2016 Gulf Coast Jam Canceled Due to Tropical Storm Hermine

Just one day before it was set to begin, the 2016 Gulf Coast Jam music festival has been canceled.

Citing the approaching Tropical Storm Hermine and forecasted high winds and heavy rains, festival organizers announced on Thursday (Sept. 1) that they would be canceling the fourth annual Gulf Coast Jam, scheduled for Sept. 2-4 in Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, Fla. A Facebook post shares that the event's stage and festival village were already constructed, but "an excess of five inches of rain and sustained winds up to 40 miles per hour expected on Thursday night ... will create a hazardous situation that requires the stage and festival tents to be taken down and secured."

"Even though the storm is expected to have passed the city by early Friday morning, there is not enough time necessary this weekend to reconstruct the festival venue and performance stage," organizers explain in the Facebook post.

Adds Panama City Beach Mayor Mike Thomas, "Safety is the first concern for our visitors, country music fans and the festival organizers and sponsors ... We’re disappointed that we have had to cancel this weekend’s show, but hope all of the fans enjoy their weekend on the beach. We look forward to welcoming the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam back next year.”

A press release states that all tickets purchased through official Gulf Coast Jam ticket outlets will be eligible for refunds; fans will also be able to redeem their tickets for the 2017 Gulf Coast Jam. Additional information will be shared next week (Sept. 5-9) via GulfCoastJam.com.

"The owners of Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam are devastated and deeply saddened but are also humbled by the enormous love and response from our fans and the city. Now we need to turn focus to the people who are in the direct line of the storm and pray for God's direct protection over them," says Rendy Lovelady, the festival's executive producer. "This doesn't stop us or defeat us. We'll see you [in 2017]!"

The lineup for the fourth annual Gulf Coast Jam was to include acts such as Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Jake Owen, Sara Evans, the Band Perry, Brett Eldredge and more.

While the 2016 Gulf Coast Jam is the first multi-day country music festival to be canceled this year due to weather, a number of others have already been canceled for other reasons: In February, DegaJam canceled its inaugural event, which Church, Blake Shelton and Toby Keith were set to headline, and the second annual FarmBorough Festival, which would have featured Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brantley Gilbert and more, also called it quits, just a week after tickets went on sale. The 2016 Big Barrel Country Music Festival, set to feature Church, Paisley and Sam Hunt, canceled in January, and, most recently, the Buckle Up Country Music Festival, set to take place in early August, was canceled in late July.

Bada-- Eric Church Moments

2016's Country Music Tours