Morgan Wallen Presents Sand In My Boots Festival was a wildly successful, sold-out three-day celebration of live music, beach vibes, and all things Morgan Wallen. Set against the stunning backdrop of the white sand beaches in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the festival brought together over 40,000 fans each day for a weekend packed with unforgettable performances, high-energy moments, and immersive experiences tailored to honor the world-renowned superstar.
10 Highlights Of Morgan Wallen’s Sand In My Boots Festival
Produced by AEG Presents and curated by Morgan Wallen, the Sand In My Boots Festival featured an eclectic lineup of 30 of Wallen’s favorite artists and biggest inspirations, including Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn, HARDY, ERNEST, The War On Drugs, T-Pain, Three 6 Mafia, BigXthaPlug, Diplo, Moneybagg Yo, Riley Green, and more. The lineup was personally handpicked by Wallen and his team.
“Me and a couple of my closest friends and teammates, we’ve been throwing the idea of doing our festival around for a long time now, and we just happened to run into the right partner and the right people to work with and with a lot of hard work, and a lot of really great artists to come out here, we’ve got to make that happen. I’ve heard nothing but great reports of how this weekend went. I mean, you guys tell me, have you had a good time this weekend?” he asked the crowd, which was met with thunderous screams.
“Okay, cool, we’ll try to do it again sometime,” he teased.
From the impressive lineup of multi-genre artists to the on-site activations and themed installations inspired by the East Tennessee native and his music, every detail of the event reflected Wallen’s signature style and larger-than-life presence. Whether fans were dancing in the sand barefoot (or in their boots), sipping drinks by the beach or poolside in VIP, or singing along to their favorite songs, Sand In My Boots Festival was more than just a concert, it was a fun weekend getaway that highlighted just how big of a star Morgan Wallen really is and how strong his influence is on fans.
Music Mayhem compiled a list of the top 10 highlights from the three-day festival, which you can see below (in no particular order).
Morgan Wallen’s Electrifying Headlining Set
Wallen closed out his first-ever Sand In My Boots Festival with a high-energy performance for a sold-out crowd of over 40,000 fans, where he delivered the live debut of seven songs from his latest album, I’m The Problem, and sang duets with Bailey Zimmerman and ERNEST. The East Tennessee native showcased why he is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year with a show-stopping performance on the beach that will be remembered for its explosive energy and effortless star power that had fans singing along to every word of each song on his 23-song setlist.
His setlist included several of his chart-topping radio hits like “You Proof,” “I Had Some Help (sans Post Malone),” “Last Night,” and beloved tracks such as “Ain’t That Some,” “One Thing At A Time,” “Chasin’ You,” “Heartless,” as well as seven tracks from his fourth studio album, which arrived on May 16, including the project’s title track, “Kick Myself,” “Don’t We,” “I’m A Little Crazy,” “I Got Better,” “Superman” and “Just In Case.”
Though the songs had only been out for two days, fans sang along to every word as if they’d known them for years, further proving that the project is packed with radio-ready anthems destined to become chart-topping hits.
Riley Green And Ella Langley Duets
Riley Green and Ella Langley had the sold-out audience swooning over their pair of duets, which included “Don’t Mind If I Do” and “You Look Like You Love Me,” during Green’s set.
BigXthaPlug Excitement
BigXthaPlug, the 27-year-old Dallas native credited with putting Texas rap back on the map, was one of the standout performers of the weekend. He drew a massive crowd to his early-afternoon set on the Dangerous Stage, with thousands of fans braving the sweltering summer heat to see if he’d live up to the hype — and he did not disappoint. BigXthaPlug more than proved he’s one of the most exciting rising rappers in the game right now.
He performed fan-favorite songs such as “Mmhmm” and “Levels,” as well as his viral hit “Texas” and more.
HARDY Offered Rowdy Preview Of JIM BOB World Tour
HARDY made a triumphant return to the stage, bringing his A-game with a memorable set that offered fans a preview of what’s to come on his upcoming JIM BOB World Tour, which kicks off May 22 in Chula Vista, California, at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre.
“No lie, I took like six months of touring off to enjoy the last few moments that I have with my wife and not having a kid because life gets crazy when you have a kid, but the point that I’m making is aside from my family, I have never missed anything more in my life than coming out here and playing songs for you guys so it’s so fu**ing good to be back,” HARDY told the capacity crowd. “I can promise you guys this, I am having just as much fun as y’all are having out there. I swear to God, I missed you so much, and it’s such a pleasure to be back and playing songs for y’all.”
He also paid homage to the United States of America with a powerful statement and performance of Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country,” which he co-wrote. HARDY also set the stage ablaze with rowdy performances of some of his country-rock hits, such as “Psycho,” “Truck Bed,” “Sold Out,” “Boots,” “Jack,” “.30-06” and more.
There wasn’t a single moment during HARDY’s set when the crowd wasn’t fully engaged, singing every word and having the time of their lives. The genre-bending superstar had the sold-out audience in the palm of his hand, delivering a set so electric it left fans wishing he was the headliner of day one.
He also amped up the energy with epic covers of CREED’s “My Sacrifice” and “Higher,” igniting the crowd even further before closing out his set with “Country As Hell” and shotgunning a beer in signature HARDY fashion as flames shot up from the stage.
Bailey Zimmerman Delivered Emotional Tribute To His Mom And New Music
Zimmerman delivered a high-energy set packed with standout moments, including an emotional tribute to his mother. He opened up to the crowd about nearly losing her earlier this year due to an unspecified illness, sharing that she had recovered and was watching proudly from side stage.
“At the beginning of this year, I didn’t know if my mom was going to be with us,” he began. “She had gotten really, really sick, and it didn’t look good, but she made it tonight baby! My mom is backstage and on the count of three I need you to say ‘I love you mom,’ on three, alright? God is good, baby. Now, unfortunately, I just wanted to tell you guys that because I hadn’t talked to anybody about it yet because we were just like trying to wait to make sure everything was good, and I’m so blessed to have my mom here, man. She’s my number one supporter, she’s my rock, and I truly don’t know what I would do without her. Thank you guys for having me and my mama. I’m so grateful for this opportunity, I wouldn’t trade this for the world. Every single day, me and my mom get to live our dreams. We get to travel around the world together, and I don’t know what I would do if she wasn’t there, no more.”
Zimmerman also performed his new song “Backup Plan” without collaborator Luke Combs, debuted a brand-new track titled “Comin’ In Cold,” and sparked a massive sing-along with his fan-favorite hit, “Rock and a Hard Place.” His set featured an arena-worthy production, complete with CO2 blasts, pyrotechnic sparks, huge video screens with visuals to accompany each song, white staircases, and a stunning light show that elevated the entire performance.
Ella Langley Proved She’s A Superstar
Langley proved she is a bonafide country music superstar with rock star energy, anthemic tunes, and a stage presence that radiated star power. The performance marked a full-circle moment for Ella Langley, an Alabama native, who recalled visiting Gulf Shores as a kid for family vacations and once seeing Kendrick Lamar perform on the very beach where the festival now takes place.
“I’m from Alabama, so I’m going to say it feels damn good to be home tonight. I’ve been to the Flora-Bama, I’ve been all over this place. This is the only way we went on vacation as a kid. I mean, I’ve been to festivals… Kendrick Lamar once played right here, and I was standing like way, way over there and now here we are standing on this stage, so wow,” Langley told the crowd, who was captivated by her performance and firmly in the palm of her hand throughout the entire set.
It will likely be one of the last times fans see Langley as an “opening act,” as she’s clearly on a rocket to superstardom and shows no signs of slowing down.
“My whole family’s here tonight! My brothers and sisters, my mom and my dad, I’m pretty sure my dad was in the Gulf of Mexico within five minutes of his being here. Man, this has been a crazy last year of my life. I played the biggest headlining show I’ve ever played this last week for 4,000 people and for me that’s a lot. I mean, I’ve sold zero tickets for a lot of years of my life. So, 4,000 was a crazy amount and today playing this… I’m just looking out and I’m remembering myself standing there and there and way back there, literally so far in the back that I could just barely seen the stage screens. So thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for standing out here and being with me Sand In My Boots.”
She delivered impressive performances of “Weren’t For The Wind,” “Country Boy’s Dream Girl,” “Nicotine,” “Girl You’re Taking Home,” “Paint The Town Blue,” “20-20,” “That’s Why We Fight (sans Koe Wetzel)” and more as well as a rockin’ cover of Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For The Party.”
Post Malone Powered Through Epic Set, Motivational Speeches
Post Malone set the Sand In My Boots Festival ablaze with a 16-song set that had something for everyone, from his chart-topping rap hits (“Rockstar,” “Better Now,” “Circles,” “Sunflower,” “White Iverson,” “Congratulations” and more) to his newly beloved country anthems such as “Pour Me A Drink,” “I Had Some Help,” “Losers,” “What Don’t Belong To Me,” “M-E-X-I-C-O,” “Wrong Ones” and more.
“I got say that I’m so honored to be here and to perform ladies and gentlemen so thank you so much for having us,” Post Malone told the audience. “So real quick, a massive f**king thank you to each and every one of you crazy motherf**ers for coming out tonight ladies and gentlemen. We’re on tour right now and I just wanted to say whenever Mo [Morgan Wallen] hit me up and said ‘hey come sing at [Sand In My Boots],’ I could not be more honored and it means the world that you came out and spent the night with us… you can be anywhere in the universe and we’re right here right now and let’s f**kin’ celebrate it the best we can.”
He also took a moment to reflect on the past decade of his career during his set after halting his concert to help a fan in need of medical attention in the crowd.
“This year on July 4th, I’ll be 30 years old and holy f**kin f**k that’s a crazy thing to say. You know, I remember I first started doing music professionally when I was 19 years old. It’s been about 10 f**kin years of doin’ this shit, cheers man. And I remember whenever I first started and I really didn’t have much of the strength, courage, self-confidence to go on and I just wanted to say thank y’all for supporting me over these 10 f**kin years and giving me the hope and courage to keep chasing my dream ladies and gentlemen. It’s the most amazing feeling in the world and I’m the luckiest man alive and I just wanted to say thank you so very, very, very much. Thank you.”
Throughout his performance, he interacted with fans, danced and offered comical and motivational banter for fans to chase their dreams no matter what they are. He also jumped down into the barricade area and ran around at the end of the show to sign autographs, take selfies and talk with fans.
3 Doors Down Tributes
Throughout the three-day festival, several artists paid tribute to 3 Doors Down, who were originally slated to perform but had to cancel due to frontman Brad Arnold’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Jake Worthington, Treaty Oak Revival, Josh Ross and several others were sure to mention the group or perform a cover of one of their songs within their set.
Wallen even tipped his hat to the award-winning rock band by playing their hit “Kryptonite” at the conclusion of his set while he signed autographs.
Overall Vibes And Atmosphere
The overall atmosphere and vibe of Sand In My Boots Festival was absolutely incredible. I mean, what’s better than live music of all genres on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama — surrounded by stunning views, palm trees, the Gulf of Mexico, and fun brand activations from Boot Barn, Takis, Malibu, Chêne, Coca-Cola, Cody James, Bud Light, Monster Energy, White Claw, and more.
Morgan Wallen References Throughout Festival
Sand In My Boots Festival was packed with Morgan Wallen references. From brand activations for Ryl Tea and Field & Stream to themed areas throughout the grounds, nearly every corner paid tribute to Wallen or his music in some capacity.
Highlights included “‘98 Braves” Park, a “Love Somebody” Lane wedding chapel, a “Flower Shops” flower stand selling roses and sunflowers, a “7 Summers” Sandbar, “Up Down” Cap n’ Gown graduation photo-op and a “Thought You Should Know” mailbox for sending postcards. “Long Live Cowgirls” signs adorned the women’s restrooms, while the “Spin You Around” Ferris wheel and stages named “Dangerous” and “Sand In My Boots” added even more personal touches. There was also a pop-up version of This Bar—modeled after his Nashville bar—with cocktails named after Wallen’s songs, plus on-site salons offering haircuts and mullets.
