10 Best Festivals in Panama City Beach

The New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop draws more than 40,000 people to the shores of Panama City Beach. Pier Park closes to traffic as joyous revelers dance to live music, watch fireworks, and spend time with their loved ones. The first of 2 countdowns let the kids celebrate the good cheer before the adults await the turn of the calendar.

Thousands of beach balls rain down on the streets for the 8 pm family beach drop and when the clock strikes midnight. The annual event continues to run strong after over a decade and has become the biggest New Year’s bash on the Gulf Coast. Bring your friends, family, and have a ball at this free event to start the year.

The Pepsi Gulf Coast Jelly welcomes today’s best country artists to the emerald waters of Panama City Beach. For years, festivalgoers have spent sunny days lounging on the beach while jamming to their favorite tunes. The 3-day event usually takes place on Labor Day weekend for a final summer bash on the Florida Gulf Coast.

Frank Brown Park hosts the party, and the 200-acre facility gives patrons lots of space to dance. Previous artists to take the stage include Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, and Eric Church. The festival also gives up-and-coming country and southern rock artists the chance to entertain patrons and burst onto the scene.

Experience Mardi Gras beside the Gulf Coast’s white-sand beaches at the PCB Mardi Gras & Music Festival. The event always takes place the weekend before Fat Tuesday and alongside the Krewe of Dominique Youx's great Mardi Gras at the Beach parade. There is entertainment for all ages, and the festivities include live concerts, street fairs, parades, costume contests, float tours, and the Kidz Zone.

The first evening concludes with a fireworks spectacle, and the Mardi Gras 5K kicks off the following morning. Watch talented musicians at Aaron Bessant Park or find a spot along Pier Park Drive to catch beads. Pier Park hosts the annual free event, and the beachfront location is Panama City’s leading shopping venue.

For around 30 years, the Panama City Beach Scottish Festival has celebrated Scottish heritage on the beach. Watch athletic competitions, border collie sheepherding demonstrations, the parade of Tartans, bagpipe bands, and Irish step dancers. There’s also a British automobile club show, traditional Scottish and Irish food, and kid-friendly activities. If you have Scottish ancestry, meet with Scottish clan representatives at the event. 

The Scottish Tea Room is always popular among attendees, with vendors selling merchandise on the festival grounds. Festivalgoers who aren’t ready to go home can attend the Ceilidh, which takes place at Frank Brown Park. The bands give a final solo performance and close the festivities together with the Celtic Jelly Time.

The biannual Emerald Coast Cruizin’ Automobile Show is an open-air museum featuring thousands of vintage vehicles. Find your favorite classic automobiles and discover other hot rods, muscle automobiles, trucks, and speedsters you never knew existed. Aaron Bessant Park hosts the event and welcomes automobile enthusiasts of all ages to view the timeless vehicles.

There are several cash giveaways, and you can bid for a classic automobile at a live auction. The festival also includes cruise-ins, live music, parades, swap meets, awards shows, and vendors. Participants register their vehicles to show off their rides and join other automobile enthusiasts at the opening block party.

Billed as America’s “Most Biker-Friendly Rally,” the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally is a biannual festival at various sites around Panama City Beach. The free 4-day event attracts bikers from across the country and usually takes place during the first weekend of May and mid-October. Bikers cruise along the Gulf Coast, and each venue offers a unique atmosphere and lots of vendors.

The Kick-Start Party starts the festivities with live music, pageant contests, and delicious seafood dishes. Show off your set of wheels in the custom bike contest or your body art at the tattoo contests. You can also ride alongside your fellow bikers in parades, watch the free concert series or join poker runs to win prizes.

If you’ve dreamed of being a pirate, the Pirates of the High Seas Fest lets you share that love with your family. The Columbus Day weekend event brings you lots of family-friendly activities around Panama City Beach. Pier Park and the Grand Lagoon host the festivities. The fun includes live music, parades, costume contests, and epic sword fights.

The festival kicks off with an exciting Treasure Drop, with each day concluding with fireworks shows. Shop for your pirate-themed gear at the Festival Village, take the youngsters to the Little Pirates Fun Zone, or bring your family pooch for the Pirate Pet Parade. The little ones can join a fishing clinic, watch a magic show, and partake in treasure hunts.

Real. Fun. Fourth invites you to a grandiose fireworks spectacle to celebrate Independence Day. The 2-day event features consecutive nights of magical shows that light up the night sky above Panama City Beach. Spend the balmy summer days bathing in turquoise waters, listening to live music, and dining on seafood before finding the ideal spot to watch the main events.

Multiple fireworks shows take place in various locations, ranging from beachfront resorts to marinas. Local radio stations play music to accompany the breathtaking light displays that entertain visitors of all ages. Just make sure you arrive early with your beach chair to get fantastic views.

SandJam Music Fest is one of Panama City Beach’s largest spring events. The hottest alternate rock bands on the planet gather on the sparkling white sands of Panama City Beach for the 3-day bash. Music lovers from around 40 states and multiple foreign countries party all weekend at the M.B. Miller County Pier.

The event’s first 2 years were a tremendous success, with notable artists such as Kings of Leon, Incubus, Sublime, Third Eye Window shade, Young the Giant, and The Revivalists. Festival organizers build the stages right on the beach, so you can sink your toes into the sand while jamming to your favorite bands.

The Florida Jeep Jelly lets you spend a beach vacation with your fellow jeep lovers in Panama City Beach. Jeep owners around the southeast invade the Gulf Coast to conquer obstacle courses and off-road excursions. Challenge your vehicle to all kinds of barriers that include dunes, rocks, poles, mounds, and more. Join the Beach Turtle Crawl to drive on the white sand beaches and crash the block party to celebrate the National Jeep Go Topless Day.

You can visit the jeep vendor village for all the latest tools, gadgets, gear, and accessories you need for your ride. The event also includes live music, scavenger hunts, outdoor movies, poker runs, and other fun activities for your jeep getaway.