We found four annual music festivals in Florida that entwine music and sustainability. Next, we have to get musicians who create work about the environment/nature up on their stages!
Rock the Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival
Website Sustainability Dates:April 4-6, 2025 
Rock the Ocean’s big event, the Tortuga Music Festival, takes place each year on Ft. Lauderdale’s beaches (and not in Tortuga, as one might think). It is a 3-day fest. It raises money and awareness for and about the health of the planet’s oceans. They’ve featured well known names such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lainey Wilson, and Bret Michaels this year.
The Rock the Ocean website states that a portion of ticket sales funds environmental causes.
With the help of Tortuga fans, we have helped Rock the Ocean raise over $4 million for ocean conservation initiatives since 2013. These funds have gone to over 100 partners in ocean conservation; five universities; and sponsored groundbreaking research in the United States, Bahamas, South Africa and Asia!
Ultra Music Festival – Mission: Home initiative
Website Sustainability Dates: March 28-30, 2025 
Ultra Music Festival in Miami has included social responsibility and environmental sustainability in its practices for years. To manage the environmental projects, they created Mission: Home. They’ve won numerous global awards for their sustainability programs, so we hope other music festivals look to their actions. They’ve eliminated most plastics; swap prizes for people cleaning up for the leave no trace initiative, practice noise mitigation, and distribute left over food and drink to local charities.
Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival
Information Sustainability – teaching divers about sustainable practices near reefs Dates: July 13, 2024
Only in Florida… in the Florida Keys! A local radio station pipes music in (water and beachy songs, probably A LOT of Jimmy Buffet!) for snorkelers, and includes tips for swimmers and snorkelers on how to respectfully treat the ocean, reefs, and marine life (we might have something to say about anthropogenic noise underwater, but we assume they’re not blasting it). The fest also includes a tour of Mote Marine Labs where people can learn about coral reef restoration.
Lullaby of the Rivers Festival
Website Sustainability Dates: Earth Day weekend 
It’s a Jacksonville area music festival based on a song! Of course we love it. It looks like there wasn’t a 2024 fest, maybe because founder Bob Patterson and Carol Kramer are touring to support Riverkeepers up and down the East Coast, playing at the Florida Folk Fest, and more. You can stay updated with them through their Facebook page.
