Fort Lauderdale, Florida. – Starting Friday, Keith Urban, Luke Combs, Jerry Roll and Shaboosie are just a few of the big names who will take the stage at Fort Lauderdale Beach for the 12th Tortuga Music Festival this weekend.
It’s not just a fun time on the sand, as beach parties are about showing love for the ocean and stepping up to protect it.
They come for music, but are more aware of what we are doing to our planet and the urgent need to protect it.
“We have 100,000 people over the weekend,” said Chris Stacy, founder and CEO of Tortuga Music Festival. “They literally change their lifestyle and their habits to become better stewards of the ocean by learning with us on the beach.”
The festival primarily brings some of the country’s biggest names, but rock, pop and hip hop also dive into three stages on the sand of A1A for purposeful parties inspired by their love for oceans and their passion for protection.
“The first time I saw a shark or a turtle in the water, I was just like changing me,” Stacey said. “And I realized how blackmailed everything was and it seemed like I had to do something about it.”
In 2013, a 25-year veteran of the music industry, Stacey reached out to some of her famous friends when she got the big idea of throwing a huge music festival on the beach to benefit the ocean.
“I remember talking to Sheryl Crow about it. We were literally on the tour bus. “I think I’ll do this. Are you interested?” And she said, “Tell me the day I’m there,” Stacy said.
Over the past 12 years, more than 350 music’s biggest stars have rocked the oceans and raised millions of dollars. While concerts are for profit, 100% of revenue and all products sold are spent on conservation efforts such as reef repair, shark tagging, sea turtle rescue, and sea cleaning.
“We support several different groups, from the University of Miami, Nova Southeast, FIU and FAU,” Stacey said. “They come out and tell us what programs we’re working on, and we’ll push the money on them to activate their causes.”
Not only has Tortuga grown into one of the nation’s largest country music festivals, it is also the most sustainable on the planet.
“We don’t allow plastic or disposable plastic on our site,” Stacey said.
The wristbands are made of 50% recycled materials, the water is provided in recyclable cans, and all service wear is made of plant materials and compostable.
“We actually moved to a new cup last year, a Marine Corps biodegradable compostable cup,” Stacey said. “At the end of our festival, we send them all to composting and they literally turn into soil.”
It all helps make people more aware of the eco footprint they have left behind.
“When they’re not expecting it, and put it in their faces in an organic, very experiential way,” Stacey said.
The heart of the Tortuga Music Festival, sandwiched between both stages, gives 32 nonprofits the opportunity to take up space and engage festival audiences, get educated and become better stewards in the environment once they leave.
“I call it a big migration,” Stacey said. “So, every time a big act ends in one stage, tens of thousands of people migrate like this, they come through this village, they all stop, everyone gives prizes and doing fun things.”
From the start, Tortuga’s mission was not only to minimize the environmental impact, but to make it better than we found.
“Look at these ocean oats here. So, since we started our music festival here, we’ve planted over 30,000 ocean oats on this beach,” Stacey said. “You can do something big and fun, and still do it in the right way that doesn’t affect your environment in a horrifyingly negative way.”
Composting all organics is also one of the sustainability practices that Torga has been successfully implemented over the years, with festivals achieving almost 81% of waste from parties going to landfill, literally leading the entire event industry.
This year’s goal is to get 90% diversion and achieve zero waste.
For more information about this year’s festival, including performers, click here to learn how to get tickets.
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