Seven Years of Stories and Song

Panama City Songwriters Festival 2025

By Jordan Staggs | Photography by Emily Ellis AKA Daisy Hipbilly

Back for its seventh year in Panama City, Florida, the Panama City Songwriters Festival celebrated great music, storytelling, community, and one-of-a-kind experiences, with concerts and events taking place November 6–8, 2025. The weekend and annual fundraiser for the nonprofit Bay Youth Music Association featured two full days of original music at intimate, walkable venues throughout the Historic Downtown district.

New to the festival this year, the long weekend kicked off Thursday night with The Four Rooms Experience: A Time Traveler’s Jukebox. This immersive, interactive experience welcomed attendees into four creatively themed rooms at downtown venues, each representing a different genre and era in music. Revival House General Store brought the groovy era of 1960s and ’70s rock and roll, project:STYLE Salon transformed into a John Hughes movie-worthy prom night and cranked up the dance tunes from the ’80s and ’90s, Yard Bar Smoked Meats featured line dancing and music from the best of the country genre along with perfect biscuit sliders, and Bookish Boutique took guests all the way back to the jazz era while popping the bubbly at their wine bar. Groups of guests rotated through the rooms, discovering live music, art, and surprises in each space—but the biggest surprise of all was the “after-party,” which led guests back to the Digital Age with a Matrix-inspired dance party at the Panama City Center for the Arts.

Following the time-traveling journey through music history, Friday and Saturday’s songwriter sessions were nothing short of mesmerizing. Stages were set at Atelier, Bookish Boutique, Downtown Boxing Club, Elevation Salon, The Light Room, Millie’s Cafe, The Portal Downtown, and Panama City Center for the Arts. An eclectic mix of local, regional, national, and international songwriters shared their music and the stories behind the songs, with standout performances from rising star Ben Flournoy, country and bluegrass storyteller Lannette Brasher, Americana artist Johnny Hayes, American Idol alumnus Baylee Littrell, indie folk-rocker Thomas Allain, and many more.

At the inception of the festival’s story is Will Thompson, the visionary founder and director behind the event. As a respected local musician and the president and founder of Bay Youth Music Association, he has long championed music education in the community, helping supply instruments to school band programs and awarding scholarships to young musicians. Thompson often emphasizes that music can connect youth, spark creativity, and ensure that music remains a positive force in young lives.

“Music is a vital tool for helping youth become involved in the arts. Sadly, the arts are being cut from school curricula, and kids need our help,” Thompson says. “BYMA has stepped up to the plate, taking responsibility to make certain the music arts are available to youth.”

With the help of Destination Panama City and a host of generous local sponsors, this year’s festival was one to remember! Their support helps sustain and elevate the event, reinforcing a partnership between community development, tourism, and the local arts scene.

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Visit PCSongwriters.com and BayYouthMusic.org to learn more.