Updates on tickets, performers and COVID rules

The last time Tortuga Music Festival hit the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Kane Brown was in small type on the poster, Josh Richardson was the leading scorer for the 10th place Miami Heat and Tom Brady had just won the Super Bowl — with the New England Patriots.

It has been 30 months since masses of country-music fans have made the annual pilgrimage to Fort Lauderdale Beach Park for the festival that has been a defining event for the city since its 2013 debut. While the world has changed since Tortuga 2019, enthusiasm may be at an all-time high — the pricey VIP and Super VIP passes are already sold out.

The lineup that will perform on three stages in the sand Nov. 12-14 is largely the same one announced for the 2020 festival, postponed by the pandemic just weeks before the show in April, then postponed two more times. Headliners will be Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw, joined by Pitbull, Barenaked Ladies, Vanilla Ice, Cole Swindell, Jimmie Allen and plenty more.

While current vaccination rates and South Florida COVID case numbers may suggest that holding the outdoor festival now was an easy call for promoters Live Nation and Rock the Ocean, the touring environment remains unstable.

Florida Georgia Line and Garth Brooks are among performers who have canceled fall tours in the last few months.

So, we’re lucky to have Tortuga back. COVID safety protocols will be in place, following the industry standard: You’ll need proof of a recent negative test — they’ll even have testing on site. Or you can present proof of vaccination.

We’re all looking to get back to where we were, and it’s hard to imagine a more comfortable time capsule than Tortuga Music Festival. As headliner Luke Bryan sings on his recent hit “Country Does”: “Country is as country was. And ‘round here, the good old days ain’t far away.”

If you’ve forgotten how to Tortuga, here’s what you need to know about tickets, how to get there, who’s playing when, COVID rules, what to bring and what to leave at home.

Location

Tortuga Music Festival takes place noon10 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Nov. 12-14, at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, 1100 Seabreeze Blvd., near the B Ocean Resort Fort Lauder