Keith Urban, Shaboozy headline Day 2 of 2025 Tortuga Festival

by Dave Parsons

Concertgoers were lined up well before the gates opened for day 2 of the 2025 Tortuga Festival.  There was excitement in the air as the crowd was ready to soak in the sounds of country, rock, pop, and reggae artists, as well as fast-rising stars.

Folks had the choice of an array of immersive experiences, from interactive art installations to beachside yoga sessions. Food vendors have lined up the length of the festival with everything from fresh seafood to mouthwatering barbecue, ensuring that no appetite went unsatisfied.  As well there were dozens of water stations throughout the Ft. Lauderdale Beach front as well to make sure everyone stayed hydrated.

Day two of Tortuga 2025 was headlined by Keith Urban. Urban arrived on stage 15 minutes before his scheduled time, citing that there was a curfew that would cut his set shorter than he wanted to play, much to the delight of the crowd.  His stage presence was what you would expect from a veteran of his length in the business.  One downside was there were no spotlights on him, which made the view from the soundboard back a little hard to make out throughout his set. It hardly deterred the crowd, many of whom camped out in front of this stage, from having a good time and singing every song at the top of their lungs.

Shaboozy played the Sunset Stage immediately before Keith Urban. Almost everyone in the audience was awaiting the Tipsy anthem, and he made them wait for a while before the beach became one massive family of singers.  Shaboozy performed a nice selection of songs from different genres, mixing them up so that the audience was always wondering what was coming next.  The crowd was also very open to what he was giving them, and it felt like a collective hug from the oversized crowd that gathered.

Jordan Davis had the early evening crowd on their feet with his string of hits.  You can see why Davis is a crowd favorite as he was on each side of the stage and the extended catwalk the entire set. His show is a pleasure to watch, because you know he is having as good a time on stage as the audience is.

Veteran hitmakers, Ezra Ray Hart turned in a non-stop set of hits from the second they came on the stage at the Tortuga festival.  Made up of Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray, Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra, and Emerson Hart of Tonic, they have sold over 20 million albums in the US and had top ten hit singles, including five number one hits. The time slot was perfect as the sun was just starting to set on a perfect Saturday afternoon, and with all of that going for them, it’s easy to see why the Tortuga crowd loved them so much. 

Relatively new country-americana singer Wyatt Flores gave an enthusiastic set of traditional country to the Tortuga crowd.  Playing songs from his recent CD release, along with cuts off his EP release, the crowd seemed to know every song he sang, as the swayed and sang along to his late afternoon set.

n a diversion away from the country music on tap, Tortuga invited The Original Wailers featuring Al Anderson. Anderson was the lead guitarist for Bob Marley, and is the sole member of the Bob Marley lineup that is in the Original Wailers. Anderson is helped out by some very talented musicians in the Original Wailers lineup and their 3:35 start time, on a very hot Saturday afternoon, was a welcome relief as their reggae twinged sound had the crowd swaying and enjoying the set.

Singer-songwriter, Lily Rose took the stage mid-afternoon and treated the crowd to a trip through her style of Saturday-night energy and Sunday-morning contemplation. First coming to notice with her viral hit Villain, the crowd knew more than the one song of her set.  She seemed surprised and so happy as the beach audience responded the minute she came on stage, and never let up her entire set.

On the opposite end of the festival grounds, Meghan Patrick burst onto the stage with undeniable energy.  A back-to-back CCMA Female Artist of the Year in Canada, Patrick immediately showed why those honors came her way.  She leaned heavily on her brand of authenticity and storytelling that resonated with the audience who gathered early to catch her set.  This girl knows how to perform and will most certainly be on a more headline spot towards evening in future years.

Starting her career on Season 13 of The Voice, Ashland Craft treated the early fans to the sunset stage to a set that was as much fun to watch as it was to hear.  Packaged with her vocals, Craft has a sassy stage persona, combined with a top notch band. She is one to watch in the future.  

Again on Saturday, there was a stage under a tent set up that hosted the Next From Nashville Stage. The stage offered up some great music from up-and-coming acts including Karley Scott Collins, Avery Anna, Mae Estes, Bryce Leatherwood, and Abby Anderson.  It will only be a matter of a few years before these acts will be on the large beachfront stages at Tortuga. 

Overall, the second day of the Tortuga Festival was a resounding success, leaving attendees with many memories and anticipation for what the final day would bring.

Disclaimer:  It is impossible, because of overlapping set times on stages 200 yards apart, and artist preference, to photograph and review every act at the festival.  I photographed as many as was possible each day.