--- title: "Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival Expands to Two Weekends of Music" id: "35116" type: "post" slug: "pensacola-beach-songwriters-festival-2026" published_at: "2026-09-10T16:24:41+00:00" modified_at: "2026-09-10T16:24:41+00:00" url: "https://catcountry987.com/concerts/pensacola-beach-songwriters-festival-2026/" markdown_url: "https://catcountry987.com/concerts/pensacola-beach-songwriters-festival-2026.md" excerpt: "October 1-11, 2026 | Historic Downtown Pensacola & Pensacola Beach The Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival 2026 promises eleven days of incredible music and events in the heart of Pensacola and along beautiful Pensacola Beach. The Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival 2026..." taxonomy_category: - "Concerts" - "Country Music News" - "Featured Events" - "On The Prowl" --- # Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival Expands to Two Weekends of Music **[https://catcountry987.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pbsf_artists_front_banner.jpg](https://catcountry987.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pbsf_artists_front_banner.jpg) October 1-11, 2026 | Historic Downtown Pensacola & Pensacola Beach** The Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival 2026 promises eleven days of incredible music and events in the heart of Pensacola and along beautiful Pensacola Beach. The **Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival 2026** is expanding to two weekends of music and storytelling, bringing more than 150 songwriters and performers to Historic Downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach from **October 1-11, 2026**. Music lovers will have more opportunities than ever to hear the stories behind their favorite songs, meet the people who wrote them and experience original music in intimate venues throughout the Pensacola area. ## Two Weekends. More Music. More Stories. The 2026 Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival kicks off **October 1-4** with four days of performances at venues throughout Historic Downtown Pensacola. From **October 5-7**, the festival will focus on community and outreach programming, connecting songwriters and music with local schools, veterans, nonprofits and other community partners. The festival then returns to **Pensacola Beach October 8-11** for its traditional beachside weekend of performances. The expanded format gives audiences even more ways to experience the festival while keeping its signature focus on **original music, songwriting and the stories behind the songs**. > “What makes this festival so special is the community that has grown around it,” said Reneda Cross Pasquale, president of PBSF, Inc. and festival coordinator. “Every year, we watch friendships form, audiences connect with songwriters and incredible stories unfold through music.” ## Featured Artists The 2026 artist roster features more than 150 national, regional and local songwriters and performers, including: - **Anthony Smith** — Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and Music Row Songwriter of the Year whose songwriting credits include George Strait, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Trace Adkins, Faith Hill and Kenny Chesney. - **Keith Burns** — Founding member of the Grammy-nominated country group Trick Pony and a songwriter for artists including Joe Diffie and Hootie & The Blowfish. - **Thompson Square** — Grammy-nominated husband-and-wife duo behind the hit “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not.” - **Jamie O’Neal** — Platinum-selling country singer and songwriter known for No. 1 hits including “There Is No Arizona” and “When I Think About Angels.” - **Andy Griggs** — Country artist known for two No. 1 hits, five Top 5 singles and “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely.” - **Craig Campbell** — Country hitmaker and songwriter behind songs including “Family Man,” “Outskirts of Heaven,” “Fish” and “When She Grows Up.” - **Jeffrey Steele** — Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member and five-time Grammy nominee with credits including “What Hurts the Most,” “My Wish,” “The Cowboy in Me,” “My Town” and “Knee Deep.” - **Gary Nichols** — Muscle Shoals native, singer, guitarist and songwriter who fronted The SteelDrivers and contributed to the group’s Grammy-winning album *The Muscle Shoals Recordings*. - **Brian White** - **Wynn Varble** - **Wil Nance** - **Thom Shepherd** - **Mark Nesler** - And many more national, regional and local songwriters. ## National Songwriting Competition The festival will also celebrate the winners of the **2026 Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival National Songwriting Competition** during its awards programming. The competition features a **$1,000 grand prize**, $150 category prizes and opportunities for winning songwriters to perform at the festival. ## Get the Full Festival Schedule Individual performance times, special events, community programming, ticket information and the complete festival schedule are available through the festival’s official website. **Get the full schedule and festival information:** [http://songwriterspensacolabeach.com/](http://songwriterspensacolabeach.com/) Because schedules are subject to change, attendees are encouraged to check the festival website for the latest information. ## Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival 2026 **October 1-11, 2026** **Historic Downtown Pensacola & Pensacola Beach** With intimate listening rooms, downtown venues and beachside performances, the **Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival** is a chance to meet the writers, hear their music and discover the stories behind the songs. **For more information:** [http://pensacolabeachsongfest.com/](http://pensacolabeachsongfest.com/) # Related Articles [https://catcountry987.com/news/2026-cma-awards-nominees-ella-langley-cat-country/](https://catcountry987.com/news/2026-cma-awards-nominees-ella-langley-cat-country/) ## Ella Langley Leads 2026 CMA Awards Nominees as Cat Country 98.7 Earns Two Nominations The complete list of 2026 CMA Nominees [Read More](https://catcountry987.com/news/2026-cma-awards-nominees-ella-langley-cat-country/) [https://catcountry987.com/featured-events/sweet-season-farms-corn-maze-2026/](https://catcountry987.com/featured-events/sweet-season-farms-corn-maze-2026/) ## The Cat Is Back in the Corn Maze at Sweet Season Farms! 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