Which ticket to buy at Tortuga — Country Nights & City Lights

There is nothing like seeing a concert on the beach with your toes in the sand. The beach is wide with soft sand and is in an area of Fort Lauderdale, surrounded by hotels, bars, and restaurants within walking distance. It is about a twenty-five-minute car ride from the airport.

One of the best parts of this festival is how they have multiple stages performing at once, spread out along the beach. The way the stages are situated let the crowd disperse, so it didn't feel claustrophobic in standing room, until the end of the night when the big acts were the only ones performing. At the main stage, there was a marked-off section for people who brought chairs and wanted to sit towards the back and then a large area for the people in standing room.

The cute photo ops, swings, picnic tables, Pirate ship, and Corona and Twisted Tea areas made it easy to find a place to meet friends if you lost them. The pop-up performers were fun to watch and a way to get closer to some of the more prominent names. The app was handy in seeing who was playing where, when, and what was going on for the day.

The check-in process was smooth and fast. You receive your wristband in the mail, and you can connect your credit card with it, so there is no need to bring cash or risk losing a credit card. They were checking vaccine cards, or negative covide tests.

I loved the variety of music that was on the lineup. From PitBull to Vanilla Ice to Luke Bryan to brand new names in the Country Music scene, it was a chance to see a little bit of everything.

WHICH TICKET SHOULD I GET?

GENERAL ADMISION

Shockingly, unlike most festivals, I would recommend General Admission. A General Admission ticket will give you more stage access than a VIP wristband. Granted, you will have to get to the stage early, stake out a spot, and stay there, but you still can get pretty close. With a General Admission wristband, you have to buy your own drinks. These drinks range from fifteen dollars to twenty dollars. Corona sponsors the festival, so it is Corona-based seltzers and beer or hard liquor. You can purchase water in a can for close to five dollars. You can also bring in an empty water bottle to fill it up yourself at a station near the entrance. The price of a GA ticket is 249.

VIP

The first time I went, I bought VIP, and this last time, I had access to this area as well. These passes cost 1,299. The significant price jump for what you get is not worth it, in my opinion. With this wristband, you get access to a pool, bleachers to put chairs on for a more elevated view, access to food vendors specifically located in the VIP section (but still have to pay for the food), free drinks but zero stage access. It has the nicer porta potty trailer-type bathrooms and normal porta-potties, but the lines always seemed crazy. The best part of VIP is having to deal with less people.

SUPER VIP

The Super VIP is 2,049. This wristband includes the best access to be near the stage, lunch, dinner, and snacks in an airconditioned dining room, free drinks and bathrooms only available for SVIP.

Cabanas are available for purchase as well.

TORTUGA TIPS

Bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer! These were almost always gone before the sun had set. Bring cheap flip flops that you don’t care if they will get ruined or lost.

Bring a phone charger and pick a place to meet your friends if you get lost.

Bring an empty water bottle, so you don't have to spend money on a can of water, and remember to hydrate.

Sunscreen in tubes only!

Tortuga is one of my favorite festivals of all time. The beach brings another level of fun and atmosphere to an already fabulous time with great people and musicians. I can't wait to do it again in April!