{"id":409002,"date":"2026-09-24T06:06:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T06:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/409002\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T06:06:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T06:06:25","slug":"island-hopper-songwriter-festival-returns-this-weekend-to-fort-myers-beach-fort-myers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/409002\/","title":{"rendered":"Island Hopper Songwriter Festival returns this weekend to Fort Myers Beach – FORT MYERS"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Pink Shell Beach Resort will host the Island Hopper Songwriter Festival pool party on Sunday, Sept. 27 featuring country musician Michael Ray. Photo provided<\/p>\n

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The Pink Shell Beach Resort will host the Island Hopper Songwriter Festival pool party on Sunday with a performance by country musician Michael Ray. File photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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Fort Myers Beach is ready to turn into South Nashville this weekend as the Island Hopper Songwriter Festival rolls into town Friday with dozens of musical performances featuring Nashville and local artists slated for Fort Myers Beach restaurants and bars, culminating in the festival finale at the Pink Shell Beach Resort pool party this Sunday.<\/p>\n

The festival is showcasing more than 60 performers from Nashville, including Grammy Award-nominated songwriters and chart-topping artists. The festival started in Captiva last Friday and is making its way through Cape Coral and Fort Myers throughout the week before reaching Fort Myers Beach on Friday.<\/p>\n

The Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina pool party headliner this year will be country singer Michael Ray, who is known for the country hit \u201cKiss You in the Morning.\u201d Doors for the sold-out show open at 4:30 p.m. The concert begins at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to hosting the 11th annual Island Hopper Grand Finale Pool Party featuring Michael Ray and celebrating some of the incredible artists who have graced our stage over the years, including Maren Morris, Gary LeVox, Chris Young, and Rodney Atkins, to name a few,\u201d Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina General Manager Bill Waichulis said. \u201cOur team eagerly anticipates this event each year, as it is a fantastic opportunity to create unforgettable experiences for our guests, owners, and the local community. We are proud to be part of an event that brings people together through great music, great memories, and the vibrant spirit of Southwest Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those that can\u2019t grab tickets for the pool party and still want to enjoy some first-class country entertainment on Fort Myers Beach, there will be a slew of venues and options throughout that day and the rest of the weekend for that matter offering up mostly-free performances as part of the Island Hopper Songwriter\u2019s Festival. <\/p>\n

Participating Fort Myers Beach venues include Bayside Veteran\u2019s Park, Diamondhead Beach Resort, Lighthouse Island Resort, Margaritaville Beach Resort, On the Bay, The Whale, and the Yucatan Beach Stand Bar & Grill.<\/p>\n

Fort Myers Beach will include three ticketed events. In addition to the Pink Shell pool party, there will be a \u201cMusic on the Mound\u201d performance on Saturday, Sept. 26 featuring Frank Myers and Lauren Mascitti at the Mound House on Connecticut Street. Myers is known for co-writing the megahit \u201cI Swear,\u201d which was recorded by John Michael Montgomery, and All-4-One. Mascitti\u2019s album \u201cGod Made a Woman\u201d reached #4 on the iTune country albums chart.<\/p>\n

On that same day, the festival will hold a new ticketed event for Fort Myers Beach with the Sunset Songwriter Cruise out of Fort Myers Beach aboard Adventures in Paradise featuring singer\/songwriter Robinson Treacher. \u201cHe has a great voice, great talent,\u201d Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau communications manager Miriam Dotson said. The bureau is one of the organizers of the event.<\/p>\n

While tickets must be purchased for those shows, there will be a plethora of free music performances on Fort Myers Beach this weekend.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the festival will begin on Fort Myers Beach at the Margaritaville Beach Resort at 4 p.m., where seven artists will be performing.<\/p>\n

Starting at 7 p.m., there will be musical performances occurring simultaneously at Bayside Veteran\u2019s Park, the Diamondhead Beach Resort, Lighthouse Island Resort, On the Bay, Pink Shell Beach Resort, and the Yucatan Beach Stand Bar & Grill. The songs will continue to roll throughout the night, with another round of performances scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

A number of the performers will be switching between venues throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Margaritaville will be Katrina Cain, Taylor Hughes, Kelly Neff, Matt McKinney, Race Ricketts, Ry Rivers, and Kurt Stevens. Neff will then perform at DiamondHead Beach Resort at 7 p.m., along with Elisabeth Ann. Elisabeth Ann is a Nashville-based artist originally from Illinois who began her career performing in Fort Myers.<\/p>\n

Brian Sutherland, a Fort Myers native who has toured with The Beach Boys, will be playing the Lighthouse Resort at 7 p.m. on Friday, and then will cap off Saturday night\u2019s showcase at the DiamondHead Beach Resort at 10 p.m. <\/p>\n

Myers, who is also known for co-writing Lonestar\u2019s No. 1 hit \u201cI\u2019m Already There,\u201d will be giving a free performance at the Diamondhead Beach Resort on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. Myers will give another free show at Bayside Veteran\u2019s Park on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. <\/p>\n

Bayside Veteran\u2019s Park will have four free performances on Friday night. Located between Nervous Nellie\u2019s and Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant, off Old San Carlos Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach, the venue will host Nashville artists Katie Lyon and Ava Suppelsa on Friday beginning at 7:15 p.m. Suppelsa co-wrote Max McNown\u2019s platinum single \u201cBetter Me For You (Brown Eyes).\u201d<\/p>\n

Suppelsa, whose songs have also been record by Lady A, Carly Pearce, Max McNown, and Keith Urban, can also be seen at On the Bay on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. She will play Margaritaville on Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

On Saturday at Bayside Veteran\u2019s Park, Nelson Cade and Tim McGeary will perform free shows beginning at 4:15 p.m., followed by Lauren Mascitti and Bobby Tomberlin at 6:45 p.m. Tomberlin is an acclaimed country artist who was nominated for a Grammy Award for co-writing the Dolly Parton\/Bill Anderson single \u201cSomeday It\u2019ll All Make Sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tomberlin has also written songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Uncle Kracker, Josh Turner, Kenny Rogers, Joe Nichols, Vince Gill, Rodney Atkins, Pam Tillis, Jerry Lee Lewis and others His latest release, \u201cOut Of Road,\u201d featured guest vocals by Vince Gill, Bill Anderson and Bobby Bare.<\/p>\n

In addition to playing Bayside Veteran\u2019s Park on Saturday, Tomberlin will also play Bayside Veteran\u2019s Park on Sunday with Myers for a concert set to start at 3:30 p.m. Tomberlin can be also seen at On the Bay at 7 p.m. on Friday, and the Lighthouse Island Resort on Saturday at 2:45 p.m.<\/p>\n

The music on Saturday at the DiamondHead Beach Resort will begin at 4 p.m. with performances by Nate Bass and Madison Morris. Morris is a three-time Grammy-submitted singer-songwriter whose work has appeared on the official Grammy consideration ballots in 2023 (\u201cWe\u2019re All Still Here\u201d), 2024 (\u201cHard Rain\u201d), and 2025 (\u201cEve of Revolution\u201d), with \u201cHard Rain\u201d also earning a 2025 Josie Award nomination for Americana Song of the Year. They will be followed on stage by Lyon and Neff at 6:30 p.m., and then McKinney and Rivers at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

While most of the shows at the festival do not require a ticket and are free, other ticketed events on the festival this week include the new \u201cStars on the River\u201d concert with LOCASH and Alexandra Kay at Caloosa Sound Amphitheater on Wednesday in Fort Myers.<\/p>\n

The Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is presented by BMI, iHeartRadio\u2019s Cat Country 107.1, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Lee the County Visitor & Convention Bureau.<\/p>\n

The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau is involved in organizing the event in conjunction with BMI and iHeartRadio in a process that Dotson said involves \u201cyearlong preparation.\u201d the organization was excited about the addition of new venues this year, including the Caloosa Amphitheatre in Fort Myers, and the songwriter cruise on Fort Myers Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking to get visitors to get to the restaurants, and drive some business,\u201d Dotson said.<\/p>\n

Other ticketed events during the week include:<\/p>\n

Sept. 24: Luminary\u2019s Dinner Experience with Nate Bass of British brother trio Essex County at Luminary Hotel & Co.\u2019s culinary theater in downtown Fort Myers.<\/p>\n

Sept. 24: ACMA Showcase with Roy Schneider, Anthony Wayne, Bill Metts, Tim McGeary and Matt Hannam at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers.<\/p>\n

For the full lineup, schedule and ticket information, visit Islandhopperfest.com.<\/p>\n


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