Dear Artists, What Did Florida Ever Do to You?
image Courtesy: Arlene Banuelos
POV: Your favorite artist is going on tour, but unfortunately, you live in Florida, and they, along with many other artists, think the most south they can go is Atlanta.
If you're lucky, your favorite artist could be coming to Florida and playing in a venue near you. If not, you’ve probably noticed that dozens of artists have not come to play a venue there in the past few years. As the 3rd most populated and 7th most diverse state in the country, you would think that Florida has a large market for different artists. So how come so many skip out on playing there?
It is easy to feel that it's an artist's fault for not playing in Florida. However, in reality, they have little to no say in where they get to tour. A tour manager/agent is responsible for everything that goes into planning a tour.
Before you even start setting dates and picking venues, artist managers will submit music to different local radio stations. “It’s a good idea to have your music in rotation with different radio stations around the country or the specific area you want to play in,” says Jamaican singer-songwriter Stephanie Hava who has insider knowledge of what it's like to plan a tour.
“Not just mainstream radio like Sirius XM, but local radio can be very beneficial so that more people get familiar with your sound and your music,” says Hava. This also gives the team an idea of where the market is for their artists, and if it is worth considering they travel there.
The next step to planning a tour is having a booking agent familiar with the territories that the artist wants to play in. America has four regions: West Coast, the South, East Coast, and the Midwest. “Booking agents… know what is in demand, and they know the places for you to play based on the level that you are on as an artist.”
“Lastly, find the places you can play, whether it's different venues or festivals,” says Hava. Once that's all figured out, agents and managers start contacting different venues and setting dates all around the country.
“Booking a tour isn’t hard, but it's expensive,” says Hava. Florida might not be as marketable for our favorite artists as we may think.
One of the most decisive reasons why so many artists don’t come to Florida is the geography. Because Florida is a peninsula, it makes it harder for artists to get in and out. Due to that, some artists can lose a few days of travel which is a turnoff to some agents as that comes with extra costs.
Because Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Ft. Lauderdale are so south, they would rather stay in the Northern part of the state. But, since the market is lower in cities like Jacksonville or Tallahassee, the closest marketable city would be Atlanta.
Lastly, and however unfortunate, Florida is inherently a retirement state. Teams representing artists like Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, and Steve Lacy don’t feel the need to go there because there might not be enough of their target demographic to fill up the venues that work for the level. However, artists like Stevie Nicks or Boyz ll Men that go on ‘reunion tours’ have audiences that will show up to see them.
If you’re interested in seeing live performances, Florida has several music festivals around the state: such as SunFest, Tortuga, and Rolling Loud. But for specific artists, maybe Atlanta isn’t that far away, right?
Strike Out,
Morgann Rhule
Boca Raton
Morgann (yes with 2 n’s) is a content writer for Strike Magazine. Her best friends describe her as a shopaholic bookworm who gives the best advice. Born in Jamaica, she wears it proudly with a beaded red, green and gold necklace she never takes off. You can reach her on insta @morgannrhule or email morgannrhule@gmail.com
