He took over mainstream country music, now he’s taking over the Hangout Music Festival.

Hangout Fest producers announced Thursday that they’ve partnered up with country star Morgan Wallen. On the weekend of May 16-18, the Hangout Fest and Wallen will bring the debut of Sand in My Boots to the sugar beaches of Gulf Shores.

According to information released by AEG Presents, the “new three-day festival and beach vacation” will be an experience defined by Wallen’s tastes and ambitions. It will feature “a highly curated multi-genre lineup with some of Wallen’s closest friends, favorite artists, those who have inspired him, and that he has always wanted to perform with. Every artist, activity, and experience will be handpicked by Wallen, driven by his excitement to share great music and create memories with fans, friends, family, and peers.”

Thursday’s announcement presents Sand in My Boots as a one-year takeover of Hangout Fest, using the same site and layout. The new event is presented by Wallen, the Hangout Festival and AEG Presents, meaning it will be produced largely by the same team that has organized the Hangout Fest in recent years.

According to Thursday’s announcement, it will be produced by the team behind the Hangout Fest and the team behind Stagecoach, a major California country fest. The complete lineup and ticket details will be announced “soon,” according to Thursday’s announcement.

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“The opportunity to bring Morgan’s world to life on the beach in Gulf Shores is something very special,” said AEG Presents and Hangout Festival producer Reeves Price. “The fact that it coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Hangout Festival only makes it more special. We can’t wait to see everyone back on the beach in May.”

“Creating a Festival with Morgan has been a dream come true … and some of the most fun I have ever had booking a show!” said Stacey Vee, executive vice president of the AEG Presents production company Goldenvoice and producer of Stagecoach. “I can’t wait for fans to come and experience one of the most eclectic and electric lineups and on-site experiences the world has ever seen.”

Wallen said he and his team had been working on the concept for “a while.” “We’re heading south to the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, and I’m bringing some good friends with me,” he said in a brief video statement.

“We’re excited for this,” said Grant Brown, director of recreation and cultural affairs for the city of Gulf Shores. “We’re very pleased this is the direction they’re going for 2025.”

Wallen broke through with the No. 1 country album “If I Know Me,” released in 2018, but achieved monster success with his record-breaking 2021 release Dangerous: The Double Album.” Among other feats, the album spent its first 10 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s overall album chart. His most recent release is the 2023 album “One Thing at a Time;” among other benchmarks, it set a record of 19 weeks for the most weeks a country album has been at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

“Sand in My Boots” is the title of the first track on “Dangerous.” It’s the story of a man who found romance on a trip to the beach, “but all I brought back with me was some sand in my boots.”

Wallen’s ascent hasn’t been without some turmoil. He weathered industry backlash in early 2021 after a video emerged of him using a racial epithet; the incident, for which he apologized, did little to damage his rising popularity or album sales. More recently he was charged with felony counts of reckless endangerment after a chair he allegedly threw off the roof of another country singer’s Nashville bar landed near police officers.

He’s also continued to be a strong draw. An unprecedented 2021 concert at Mobile’s fairgrounds drew a crowd estimated at 31,000 people, and he was among the headliners of the Gulf Coast Jam held in June in Panama City Beach, Fla. That event sold out six months ahead of time, something the Hangout Fest has struggled to do since COVID-19, as the event has shifted to a more youth-oriented pop lineup.

The 2025 Hangout Fest is the last governed by a multi-year agreement between festival producers and the city of Gulf Shores, meaning that agreement will have to be extended or renegotiated before a 2026 fest can take place. Brown said he expects discussions to begin in earnest in early 2025.

For festival updates and information, or to sign up for alerts, visit www.sandinmybootsfest.com or www.instagram.com/sandinmybootsfest.