Hangout Music Festival 2024 is just around the corner and work has begun to turn Gulf Shores Beach and Gulf Place into a music festival. Residents and visitors will see beach, road and parking lot closures. 

The festival’s public assembly permit was approved unanimously during the March 11 Regular City Council meeting. During the presentation to the council, Grant Brown, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Director and Public Information Officer, said there were no significant changes to the footprint of the festival compared to last year. The only slight change was the shift of one stage from Gulf Shores Parkway to the beach. 

Changes implemented over the last few years by Hangout Music Festival organizers have proven effective and are back again this year. 

The Hangout Ambassador Program places event staff throughout neighboring areas to deter illegal parking, litter and lewd behavior from festival goers during the festival. Before the festival begins, they answer questions from residents and visitors about beach access points and more. 

“The police department worked closely with these folks last year and it was a very positive addition to the music festival by having the ambassador program to liaise with our city staff,” Brown said during the March 11 council meeting. 

Event organizers will once again utilize a professional sound company to control stage noise and vibrations and speakers will be angled toward the water when possible. A professional waste management company will be responsible for waste removal and recycling. They will work with the Gulf Shores Public Works department to remove waste from the beaches and adjacent properties occupied by the festival each night. 

The start of the Hangout Music Festival build-out also lays the groundwork for the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship May 3-5. 

Hangout Music Festival related closures 

Monday, April 29 

• Site usage period begins.

Monday, May 6

• Gulf Shores Resident Parking lot closes for the building of the Public Safety Compound by the city. This area houses public safety, the hospital tent, the police department, incident command and IT. 

Tuesday, May 7

• West Gulf Place parking lot closes.

Monday, May 13

• Gulf Place Public Beach closes through May 23.
• Gulf Place Parking lot closes through May 23.
• East Gulf Place Parking lot closes through May 23.
• East 1st Steet closed (south of Beach Boulevard).

Tuesday, May 14 (overnight)

• Highway 59 south of West 1st Avenue and Highway 182/Beach Boulevard between West 2nd Street and Each 2nd Street will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic. 
• Road closure of East 1st Street between Each 1st Avenue and East 2nd Avenue.

Thursday, May 16 (overnight)

• Highway 182/Beach Boulevard between West 3rd Street and West 2nd Street will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
• Road closure of West 2nd Street.

Monday, May 20

• Highway 59 and Highway 182/Beach Boulevard will temporarily reopen at approximately 6 a.m. to allow for exiting traffic until approximately noon. The north side of West Beach Boulevard (East of West 4th Street) will remain closed to Westbound traffic. 

Tuesday, May 22

• Normal traffic conditions resume on all roads at 6 a.m.

Public Beach Access

• Public beach access points at West 4th Street, West 5th Street, West 6th Street, West 10th Street, West 12th Street, West 13th Street, Little Lagoon Pass and the Gulf State Park will remain open throughout the festival. All residents and visitors are encouraged to use these public beach access points during this time.
• All public beach access points will return to normal use.