The Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam, scheduled for September 3-5 in Panama City Beach, Florida, will not take place this year after all. Instead, the festival has been moved to June 3-5, 2022, according to a statement from festival organizers.
The postponement comes amid the current uptick in COVID-19 cases in Bay County, where the festival was set to be held, as well as across the country.
It's the second time the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam has been postponed. It originally rescheduled its 2020 lineup to 2021, keeping previously-booked headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd, Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley on the lineup for the makeup dates. It's not yet clear whether those artists, or the others scheduled to perform, will be a part of the event in 2022.
The news from Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam comes as many festivals and events are implementing different levels of COVID-19 safety protocols. Last week, Live Nation announced they’ll give touring artists the option to mandate proof of vaccination or a current negative test from anyone attending their shows.
This week, Milwaukee's all-genre Summerfest and Bonnaroo both decided to enact that policy for their events this year. A few artists, such as Jason Isbell, are also beginning to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test at their shows.
Tickets for this year’s Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam will be honored in 2022; alternately, concertgoers can request a refund on the event’s website. Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.