Bayou Country Superfest spawns similar event in Jacksonville

Event that inspired upcoming Florida Country Superfest has seen steady growth

BATON ROUGE, La. – In three weeks, thousands of fans will pack EverBank Field for the first Florida Country Superfest, a two-day music festival featuring some of the biggest names in country music.

The event that inspired the Florida Superfest, the Bayou Country Superfest, is just kicking off its fifth annual event at LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Each year the Bayou Country Superfest has brought larger and larger crowds, and this year, with the event adding a third day for the first time, those crowds are likely to grow again. The event's producer is hopeful the Jacksonville superfest will have the same success.

"We don't come in just to do a show and go away," said show producer Quint Davis. "We don't invest that kind of time into Jacksonville if we don't intend for the success to lead to an annual event."

Davis said all the elements of the festival -- people of all ages, tailgating, partying and the accessibility of Jacksonville for fans to get to -- made it a great spot to expand the event.

Fans that have been attending the Baton Rouge event for years said they might even make the trip across Interstate 10 in a few weeks.

"I'd drive across the world for this. It's a great crowd. All the beer you want to drink and all the fun times you can have with your friends."

The setup inside Tiger Stadium is the same as EverBank Field will have for its show June 14-15, a nearly $1 million stage, with every seat in the stands having a clear view of it, and almost 10,000 seats on the field. Outside the stadium there's a Fan Fest area where local acts play before the main show and fans get to meet some of the stars.

"Even if you don't like country music, it's a great time. You are drinking, tailgating, music, everyone likes music," said one fan.

For Davis, bringing in the biggest names in country music has never been a problem. The performers have seen the success of the show in Baton Rouge and jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Florida Country Superfest, which Davis knows fans will love.

"To be able to get Jason Aldean and Eric Church on the same show, then to get Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, and Florida Georgia Line on the same show, it's like you never get a second chance to make a first impression," Davis said. "We wanted to start out strong."

If you haven't bought tickets to Florida Country Superfest, there are still some available, but it's nearly a sellout. The show promoters have already opened a few sections they didn't plan on selling because tickets sold so quickly.

For the complete show lineup or to purchase tickets, go to floridacountrysuperfest.com.