Tip # 1
The 2026 Festival was Canceled
Sand in My Boots was canceled for 2026 because organizers and Gulf Shores officials didn’t have enough lead time to secure a lineup that met the city’s quality and crowd-control expectations. Rather than produce a weaker version of the festival, they chose to pause for a year and plan a stronger return in 2027. The decision was strategic, not financial — the 2025 festival was successful — and was made to protect the event’s reputation and long-term future.
Tip #2
Start Saving Your Money for 2027, Buy your Tickets and Book Your Accommodations Early.
Given the history of this world renowned music festival…The 2027 top tier lineup and pent up hunger for this white sand beach front festival will push attendance to the max. If you can afford it, V.I.P passes and Super V.I.P. tickets are highly recommended and will sell out fast.
Before The Festival was rebranded as “Sand in My Boots” in 2025, it was named the “Hangout Music Festival” (2010 thru 2024).
The beach side small town of Gulf Shores, AL became a big-deal Destination in festival culture. The Hangout Music Festival was founded in 2009 by A.J. Niland and Shaul and Lilly Zislin (local entrepreneurs) connected to “The Hangout” beach restaurant. When the Gulf Coast was trying to rebound from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the festival was quickly approved by the Gulf Shores City Council in December of 2009. The goal was to create a major music festival on the white-sand beaches of Gulf Shores, bringing back tourism dollars and national attention to the area. It kicked off in May 2010 with live music helping change the perceptions of the beach after the oil spill.
The festival ran annually from 2010 through 2024, making it a 15-year run until 2024. In 2025 the event was effectively rebranded as Morgan Wallen’s Sand in My Boots.
Attendance over the years is in the 40,000 per day range..
