MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Excitement is building in Myrtle Beach for the 10th annual Carolina Country Music Fest, which kicks off Thursday afternoon with the first performances by dozens of the top stars in country music.
Gates for the four-day, sold-out event will swing open for the first time at 3 p.m. Thursday, when legendary group Rascal Flatts will be the headline act.
Myrtle Beach road closures announced ahead of Carolina Country Music Fest
More than 40 top artists will be in town for the festival, which continues through Sunday night. Gates open at 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday and close at 11:30 p.m. each night.
THE PERFORMERS
- Thursday on the main stage: Rascal Flatts, Tyler Hubbard, Colt Ford, Kashus Culpepper, Warrick McZeke and DJ Slim McGraw.
- Friday on the main stage: Lainey Wilson, Chris Young, Dylan Gossett, Conner Smith, Willow Avalon, and Gillian Smith.
- Saturday on the main stage: Jelly Roll, Chase Rice, Mitchell Tenpenny, The Frontmen, Tigirlily Gold and Bowman
- Sunday on the main stage: Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, The Beach Boys, Priscilla Block, Vincent Mason and the Davisson Brothers Band.
TRAFFIC
- Beach access at 8th Avenue N. will be closed for vendor use throughout the festival, as well as the right turning lane from 9th Avenue to Kings Highway.
- Pedestrian barricades will be placed between 7th Avenue N. and 9th Avenue N.
- Kings Highway will be one lane during the festival. The boulevard will be closed from 8th-9th Avenue N.
- Side streets will be closed, but officers will be in position to allow people into businesses.
- Police will be using hydro-barricades.
- Message boards will be located throughout the city, encouraging drivers to use Grissom Parkway and Highway 31.
PARKING
- Parking and continuous shuttle service will be available from the Myrtle Beach City lot at 2400 N. Oak Street. Print your parking pass at home; you will be scanned in each day.
- The parking lot will be open on Thursday from 1 p.m. until midnight and Friday through Sunday from noon until midnight.
RIDESHARE
- The eastbound lane of 9th Avenue N. is the designated drop-off and pick-up area for rideshares, between Broadway Street and Kings Highway.
- Drivers should enter 9th Avenue N. through Oak or Broadway Streets and exit southbound onto Kings Highway. Traffic control measures will be in place for guidance.
WHAT’S ALLOWED INSIDE?
- Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC, without holograph, tint, or color, and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”
- One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag
- Small, non-clear bags, that do not exceed 4.5” x 6.5” in size, with or without a handle or strap can be taken into the fest with one of the clear plastic bags.
- An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at a gate designated for this purpose.
- Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, computer bags and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size.
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Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here…