Tortuga Music Festival 2016 Overcomes Storms, Evacuation on Opening Day

The 2016 Tortuga Music Festival got off to a great start on Friday (April 15) despite nearly being derailed by severe weather.

The festival added a third day this year to accommodate demand, kicking off on Friday instead of Saturday. The weather in Fort Lauderdale was sunny earlier in the day, and fans got to enjoy sets from Cam, Kristian Bush, Randy Houser and more. But as the day wore on, the skies started darkening, with clouds rolling in and lightning storms predicted. Severe winds were also part of the forecast, causing HUKA Entertainment, which produces the festival, to make the decision to evacuate the festival site for the first time in the history of the event, according to a press release.

Fortunately, the fans were able to return and enjoy a headlining set from Dierks Bentley later that night, after the storms passed with minimal damage to the concert site. The opening day of the festival ended up being a big success, with two days still to come, featuring a lineup that includes Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Billy Currington, Kip Moore, Lynyrd Skynyrd, A Thousand Horses, Chris Janson, Old Dominion and more. Blake Shelton and Tim McGraw are set to headline the other nights of the festival.

The Tortuga Music Festival has contributed more than $250,000 toward ocean research and conservation since its inception. Rock the Ocean’s Conversation Village is also on site, which will host more than a dozen organizations dedicated to the cause. The festival seeks to raise awareness about issues impacting the world’s oceans and support research and the conservation of marine life, particularly the sea turtles that nest annually along Florida’s Atlantic seaboard.

Shelton will also headline 2016's Country Jam festival in Grand Junction, Colo., while McGraw is slated to headline at We Fest 2016, which takes place in Detroit Lakes, Minn. from Aug. 4-6, 2016. For more information on the hottest festivals of 2016, check out our 2016 festival guide.

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