I won't waste your time: Kickoff Jam 2024 has been canceled. The organizers of the event had the following message to send to those who had already purchased tickets.
"Kickoff Jam, the multi-artist country music festival originally scheduled for August 30 - September 1, 2024 at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, Florida has been canceled," the message begins. "After the success of Gulf Coast Jam this past weekend in Panama City Beach, we realized the weekend after Memorial Day is a much better time to host a festival. So, we are going to cancel Kickoff Jam and provide refunds."
Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, and Alabama? Won't be seeing them, unfortunately. Carrie Underwood, especially, was sure to bring a timeless performance as she did at the Carolina Country Music Fest. Pointedly, the Instagram post making the announcement disabled comments.
Kickoff Jam Featuring Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, And Alabama Is Canceled
Per WJHG, there may be something more to this cancellation than meets the eye. Stuart Tettemer, the mayor of Panama City Beach, had this to say.
"We need the events during the off-season, and I don't know what happened with this event. You know, maybe they were struggling to sell tickets. But that's why we need to bring tourists here during the off-season. During the busy season, [the event can] jam up traffic. It can cannibalize other outlets [that] could be receiving that money."
Tettemer added, "If you take a park reservation, announce something the day after the election. Which is when kickoff jam was announced, and then what, a couple months later, drop it, you're taking that reservation away from someone else."
"When you put the Panama City Beach name and advertise all over and then cancel it. It does look bad, not just for the promoters of the event, not just for the event, it looks bad for the city and it just makes us look like an unreliable destination."
We'll have to see if further details will come out regarding what happened behind the scenes to cancel the event. When we at Wide Open Country learn more, we'll be sure to relay updates to our readership.
