About Island Hopper Fest
Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is a 10-day music festival in Southwest Florida featuring performances by the greatest BMI singer-songwriters from Nashville and nationwide. The festival is broken up into four locations with the first weekend kicking off on Captiva Island, then moving to Cape Coral and downtown Fort Myers during the week, and ends with a weekend on Fort Myers Beach. The majority of the shows are free with the exception of some ticketed experiences like our headliner show at the Pink Shell Beach Resort, along with other specialty shows. Stay up-to-date on festival news by joining our email list, downloading our official festival app or following us on social media.
The islands, beaches and neighborhoods of Fort Myers feel like home to many of our festival songwriters and attendees. Check out our song, "Feels Like Home to Me", written and performed by Brian Sutherland and Clint Daniels. We hope to see you in September 2025!
Learn more about the festival's 10-year history and get your merch here. Also, check out the latest features about the festival:
Top 10 Reasons to Visit for the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest
Behind the Music: The Artists of the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest
The Shellcast podcast offers a preview of the 2025 Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, running from September 19-28. Host Jackie Parker is joined by Nancy McPhee, lead organizer of the festival, Jacki Liszak from the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, and festival artist and singer-songwriter Angie K.
Angie K. reveals how a vision board helped turn her dreams, including opening for Jelly Roll, into reality. She also performs her song Red Dirt on Mars.
See what people are saying about the Island Hopper Songwriters Fest. Enjoy 80+ free performances by Broadcast Music, Inc.'s (BMI) best singer-songwriters. Hop from one beautiful setting to another throughout the islands, beaches and neighborhoods of Fort Myers, Florida, and enjoy intimate shows where the talented performers not only share their songs, but also the stories behind them.
We have the best fans in the world! Celebrating its 11th anniversary this September, Island Hopper Songwriter Fest was ranked the fourth-best music fest in the 2024 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
Read the full USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Award list here.