Country Thunder announces move to Clearwater for 2026 festival

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The Country Thunder concert is only a few weeks away and stirring up controversy in St. Pete Beach. Now, there is word of possibly moving to a new venue. FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Country Thunder Florida officially announced the event's move to Coachman Park on Tuesday morning.

The backstory:

The event, which is expected to feature major country artists, including Kane Brown, Shaboozey, Gretchen Wilson, Randy Houser and Zach Top was originally scheduled for May 8-10 at TradeWinds Resort on St. Pete Beach.

Country Thunder Florida relocates to Clearwater following environmental concerns

Neighbors and wildlife advocates, including the Audubon Society, have protested the event as it falls during sea turtle and shorebird nesting season. St. Pete Beach City leaders asked organizers of the concert to revise their plans and move the event off the beach due to environmental concerns. 

According to city officials, the festival is violating local regulations by selling tickets before securing a required special event permit. At a recent meeting, organizers admitted to selling non-refundable tickets without a permit in hand or a backup venue in place.

A city of Clearwater staff member confirmed to FOX 13 on Monday that an application from Country Thunder had been received for the use of Coachman Park, a 19-acre waterfront venue known for hosting large events and concerts.

The city’s special event permit process typically takes about 90 days, though applications can be expedited.

What they're saying:

"We are excited to introduce country music fans to beautiful waterfront Coachman Park and to be the new location for Country Thunder. There's a lot that goes into expediting event preparations and moving a festival 30 days before it is scheduled, and we have been working around the clock with Country Thunder officials to ensure we deliver a great festival experience for ticket holders and the artists," stated Clearwater City Manager Jennifer Poirrier in a County Thunder press release. "I'm excited to put on my boots and watch the sunset while listening to some great Country music."

"This is about putting on the festival we came here to deliver," said Country Thunder Executive Director Kim Blevins in the same release. "As we moved forward with planning for the festival, it became clear that Clearwater offered the infrastructure and community partnership needed to bring this event to life the right way. Coachman Park gives us the ability to execute our full vision and create an unforgettable experience for fans. We're excited to be in a community that's truly embracing what Country Thunder is all about, and we can't wait for an incredible event."

The new event location is less than 20 miles from the original St. Pete Beach site. 

"While we are disappointed that Country Thunder Florida will no longer take place on St. Pete Beach, it has been a privilege to work alongside the Country Thunder team throughout this process," added Travis Johnson, Hotel Manager of TradeWinds Resort. "Both Country Thunder and TradeWinds worked closely with the city, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, to address permitting requirements, and ultimately this decision reflects what is best for the overall logistics and long-term success of the event. We are proud to remain a resort partner and look forward to welcoming country music fans to St. Pete-Clearwater and to TradeWinds Resort, while continuing to support the positive economic impact this event brings to our community."

The Florida Audubon Society, who threatened to pull its annual statewide convention from TradeWinds if the concert moved forward on the beach, released the following statement in response to the event moving to Clearwater:

"Audubon is glad to see that Country Thunder and TradeWinds listened to us and the people of St. Pete Beach, and did the right thing, relocating their concert to an appropriate site that would not harm threatened species or their habitat. We are especially grateful to the town of St. Pete Beach, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Department of Environmental Protection for withstanding tremendous pressure to issue permits that would have resulted in harm to vulnerable Florida resources. With this change at our request, Audubon is glad to be able to hold our annual conference in St. Pete Beach this October."

Impact on fans: Ticket refunds and proximity to original site

What's next:

According to organizers, The Florida Orchestra agreed to move its free community concert Symphony by the Sea to June 6, 2026, at The BayCare Sound to make the venue available for Country Thunder. Refunds will be available to Country Thunder ticket holders at the original point of purchase due to the change of venues.