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Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fans brave heat as Rock the Country festival kicks off in Ocala
The Brief Rock the Country festival kicked off in Ocala with campers battling high heat. Fans stayed cool with water, lemonade, and makeshift pools. Storms are expected Saturday, but attendees say they're ready for the weather. OCALA, Fla. - Thousands of country music fans gathered in Ocala for the Rock the Country festival, staying cool under the heat and bracing for potential storms expected Saturday. On day one of the outdoor concert, campers beat the heat with water bottles, lemonade, and even inflatable kiddie pools scattered around the campsites. Organizers are encouraging attendees to wear light clothing and use sunscreen as temperatures climb. Local perspective The Rock the Country festival, a two-day music event, is taking place on May 9–10, 2025, at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, Florida. This touring festival features a blend of country and rock artists, with performances from Kid Rock, Nickelback, Hank Williams Jr., Tracy Lawrence, Jo Dee Messina, and others. Attendees can enjoy various ticket options, including general admission, VIP packages, and camping accommodations. The festival also offers food vendors, merchandise stands, games, and hydration stations to ensure a comfortable experience for concertgoers. Organizers have implemented enhanced safety measures, including increased medical support and traffic management, to accommodate the anticipated large crowds. Festival lineup Parking opens at noon and doors open at 2 p.m. Performances run between 2:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Nickelback, Gavin Adcock, Jo Dee Messina, Diamond Rio, Little Texas, Logan Crosby, Ying Yang Twins Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr., Tracy Lawrence, Mark Chesnutt, Sammy Kershaw, Hudson Westbrook, Afroman Pricing Saturday general admission is $109.99. Saturday VIP tickets are sold out. Advance parking is $30. What they're saying Despite forecasts of rain, concertgoers say they're prepared with raincoats and hoodies. "It's Florida — expect the unexpected," one attendee said. "If you're here to have fun, you just put on a fan and make do," another said. Country music fans also are bracing for the heat by drinking lots of water. "Consistently drink water and lemonade. Consistently trying to keep hydration in you because if you dehydrate you're going to pass out," said an attendee. "We went out for an hour, sweated our butts off, came back, cooled off, and we're getting ready to head back out," said another. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by attendees of the Rock the Country festival and the Rock the Country website.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From Rockville to EDC: A roundup of Florida music festivals
With Florida's endless summer and year-round temperatures that are conducive to being outdoors, the Sunshine State is known as a destination for dozens of outdoor music festivals each year. While St. Pete's Reggae Rise Up is already in the rearview mirror for 2025 and Country Thunder Florida is happening this weekend at its new home in Tampa, this calendar year still has a lot in store for music lovers of all tastes. From electronic dance music to hard rock to folk to jam bands, Florida's festival scene has plenty to offer now through December. While far from an exhaustive list, here are some of the highlights. Billed as a festival for 'We the People,' Rock the Country tours with stops in 10 small towns around the United States. At Florida Horse Park in Ocala, country music fans can see performances by Kid Rock, Nickelback, Hank Williams Jr. and Tracy Lawrence. Attendees can also experience a throwback happy hour each day with appearances from Afroman, the Ying Yang Twins and Dee Jay Silver. Dates: May 9-10 Location: Florida Horse Park in Ocala Tickets: Starting at $99.99 for a single day, $149.99 for weekend general admission More information: Four days of hard rock and heavy metal land at Daytona International Speedway in mid-May as Welcome to Rockville sets up shop for its annual festival. 150 bands appear on five stages throughout the long weekend. Lineup highlights include Green Day, Linkin Park, Rob Zombie, Shinedown and Korn. Dates: May 15-18 Location: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Tickets: Starting at $195 for a single day, $476.74 for weekend general admission More information: For more than 40 years, this festival has united jazz fans of all ages and backgrounds for a weekend of food, drinks, community and music. This year's festival features The Roots, Trombone Shorty, Kool & The Gang, Janelle Monáe and Maysa. The outdoor festival is free to attend and takes place in Tailgaters Parking near EverBank Stadium. Dates: May 23-25 Location: Tailgaters Parking in Jacksonville Tickets: Free to attend; VIP and preferred seating upgrades available More information: A tradition of more than seven decades returns to the banks of the Suwannee River for Memorial Day weekend. The 73rd annual Florida Folk Festival celebrates the music, dance, stories, crafts and food that make the Sunshine State unique. Attendees can enjoy more than 300 performances that focus on Florida's heritage, a banjo and fiddle contest, workshops, food and craft vendors. The festival's Folklife Area features demonstrations that celebrate the diverse and historical living traditions of Florida. Dates: May 23-25 Location: Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs Tickets: $70 in advance for an adult weekend ticket, $80 at the gate More information: Electronic dance music fans looking for a heavy dose of bass can find what they need at Forbidden Kingdom, a two-day festival featuring dubstep and bass-heavy music for attendees ages 18 and older. The Central Florida Fairgrounds plays host to a lineup of dozens of EDM artists and DJs. Highlights include Slander, Excision, Svdden Death, RL Grime and Deadmau5. Insomniac, the same event producer behind EDC Orlando, puts on this festival. Dates: May 20-21 Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando Tickets: $104 for a single day; $199 for a two-day pass More information: St. Augustine's annual celebration of live entertainment lands in the city's historic downtown at Francis Field. Headliners for this year's festival include Hozier, Beabadoobee, Vance Joy, Father John Misty, The Teskey Brothers and more. Dates: Sept. 30-31 Location: Francis Field in St. Augustine Tickets: $245 for two-day general admission More information: This homegrown Miami music festival features genre-blending artists at the intersection of electronic, hip-hop, indie and experimental music. Taking place in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, the event features art and community across five city blocks. Artists on the 2025 lineup include Denzel Curry, Peggy Gou, Sean Paul and Turnstile. Dates: Oct. 17-18 Location: Wynwood in Miami Tickets: $229 for two-day general admission More information: This independent festival celebrates underground punk, metal and ska in venues spread across Gainesville. Propagandhi, Dillinger Four, Jeff Rosenstock and RX Bandits are at the top of this year's festival poster. The Fest includes 300 bands, comedians and wrestlers at 15 venues over three days. Dates: Oct. 24-26 Location: Gainesville Tickets: $216.95 for a three-day pass (1st tier) More information: Halloween, fantasy, art, music and the great outdoors all collide at this colorful and festive fall celebration at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. While the 800-acre park is known for hosting festivals throughout the year — from bluegrass to jam bands and DJs — Hulaween is its most popular. Attendees can dress up for the camping festival while listening to jam bands, electronic music, funk and more. Dates: Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Location: Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak Tickets: $499.82 for a four-day pass More information: Orlando's larger-than-life electronic dance music festival returns each November to Tinker Field outside of Camping World Stadium, welcoming in an estimated 300,000 ravers over the course of three days. While the 2025 lineup has yet to be revealed, ravers (ages 18 and older) can expect the same high-caliber showing of art, pyrotechnics, dancers and DJs as every year. Dates: Nov. 7-9 Location: Tinker Field in Orlando Tickets: $243.64 for a three-day pass More information: The highly-anticipated return of Vans Warped Tour lands in three cities this year, each hosting a two-day festival of alternative rock and punk music. While the Washington, D.C., and Long Beach, California, dates are sold out, there are still tickets available for the Orlando festival. All Time Low, Escape the Fate, Senses Fail, The Wonder Years, Black Veil Brides and A Day to Remember are just a few of the more than 100 bands on the Orlando lineup. Dates: Nov. 15-16 Location: Camping World Stadium Campus in Orlando Tickets: $249.98 for a two-day pass (tier 6) More information: Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@ Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at
