Miami is known to be the site of countless music events across the years. Festivals like Tortuga, III Points, and Ultra all take place in Miami. Last year, a new country festival was introduced to the 305.
The Country Bay Music Festival had its inaugural year in 2023, attracting thousands of country music fans to watch sold-out performances by headliners Thomas Rhett and Sam Hunt. This year, the beloved festival made a comeback. The two-day event occurred on November 9th-10th at the Miami Marine Stadium.
The festival doors opened at 2:00 pm, with the two-day event featuring a variety of country artists. On Saturday, the day started off with various artists such as Chris Janson, Diplo with Thomas Wesley, and more performing their biggest hits. The headliner of the night was country music legend, Carrie Underwood.
“I had so much fun this weekend, and loved being able to hear my favorite country songs, while hanging out with my friends,” junior Maia Lorenzo said.
Sunday kicked off with artists like Gabby Barrett, Chase Rice, and Dustin Lynch showcasing their talents. Despite rain throughout the evening, headliner Zac Brown Band captivated his audience with performances of beloved songs such as “Chicken Fried” and “Knee Deep”.
“The Country Bay Music Festival was a lot different than any normal concert I had ever been to,” junior Alexandra Brea said. “I was able to get up close to the stage and stand within feet of the artists, and rain or shine, I had the time of my life.”
The founder of the Festival, Tony Albelo introduced the festival because he wanted to create a “real country music festival in Miami”. His company, Loud and Live, produces large-scale events and wanted to revamp the traditional country charm with some glitz and glamor. He also added several carnival elements to the festival like Ferris wheels and several other rides.
“This year was wonderful,” Albelo said. “We had incredible artists and thousands of fans singing along to country hits all weekend long. We are excited about our third year of the festival in 2025 with bigger acts and possibly going to a three-day festival. The country fanbase in Miami will continue to grow as the festival will.”
With the success of this year’s event and the possibility of the festival returning for its third year, country fans in Miami should be excited for the future of not only future festivals but also a revival of country music in South Florida.
