Hangout Music Festival

The Hangout Music Festival is an annual music festival held on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, usually on the third weekend in May. The first festival, then called the Hangout Beach Festival, ran May 14-16, 2010, and it has since featured headliners from rock, hip hop, pop and electronic music.[1]

Founding

According to Wikipedia, the festival was founded in November 2009 by A.J. Niland, Shaul Zislin and Lilly Zislin, who is creative director. The first event in May 2010 drew about 13,000 to 15,000 people a day and was affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In 2015 Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, entered a joint venture to produce the festival.[1]

Stages and attractions

The main stages, the Hangout Stage and the Surf Stage, stand at opposite ends of the beach, with the Boom Boom Tent as an additional venue. The festival also offers a full-size roller rink, beach volleyball, an in-ground pool stage, hammocks, food and DJs, and in 2014 it first opened access to the Gulf of Mexico, which had earlier been limited to security and artists.[1]

Headliners

The 2010 lineup included the Trey Anastasio Band, Zac Brown Band and John Legend, followed by Foo Fighters, Paul Simon and Widespread Panic in 2011 and Red Hot Chili Peppers and Dave Matthews Band in 2012. Later headliners included OutKast and The Black Keys (2014), The Weeknd and Alabama Shakes (2016), Mumford & Sons (2017), Kendrick Lamar and The Killers (2018) and Travis Scott and The Lumineers (2019).[1] The festival was canceled in 2020 and not held in 2021 because of COVID-19. It returned May 20-22, 2022, with Post Malone, Tame Impala and Doja Cat among the headliners, and the 2024 festival was scheduled for May 17-19.[1]

Attendance and economic impact

Daily attendance was capped at 35,000 in 2011 and 2012, and 40,000 tickets were sold in 2014. A 2013 study by Auburn University professor M. Keivan Deravi found more than $31 million in local economic impact, the festival supports roughly 600 jobs, and the city of Gulf Shores receives more than $700,000 a year in direct tax revenue plus a franchise fee on ticket revenue.[1] See also Gulf Shores.

Founding

The first Hangout Beach Festival ran May 14-16, 2010, on the beach in Gulf Shores, usually on the third weekend in May. It was founded in November 2009 by A.J. Niland, Shaul Zislin and Lilly Zislin, and in 2015 Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, entered a joint venture to produce it.[2]

Attendance and lineups

Attendance was about 13,000-15,000 a day in 2010 and capped at 35,000 in 2011 and 2012; 40,000 tickets sold in 2014. Headliners included the Trey Anastasio Band and Zac Brown Band (2010), Foo Fighters (2011), Red Hot Chili Peppers (2012), Kings of Leon and Tom Petty (2013), The Black Keys and OutKast (2014), Mumford and Sons (2017) and Travis Scott (2019). The 2020 festival was cancelled because of COVID-19, none was held in 2021, and it returned in 2022.[2]

Stages and economic impact

The Hangout Stage and Surf Stage sit at opposite ends of the beach, with a roller rink, beach volleyball and an in-ground pool stage. A 2013 Auburn University study estimated more than million for the local economy, the festival supports about 600 jobs, and the city receives over 0,000 a year in direct tax revenue. It won Pollstar Festival of the Year in 2012.[2]

FAQs

When is the Hangout Music Festival held? Usually the third weekend in May.

Who organizes it? It was founded by A.J. Niland, Shaul Zislin and Lilly Zislin, and has been co-produced with Goldenvoice since 2015.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Hangout Music Festival
2. Wikipedia: Hangout Music Festival

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue