lineup, leading to the cancellation.

Local news outlets including WVTM13, PEOPLE, Country Now, and the Houston Chronicle all confirm that timing and booking delays are the primary reasons behind the skipped year.

The Festival Is Already Approved for 2027

While 2026 is off the calendar, Gulf Shores has already approved the festival to return in 2027 under a new two-year franchise agreement. The updated deal gives organizers the freedom to choose the festival’s name and musical direction, while the city retains review rights to ensure the event delivers strong economic and reputational impact.

With an additional full year to plan, organizers now have the runway needed to secure a lineup that meets both city expectations and industry timelines.

The beach will be quiet in 2026 but the festival is officially set for a comeback in 2027.