Party Along Turquoise Waters at the Country’s Coolest Beachfront Music Festival

Music always sounds a little nicer by the beach. If you know that to be true, head to Hangout Music Festival, a celebration of music held each May on the white powdery sands of Gulf Shores, Alabama that transforms the popular family beach destination into the biggest music-filled party in the South for three glorious days.

Returning for its 14th edition from May 17–19, the festival began in 2010 when the landmark Hangout restaurant threw a small beach concert to lure visitors back to Alabama’s beaches after the BP oil spill. It has grown to attract more than 40,000 visitors annually, with everyone from Foo Fighters, Jack Harlow, and Kygo to Jimmy Buffet gracing its stages.

The 2024 version continues Hangout Fest’s tradition of bringing a lineup of eclectic acts to multiple stages, using the Gulf’s turquoise waters as a backdrop. Friday night will see a primetime performance from headliner Lana del Rey, with the Chainsmokers playing a beachside set immediately prior. Saturday brings Odesza to Hangout’s main stage, and country superstar Zach Bryan closes things out on Sunday. The rest of the lineup brings some of the biggest names in rock, pop, country, and electronic music, ranging from ’90s hip-hop sensation Nelly to Euphoria’s Dominic Fike, with indie rockers like Cage the Elephant and EDM star Dom Dolla on the bill too.

But the Hangout Festival, more than almost any other, is about so much more than the music. What makes it so special is its spring-break-for-grown-ups vibes, where festival-goers pack beachfront condo high rises stretching for miles. Days begin by making new friends on the beach as you compete in friendly games of flip cup and beach ball, making plans to see acts later in the day.

3 hours, 15 minutes from New Orleans, LA 
5 hours, 30 minutes from Atlanta, GA 

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are far more than the backdrop for a music festival. A short walk from the main gate finds you at Gulf State Park, one of the most scenic spots in Alabama boasting 6,000 acres of beachfront nature. You can rent a bike from one of several convenient stations—kind of like an in-park Citibike—and traverse the 28 miles of trails through coastal wilderness and inland lakes.

If you’d like to combine golf and music, the area offers over a dozen golf courses open to the public. The Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club is particularly scenic, with holes running along Mobile Bay and a nature preserve on both sides. Nearby you can also book all sorts of fishing charters, too, that allow you to head out into the bay and catch pompano, grouper, and delicious red snapper. If you want some time on the water minus the casting, Sail Wild Hearts offers scenic sunset cruises that give an idyllic alternative to the festival.

The area’s got plenty of eating options besides festival food. Just outside the gates you’ll find one of the best burgers in Alabama—as well as some rousing post-fest karaoke—at the Pink Pony Pub. North of the festival, Taco Fiesta dishes up the best Mexican food in the area, with a breezy side patio for devouring your carne asada and carnitas. Papa Rocco’s offers some solid, beer-soaking pizza a few blocks from the fest. And DeSoto’s has a menu of fresh seafood for those looking to sample the local fare.

For something a little more upscale, Jesse’s on the Bay is a seafood and steak institution with an impressive wine list and waterfront views. The Wharf entertainment district in Orange Beach has an impressive collection of nicer restaurants too, with Italian options at Villaggio Grill, and seafood at Mile Marker 158 Dockside. For breakfast, no trip to Gulf Shores is complete without something from the omelet station at Hazel’s Nook. And Brick and Spoon serves over-the-top waffles and breakfast sandwiches that are enough food for the entire day.

The Hangout Music Festival typically lets out before 11 pm, and if you’d like to keep the party going you’re not lacking for options. The landmark, must-hit bar is the Flora-Bama, a multi-story roadhouse on the Florida-Alabama state line where you can drink in two states at once and even go to church on Sunday. It’s where you’ll find Hangout’s unofficial after party, where the craziest stories always begin.

Closer in, Big Beach Brewing pours a fantastic collection of lighter, beachier beers and is one of the better small-town breweries in the South. For cocktails, find the 8 Reale speakeasy hidden behind a jewelry store—its password lurks somewhere on the bar’s social media. You can also try a flight of daiquiris by the water at High Tide, and maybe take a paddle boat out if you feel inspired.

Your best bet is to stay right in Gulf Shores, since you can walk to the Hangout festival from pretty much anywhere. The bulk of the accommodations in Gulf Shores are in beachfront condo towers, which you can find on all the traditional vacation rental booking sites like Airbnb and VRBO. Though many book through other platforms like Gulf Shores Rentals and the area’s official tourism agency. The best ones are reserved up a year in advance, and some Hangout regulars keep their same digs every year.

Of course, you can save money and find more availability by staying in Orange Beach, about 15 minutes from the festival. Hangout runs shuttle buses to Orange Beach too, and if you don’t mind the after-festival crowds clamoring for bus space, it’s an economical option. North of the festival, you’ll find hotels and rentals in Foley and other nearby cities, though no shuttles run there so you’ll have to figure out transportation and parking every day.

For those who insist on hotels, the Lodge at Gulf State Park is easily the coolest hotel in the area, a beachfront Hilton that feels like a nature resort. The Phoenix All Suites looks directly down on the festival, while the Best Western On The Beach is the closest hotel to the main gates.

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