Overview The Patriotic Festival is a three-night Memorial Day weekend of country concerts held for the armed forces in Hampton Roads, and in 2027 it moves back to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront with Bailey Zimmerman, Ella Langley and Riley Green headlining a night each. By day, military and corporate displays run free along the Boardwalk; at night the concerts play on the beach. The festival began in Virginia Beach more than two decades ago, moved to Norfolk in 2022 and played the Scope arena there through 2026. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit produced by Whisper Concerts, a Virginia Beach promoter booking concerts since 1976, with IMGoing Events and the City of Virginia Beach. On site The 2027 site centers on the Oceanfront near 4th Street, with the main entrance on the sand between 6th and 7th Streets and an accessible entrance off the Boardwalk at 6th. VIP tickets add their own entry lanes, reserved viewing of the stage, a furnished lounge with air-conditioned restrooms, dedicated food vendors and bars, and a concierge; an early-entry pass lets ticket holders in an hour before doors. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on all three days the pre-show zone runs from 6th to 12th Street: the Naval Station Norfolk military working dog meet-and-greet, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic security forces demonstrations, Air Force and Space Force recruiters, veterans' groups, and sampling and sales from drinks brands and western-wear sellers. The festival has also hosted Blue Angels and F-22 Raptor demonstrations. The weekend also salutes veterans, honors military service members of the year and runs an Irreverent Warriors veterans' hike. Audience The festival names its mission as honoring active-duty and retired military personnel and their families, in a region that is home to Naval Station Norfolk and Fleet Forces Command. Its crowd drives in from across the mid-Atlantic: Hampton Roads leads its markets, followed by Richmond, Northern Virginia, Baltimore-Hagerstown, Raleigh-Greenville and Roanoke-Lynchburg, and it has counted attendees from all 50 states. The daytime displays need no ticket, so they reach Boardwalk foot traffic as well as concertgoers. Talent and Influencers Its headliners by year: Sam Hunt in 2016, Luke Combs and Kane Brown in 2019, Morgan Wallen in 2022, Cody Johnson in 2023, Hardy in 2024, Riley Green in 2025 and Brooks and Dunn in 2026. Carrie Underwood and The Beach Boys have also played it. Co-founder Ira Agricola has said indoor venues limited the artists the festival could book. Track record Attendance at Scope: 21,393 in 2024 and 19,194 in 2025. Organizers gave capacity and sponsorship as the reasons for the 2027 return to the Oceanfront. Sponsors' corporate donations support Children of Fallen Patriots and the Folds of Honor Foundation. Brand presence At Scope in 2026 the sponsor footprint ran through Exhibition Hall hospitality chalets, displays on the experiential plaza and the upper concourse, plaza pre-concert parties with Grunt Style and Eagle 97.3, and logos on the arena video boards, with the emcee reading sponsors from the stage. A partner can take the weekend exclusively. The promotion runs across 16 radio station markets from Norfolk and Richmond to Raleigh, Salisbury and Baltimore, on WAVY TV and on the festival's social channels. Chevrolet and Franklin Group were on the 2027 partner list, and Jack Daniel's, Pepsi and Boot Barn have run on the Boardwalk pre-show.