Better than Bonnaroo? Cooler than the Monterey Jazz Fest?
Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is all that and more, according to the just-announced 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
The Southwest Florida festival — celebrating its 10th anniversary this September — was ranked the fourth-best music fest in the USA Today awards. That’s higher than Rhode Island’s Newport Jazz Festival (No. 10), Tennessee’s Bonnaroo (No. 7) and California’s Monterey Jazz Festival (No. 5).
Organizers have no idea how they we’re nominated, but they’re thrilled about the recognition.
“We’re really excited and humbled that we’re among these huge events,” says Nancy MacPhee, lead Island Hopper organizer with the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau.
The 10-day Island Hopper Songwriter Fest features dozens of singer-songwriters ― mostly country artists ― spread across many venues in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Captiva Island and Cape Coral. Tickets are sold for the headlining acts, but most of the concerts are free.
Past performers have included Chris Janson, Kristian Bush of Sugarland, Maren Morris, Midland, LOCASH and Gary LeVox, formerly of Rascal Flatts.
Why SW Florida’s Island Hopper made the 10Best music festivals
The festival nominees for the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards were chosen by a panel of music-fest aficionados, according to USA Today. Then readers voted on their favorites.
“One thing Island Hopper Songwriter Fest has over all the festivals is the cost,” says a March 27 USA Today article announcing the winning music fests. “Most of the 100-plus sets performed by some of the country’s best singer-songwriters are absolutely free.
“The 10-day music festival in Southwest Florida launches on Captiva Island then moves to Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Fort Myers Beach. Artists play at various venues like art centers, hotels, restaurants, and resorts, so the vibe is chill.”
Island Hopper attracted 13,500 people last year, Macphee says. Its peak year was 2019 with 21,000 people.
The fest was started as a way to attract people to Southwest Florida in the off-season, when all the snowbirds have gone home and there’s not much else to do.
“It’s just the experience of sitting in an intimate venue,” Macphee says. “It’s not overflowing like a Tortuga (Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale).
“It’s just an intimate little venue where you can get a nice meal and just really get up close to these songwriters that are just amazing. And the stories behind the songs are always really touching.”
Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is co-organized by BMI, iHeart Radio’s Cat Country 107.1 FM, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau.
The fest returns Sept. 20-29. Organizers expect to announce this year’s lineup in about May.
More about the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
The USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards highlights the best in travel, dining and lifestyle. Every week, USA Today invites a panel of industry experts to nominate their favorites in a wide variety of categories. Then 10Best editors select the nominees to be presented to the voting public for four weeks.
The News-Press and Naples Daily News are owned by Gannett, the same company that owns USA Today. Both papers are part of the USA Today Network.
For more information on Island Hopper, visit IslandHopperFest.com or facebook.com/islandhopperfest.
Here’s a list of all the 10Best music fest winners:
No. 10: Newport Jazz Festival – Newport, Rhode Island
No. 9: Austin City Limits Music Festival – Austin, Texas
No. 8: Sea.Hear.Now Festival – Asbury Park, New Jersey
No. 7: Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Manchester, Tennessee
No. 6: Electric Forest – Rothbury, Michigan
No. 5: Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, California
No. 4: Island Hopper Songwriter Fest – Fort Myers, Florida
No. 3: CMA Fest – Nashville, Tennessee
No. 2: Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion – Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia
No. 1: Joshua Tree Music Festival – Joshua Tree, California
Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him atcrunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).
Following the release of their new song, "The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1," guitar legends Steve Vai and Joe Satriani joined Chuck Armstrong on Loudwire Nights to celebrate their first official recording together."The thing is, I would say where Steve and I are very much alike is that, starting when we were teenagers, we made very detailed, elaborate plans about what we wanted to do musically," Satriani told Chuck on Friday night (March 29). "We've been pretty stubborn, making sure […]
