Country Thunder Florida is relocating for 2026.
The May 8-10 festival featuring Kane Brown, Zach Top and Gavin Adcock will now take place 45 minutes north of the originally scheduled St. Pete Beach destination.
- Country Thunder Florida was originally scheduled for Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach.
- The new location is Coachman Park in Clearwater, Fla.
- Anyone interested in a refund can contact their point of purchase.
READ MORE: Country Music Tours Scheduled for 2026 [Full List]
CountryThunder.com/Florida
Why Did Country Thunder Florida Move Venues In 2026?
This is actually the second venue shift for Country Thunder Florida in the last 12 months. The 2025 festival was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
In December, the 2026 festival was announced for St. Pete Beach and tickets promptly went on sale.
At that time, organizers did not have proper permits from the city, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Those were still pending as recently as April 9, per Axios. Despite reservations from the venue, non-refundable tickets went on sale.
At issue is that the days surrounding the festival fall during nesting season for sea turtles and beach birds, including a threatened species called black skimmers.
Organizers say they didn’t know about the nesting season until after they booked artists. They also pledged to turn down the volume for the weekend and to partner with local sea turtle nonprofits to monitor nesting sites.
Alternative venues in St. Pete Beach were under discussion, but nothing materialized.
Fox 13 in Tampa Bay notes that permit applications for the new venue have been submitted, and the Clearwater city manager is on the record as being very supportive and enthusiastic for the event.
A press release from organizers states that all approvals have been secured and the path is “fully clear” for Country Thunder Florida. The hope is to sell 8,000 to 10,000 passes to the three-day event.
2026 Country Thunder Florida Lineup
In addition to the headliners, Randy Houser, Max McNown and Shaboozey will play this festival.
Gretchen Wilson, Braxton Keith and Dasha are three more of the 25 names on the festival poster.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
