Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival Day Two Featuring HARDY at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday April 6, 2024

April 12, 2024
Central Florida Festivals, International Concert Reviews, International Festivals
by Johnnie Crow Photographer / Writer

The 11th Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival took over the sands of Fort Lauderdale Beach Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 5-7, 2024, bringing some of the biggest names in country music to this idyllic setting. Tortuga Festival is unique in that it is primarily a country music festival, but it spices things up with the addition of legendary artists from other genres. The festival grounds are literally on the beach sand, with a massive VIP section constructed on the pavement next to the beach. There are tons of food and beverage vendors set up in a festival village, which is similar to a farmer’s market. Unique charities and merchandise have their own pop-up shops. The festival works directly with the Rock The Ocean Foundation, raising not only awareness but funding to the tune of more than $4 million dollars in donations over the past decade. All in all, this is one of the best festival experiences that the world has to offer.

Tortuga Music Festival 2024 Day Two rocked the beach on Saturday, April 6, 2024. HARDY closed out the night on the main stage. Saturday was the most rocking day of the weekend, with HARDY and his band bringing the fire, smoke and head-banging riffs. Rock and roll legend Bret Michaels of Poison closed the second stage. Many of the other artists featured multiple guitarists, and several loud and proud guitar solos were performed. Even Old Dominion added a little extra edge to their smooth radio sound.

The full lineup for Tortuga Fest Day Two 2024 was:

Michael Franti & Spearhead

Long Beach Dub Allstars

Kassi Ashton kicked things off on the Corona Main Stage on Day 2 of Tortuga Music Festival.

Greylan James had a very enthusiastic crowd in the Next From Nashville tent. He has classic country charm and it plays well.

Cooper Alan is a rising star and a crowd-pleaser. He draws the audience in with his dynamic personality and keeps them in the palm of his hands with fun songs.

Peytan Porter was one of the rising stars playing the third stage. Her winning personality shone brightly as she delivered her hit songs.

Long Beach Dub Allstars offered a taste of the West Coast reggae vibe. It was a nice change of pace and a perfect fit at a beach festival.

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Michael Franti & Spearhead brought joy to the entire festival. Franti even spent one song delivering his infectious positivity fan by fan on the sand in the General Admission area. This is always a great performance, and one you never want to miss out on.

Russell Dickerson pulled every card out of his decade-long deck of hit songs. People were singing along and enjoying every minute of it.

Josh Ross is way too good to be playing in the Next From Nashville tent. Josh is not next, he is now. He played new songs, some cover songs, and even sat down at the piano. He is definitely one who is heading to the main stages soon.

Old Dominion delivered the goods and sounded incredible. People seemed to know every song by heart and joined in enthusiastically.

Bret Michaels is a true entertainer. He bounced onto the stage in high spirits, promising to give the crowd nothing but the hits, and a good time. He was so appreciative to be included in the festival lineup. He played tons of Poison classics, which got people dancing and singing. A highlight of the show was bringing out Cooper Alan to join him on the classic “Sweet Home Alabama”. Bret also took time to thank the troops and first responders and dedicated an acoustic version of “Something To Believe In” to them.

HARDY was incredible. He and his band drift easily in and out of country, hip-hop, and hard rock. The pyrotechnics are first rate and the energy provided by the band feeds the crowd. The show may be electrifying, but the true star is HARDY himself and his catalog of great songs. He was feeling so good, he sent the band away for 20 minutes to add an acoustic sing-along section to the set. This was a fitting ending to a rocking day at the beach.