Free concerts on beach in Gulf Shores pit Bon Jovi and Brad Paisley against Pensacola Beach's DeLuna Fest
Julio Diaz
jdiaz@pnj.com
DeLuna Fest, set for Oct. 15-17 on Pensacola Beach, is getting some competition across the state line.
Rock superstars Bon Jovi will play on the public beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., on Oct. 15, and country hit-maker Brad Paisley will take the stage on Oct. 17 in free concerts.
The two events are part of the Concerts for the Coast series taking place in Baldwin County, Ala., and largely funded with BP money to provide relief for tourism hurt by the Gulf oil spill.
While concert announcements of this magnitude normally would be met with great fanfare among Pensacola music fans, the local response is far more muted.
That's because the concert dates directly conflict with the opening and closing days of DeLuna Fest, the three-day music festival planned for Casino Beach on Pensacola Beach.
DeLuna Fest features 39 acts, including Stone Temple Pilots, Daughtry, 311, Bush and Dierks Bentley. Tickets are $90 for the weekend or $47.50 for Friday or Saturday. The third day, featuring Willie Nelson and 13 other acts, is free.
Some fans questioned why Gulf Shores organizers would schedule their shows the same weekend.
"I love the free concerts — seems like a great way to bring locals together and attract people from out of town," said Christian McArthur of Pensacola. "But it does seem to be a direct slap in the face to DeLuna Fest. There are a lot of weekends to organize a show. Aren't we all supposed to be working together to revive the Gulf Coast?"
And Dawn Keller of Pace said, "DeLuna Fest has been planned for way too long to have Bon Jovi and Brad Paisley stealing the spotlight."
DeLuna Fest was first discussed before the Santa Rosa Island Authority board in January and formally announced in April as a two-day festival for Oct. 15 and 16. Those two days are being paid for entirely by private funds.
The third free day, Oct. 17, was added last month after festival organizers with Five Flags Tourism Group received $300,000 from the Escambia County Tourism Development Council. That money came from the $25 million given to the state of Florida by BP.
Herb Malone, president and CEO of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Tourism, said organizers were aware DeLuna Fest already was scheduled for the same weekend.
"I don't want to say there wasn't consideration given," he said. "But we are neighbors and competitors at the same time. We always have been. In my opinion, there's plenty to go around."
A statement Wednesday from DeLuna Fest publicist Edwin Banacia of the Pensacola advertising agency Ideaworks stressed the need for cooperation among organizations throughout the Gulf Coast.
"Although DeLuna Fest was planned well before the oil disaster, our resolve was strengthened after we saw how our coastal community suffered," the statement said. "Now, more than ever, DeLuna Fest is so important for the recovery of this community.
"... We share the same goals as our surrounding communities and that is to show the world the beauty of our coast and bring business back to our struggling economy."
Additional Facts
Ticket information
The Bon Jovi and Brad Paisley shows in Gulf Shores will be free, ticketed events.
Tickets will be available through Gulf Shores and Orange Beach lodging partners. Officially, those sales start Wednesday. A list of lodging partners is available at www.gulfshores.com/packages-deals.
Additionally, 5,000 tickets to each concert will be available to area residents, including Pensacola-area residents.
Tickets will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 11 at Erie Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W. Second St., Gulf Shores, Ala.; Orange Beach Recreation Center, 4849 Wilson Blvd., Orange Beach, Ala.; and Foley, Ala., City Hall, 407 E. Laurel Ave.
There is a two-ticket limit per person available on a first-come, first-served basis with a valid government photo ID.
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