All tagged 30A Music Festival

Festival Review: 30A Songwriters Festival 2025

Festival Review: 30A Songwriters Festival 2025

John Schumacher

The name most commonly invoked on the stages of this year’s 30A Songwriters Festival was that of a person not even there: John Prine. The giant of folk and Americana songwriting died very early in the pandemic, but his presence still looms large.

Was the next John Prine onstage somewhere at this year’s 30A? The odds are pretty good. For the past 16 years, the organizers of the 30A Songwriters Festival have brought together over 125 of the best songwriters on the planet – some little known, some legends – for four days over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend along 20 miles of the Gulf Coast in Florida. 

Festival Review: 30A Songwriters Festival

Festival Review: 30A Songwriters Festival

John Schumacher

I think they might have let me into the artists’ party by mistake at the 30A Songwriters Festival. 

I wandered to the back bar of AJ’s Grayton Beach on opening night to check if anyone was performing there. Attendants at the door asked me if I wanted the free drink tickets. Momentarily confused but also not a fool, I said, “why, yes, thank you” and sauntered in. 

The room was abuzz with musicians catching up with each other. I greeted a couple and wandered the room, soaking in the atmosphere and catching bits of conversation. These festivals are a treat for artists. So often touring alone, a fest allows them to chill and catch up with friends. 

There’s a relaxed vibe throughout the 30A Songwriters Festival. It’s held every year over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in the Florida panhandle at about 30 venues along 20 miles of Highway 30A. Some 175 performers settle in for the weekend, playing multiple sets. You see them in coffee shops, walking along the beach or attending shows, and they’re often open to a chat or photo.