The SoWal Guide to Spring Music At The Beach

In South Walton, the sonic landscape is thriving and we’re here to help you navigate it!

Live music is one of our area’s greatest attractions. Rockin’ bands, dynamic duos and soulful solo artists perform at dozens of venues along our beachside strip of paradise all year-round. Whether you're looking for the full weekend experience, a shady place to spend an evening, or a dance floor to showcase your best moves, some spots never fail to feature the best local and regional talent our area has to offer.

Spring and summer months raise our listening experiences to full-tilt-boogie attracting both local and traveling artists alike. With weekly concert series, outdoor festivals, and popular restaurants featuring one or sometimes two shows daily, we guarantee you’ll find something to satisfy even the pickiest of music-lovers!
 

Every year as warmer weather arrives beach towns throughout South Walton host outdoor concerts that are both family-friendly and free to attend. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, fully-stocked cooler and your favorite companions! 

Head to Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort for the popular Baytowne Wharf weekly concert, relax in Rosemary Beach on Monday evenings at the Spring it ON! Series, or savor the sunset in the Alys Beach Amphitheatre as you groove to the tunes on Wednesdays from 6 - 8PM. Catch some of South Walton’s local talent under the stars in Inlet Beach at the 30Avenue Concert Series on the green every Tuesday through Saturday, March 10th - April 22nd. Pack a picnic dinner or purchase from one of the many on-site restaurants. 

Heading a bit west into Destin, The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation presents Concerts in the Village, a spring and summer ticketed series suitable for all ages featuring a diverse genre of music highlighting everything from gypsy jazz and re-imagined throwback oldies, to today's top hits by the artist who crafted them. Once again, you can bring your own vittles or purchase food and beverages on-site prepared by featured restaurants and food trucks. View the lineup and purchase tickets: www.MKAF.org. 

Music festivals and special events reign supreme this time of year. From the relatively new, yet very popular, Moon Crush Music Vacation  to the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam — a multi-day country music festival in Panama City Beach, you can enjoy musical days and unforgettable nights with family and friends.

The highly anticipated annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival – a festival for the true smooth jazz fan that combines the top national contemporary jazz artists with a full weekend of fun, sun, great beaches, and good times – all on the west end of Panama City Beach. Tickets and lineup for the 24th Seabreeze Jazz Festival: seabreezejazzfestival.com. 

Kick off Art Month in South Walton at the UMA Under the Sea Fundraiser on May 11th in Grand Boulevard. Meet the artists and celebrate the Underwater Museum of Art’s deployment with a night of art, music, a silent auction, cocktails, food, and fun. Learn more about the nation’s first underwater art museum, located off the coast of Grayton Beach along Scenic Highway 30A, and purchase tickets: culturalartsalliance.com/under-the-sea.

There’s no shortage of dining establishments in South Walton to enjoy live music at no cover charge, whether you choose to sit indoors or outside. Local hotspots, Red Fish Taco and Old Florida Fish House boast entertainment nightly. Find the late-night scene and packed dance floor at AJ’s Grayton Beach. Sundays at Local Catch or Stinky’s Fish Camp are a rite of passage for all who seek to wrap up their weekend with regional fare paired with the best live local musicians our insanely talented area has to offer! 

Stinky’s Bait Shack is a gem for local shakedowns and where you’ll find surprise artists like mandolin virtuoso Sam Bush or NOLA via 30A soul brother Eric Lindell on stage at any given time. The Shack also hosts a weekly ticketed event – Tim Jackson’s Storytellers Tour. Jackson has tirelessly nurtured relationships with singer-songwriters from all over the world and brings them to Stinky's Bait Shack for a truly intimate performance like no other.

Another celebration you won’t want to miss is Stinky's Fish Camp Anniversary & Pompano Tournament Kickoff Party on April 1st. The outdoor event features live music by local heroes Dread Clampitt, a crawfish boil, pig roast for picking, and a delicious over-sized birthday cake to share with friends and family of Stinky’s.

This March, The Red Bar will celebrate the area’s love for live music by hosting performances on Saturday afternoons on the frontside of the restaurant facing Hotz Avenue. Order an appetizer and cocktail from the inside bar, grab a spot to watch the music, and take in the funky-vibes of Grayton Beach. 

Sitting pretty on the north shore, The Bay is an oasis of friendly faces welcoming you as you cross over the Choctawhatchee Bay and into South Walton. Sunday at The Bay is an unscripted jam session as local talent Mike Whitty invites you to come join him and his rotating cast of characters for the Sand Ole Opry! Need a mid-week excuse to bail for The Bay? How about dinner, cold drinks and a bonfire with various musicians on their beach every Wednesday evening. Not to be outdone, sister restaurant North Beach Social, located directly across the road, rocks out six days a week. The upcoming Summer Haze Spring Fling, an all-day event will feature some of SoWal’s favorite musicians and artisan vendors.

If you live here, you already know that South Walton is home to a vibrant musical scenery. As fans, helping to foster a rich local music community is something we should all support and cultivate. Even when the tunes are free, remember that tipping your artists is always appreciated and goes a long way to ensuring the talent we all love keeps coming back for more!

To keep up with all things music and events throughout South Walton and beyond, visit the SoWal Events Calendar. Updated daily, this is your go-to site to see what’s rockin’ and who’s rollin’ through town into your favorite venues. Plug into the Music and Nightlife SoWal Community Forum for music news.