Tortuga might mean "turtle" in Spanish, but on Fort Lauderdale Beach it means one of the world's premier country music festivals.
Yesterday, Tortuga Music Festival announced the lineup for its fifth edition. The three-day festival on the sandy seaside of Fort Lauderdale Beach Park will be held in 2017 on the weekend of April 7 to 9. A trio of country superstars will headline. Kenny Chesney will make Tortuga one of his few tour dates for 2017, Luke Bryan will be there to sing number-one hits like "I Don't Want This Night to End" and "Drunk on You," and Chris Stapleton will have on his cowboy hat to protect his eyes from the sandy glare while crooning "Never Wanted Nothing More."
Since its inception in 2013 as a party aimed to raise awareness and support for ocean conservation, Tortuga Music Festival has built up enough of a reputation that 2017 early bird and super VIP tickets sold out even before the lineup was announced. Tickets for three-day general admission go for $229 and VIP tickets for $999. They are still available with payment plans and travel packages at tortugamusicfestival.com.
Also on deck are country legend Alan Jackson and the man we once called Hootie from Hootie & the Blowfish, Darius Rucker. Winner of CMT's Performance of the Year award Brett Eldredge will take the stage, as will country stars Dustin Lynch, Maren Morris, and Old Dominion.
If you're into musical diversity, hip-hop superstar Nelly, the rock/blues/hip-hop fusion of Slightly Stoopid, and the breezy guitar licks of G. Love & Special Sauce round out the bill. Exact dates and time slots won't be announced for a while, but if any of this sounds appealing, you should move much more quickly than a tortuga to obtain tickets.