What You Need To Know if You Are Going to Arizona Country Thunder

After two years of waiting, a reschedule and two postponements, for those that love country music, it is now time to dust off your boots and make the drive to Florence for Country Thunder Arizona.

The annual four-day music festival, opens Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021 and is held at Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence, Arizona.

And for the local cowboys and cowgirls, it’s been worth the wait. The annual festival is the considered the largest country music event in Arizona and will attract tens of thousands of people all of which will enjoy a dozen recording artists and country music hitmakers.

This year’s hot performers featured at the musical festival are Eric Church, Old Dominion, Hardy, Dustin Lynch, Luke Combs, Ashley McBride, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, and Parmalee. Church replaced Morgan Wallen after he dropped out of several events.

All the trappings of a typical Country Thunder will also take place at this year’s festival, from its “Electric Thunder” tent to its party-friendly campgrounds.

This isn’t your typical music concert. With the location and the multiple day event, most attendees camp near the grounds and make it a total experience. If you plan to attend the event this year,  here is what you need to know:

When?
Thursday, October 14-Sunday, October 17

Will call and the front gate will be open: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from Wednesday, October 13, to Sunday, October 17.

Country Thunder’s campgrounds will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and people will be able to arrive up until 10 p.m. Attendees may leave outside of these hours, however reentry to the festival or campgrounds will not be allowed.

The festival’s performance area will open at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. At noon on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The concert venue will shut down at 2 a.m. nightly.

Where?
Country Thunder is held at Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence, Arizona which approximately 1 hour south of Phoenix.  The address is 20585 E. Water Way, Florence AZ 85132

Ticket Availability & Cost
Single-day passes, VIP passes, and campgrounds have all been sold and/or reserved.  According to their website, there are fewer than 2,000 four-day general admission passes available. Visit www.countrythunder.com/az for more details.

Cost of Tickets
With reserved seating, platinum, VIP packages and single-day general admission tickets sold out, the only tickets still available for purchase are four-day general admission to the festival which cost $245 per person.

Parking
Parking varies depending on where you want to park and for how long you plan to stay. Campsite parking requires a vehicle pass, which is included with a paid camping site. One additional pass can be purchased for $65 with campsite reservations and are good for the entire weekend. There is also a “camper drop-off” pass that costs $20 for those without tickets who are driving people to and from the campgrounds.

For attendees who do not plan to camp throughout the weekend, single-vehicle parking passes are $15 per day or $30 for the entire festival weekend. Parking is also available in the “Weekend Reserve” lot, which is located directly next to the festival entrance, for $80. All single day parking passes require attendees to be out of the parking lot by 2:30 a.m. every night or vehicles will be ticketed or towed.

Age Limits to Attend Festival?
The festival is open to all ages and children 10 and under are allowed into the general admission area with a paid adult. However, the campgrounds are limited to those 18 and over.

Are There Set Covid-19 Requirements?  
With all of the festival outdoors, there are no vaccine requirements. Masks are recommended, but they are not required. Social distancing information will be displayed and hand sanitizer dispensers will be available at the festival. Visit www.countrythunder.com/az-info for more information.

Process of Getting Inside the Festival?
A government-issued photo ID will be required to pick up tickets from will call. There are general admission entrances on both the east and west ends of the festival. There is a separate entrance on the northwest side for ADA and reserved/VIP seating.

Bag checks will take place at every entrance. Specific bag requirements will be in place. Security will only allow clear bags up to 14 inches by 17 inches by 6 inches, one-gallon disposable freezer bags, or small clutches no larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches.

What is Allowed Inside Country Thunder?
Permitted Items:
Sun protection hats
Sunblock
Sunglasses
Cellphones
Beach Towels
Fanny Packs
Non-professional or Disposable Cameras
Lighters
Blankets
Soft Lawn Chairs
Strollers
Prescription medication – must have the name on the bottle that matches your government-issued photo ID
Over-the-Counter Medicine – must be new and factory sealed
Bottle of Water – Each attendee will be allowed to bring in one factory-sealed bottle of water. Vendors will have water available for purchase.

What Isn’t Allowed?
Not Allowed Inside Festival:
Weapons of any kind, including – firearms, knives or anything with a blade
Laser pointers
Fireworks
Noisemakers
Illegal substances
Selfie sticks
Drones
Backpacks
Large bags
Glass containers
Monopods/Tripods
Umbrellas
Laptops
Radios
Outside food and drink
Chairs with canopies
Non-service animals

Schedule of Performance

Thursday, October 14
3:30 p.m. – Nolan Sotillo
5 p.m. – Meghan Patrick
6:30 p.m. – Filmore
8 p.m. – Mitchell Tenpenny
10 p.m. – Dustin Lynch

Friday, October 15
2 p.m. – Drew Gregory
3:30 p.m. – Austin Jenckes
5 p.m. – Seaforth
6:30 p.m. – Randy Rogers Band
8 p.m. – Chris Janson
10 p.m. – Old Dominion

Saturday, October 16
2 p.m. – Drew Parker
3:30 p.m. – Dallas Smith
5 p.m. – Parmalee
6:30 p.m. – Parker McCollum
8 p.m. – Ashley McBride
10 p.m. – Luke Combs

Sunday, October 17
2:30 p.m. – Kameron Marlowe
4 p.m. – Chicks With Hits
5:30 p.m. – Ernest
7 p.m. – Hardy
9 p.m. – Eric Church