Hangout Fest releases 2016 lineup early

Hangout Music Fest fans are used to being kept hanging until a few months before the festival to find out who's playing. But for 2016, festival organizers have changed the game.

The festival, which takes place May 20-22 on the public beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., issued a surprise lineup announcement Tuesday, a good three months ahead of when fans have come to expect the announcement.

With a laser-like focus on a 30-and-younger audience, the 2016 festival will feature artists responsible for some of the biggest hits of the past few years, including The Weeknd, Florence + the Machine, Calvin Harris, Alabama Shakes, Ellie Goulding, Walk the Moon and Fetty Wap. These are all current, younger artists who have broken through with young audiences in a big way.

For instance, singer-songwriter The Weeknd — whose modern, R&B-influenced sound has been called "PBR&B" to note its hipster appeal (PBR, or Pabst Blue Ribbon, being a hipster beer of choice) — is coming off a career year, with singles "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills" and his album "Beauty Behind the Madness" all topping the charts. Organizers said Hangout will make The Weeknd's only 2016 festival appearance.

Similarly, driven by the powerhouse vocals of Florence Welch, lush indie pop band Florence + the Machine are coming off the chart-topping success of their third album, "How Big, How Beautiful, How Blue." Known for such hits as "Dog Days Are Over," "Shake It Out," "Spectrum (Say My Name)," "Cosmic Love" and "What Kind of Man," Hangout will mark a Gulf Coast return for the group after its performance at the final Deluna Fest.

And Grammy Award-winning EDM superstar Calvin Harris is among the world's biggest names in dance music, known for successful collaborations with three festival acts, Welch ("Sweet Nothing"), Ellie Goulding ("I Need Your Love" and "Outside") and Haim ("Pray to God"), as well as the chart-topping "We Found Love," a collaboration with Rihanna that Harris wrote and produced.

Other 2015 chart-toppers hitting the festival are the bluesy Alabama Shakes, whose sophomore album "Sound & Color" debuted at No. 1 in April; and rapper Fetty Wap, whose self-titled album debuted at No. 1, powered by Top 10 hits like "Trap Queen," "679" and "My Way."

And Walk the Moon and Goulding have had two of the biggest singles of the year with "Shut Up and Dance" and "Love Me Like You Do," respectively.

Other featured acts include Lenny Kravitz, Flume, Haim, Cage the Elephant, Panic! At the Disco, Grimes, The Chainsmokers, Jason Isbell, Miike Snow, Portugal. The Man, Moon Taxi and Big Grams, a collaboration between atmospheric indie duo Phantogram and rapper Big Boi of Outkast.

The early line-up announcement wasn't the only big change for the seventh annual festival. It marks the first time since the inaugural 2010 Hangout Fest where advanced tickets have not been sold before the announcement of the lineup, save for a loyalty program on the grounds of the festival during 2015's closing day. And the festival introduced all-inclusive pricing for 2016, meaning there are no added fees or taxes above the listed prices. Organizers said this amounts to a net price cut on weekend passes.

Three-day weekend passes will go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday at www.hangoutmusicfest.com. Regular weekend passes are $249. VIP packages, which include admission to the festival's May 19 kickoff party (lineup TBA) as well as extensive additional amenities including private entrances, bathrooms and swimming pools, are $1,099. Super VIP packages with "five-star resort" accommodations including gourmet meals, on-site golf cart shuttles, hot tubs and all regular VIP amenities are $1,599.

Payment plans are available for all ticket purchases and may be selected at checkout, breaking the costs into four monthly payments.

Daily festival schedules are not available, and the festival is not offering single-day tickets. Most years, single-day tickets have not been made available.

As usual, parking on the grounds will be limited, but another change to policy for this year is making things a little easier for those who have not made lodging arrangements. Shuttle passes are being sold without buyers having to identify a route in advance. Weekend shuttle passes are $50 and are available at www.hangoutmusicfest.com.

Hangout Music Fest 2016 artists