DECATUR — On Thursday morning, the Decatur City Council held a special meeting to address a proposed multi-million dollar "investment" into a major country music festival now coming to The Fields at Decatur.
The event, Rock the South, has had a significant economic impact on the Cullman area since its inception in 2012, generating over $150 million in revenue in just over 14 years. The council members, who voted 4-0 at the meeting to proceed with the $5 million investment in the festival, are hopeful that hosting it will have a similar impact on their city.
"Some people may call this a hard decision. I call it an easy decision," said Councilman Hunter Pepper of voting in favor of the allocation. "I know that that might cause heartache for some people, but at the end of the day, this event is going to bring several things to the city of Decatur, and several opportunities for the city of Decatur."
Pepper acknowledged the worries of Decatur citizens, while noting that disorder is a possibility at any large-scale event.
"I know that there are several concerns about traffic congestion or concerns about people coming into the city who may not act right," he outlined. "You brought up the incident where an individual was brutally beaten after the event. I actually remember that, but unfortunately, those things come along with anything. It can happen anywhere, anytime at an event this large."
"So at the end of the day, this is a great investment for the city of Decatur," Pepper added.
Councilman Jacob Ladner briefly discussed the return of sales tax on tickets.
"We're getting sales tax off of I think $200 or so a ticket. Because it's for profit, and we do charge we are going to make more of a return on that," he said.
Councilman Carlton McMasters pointed out that the venue can be utilized for events other than the music festival.
"The Rock the South team brought back different things they could potentially do with the property convention affair. So there's an opportunity to have family-type things there," Carlton noted.
"I don't think we need to just pigeonhole the land just for the use of Rock the South. It's going to be there 365 days a year to do other things," he added,
Rock the South's relocation to Decatur is projected to generate an annual economic impact of between $15 million and $20 million for the city. The $5 million investment will be distributed over a five-year period.
The festival kicked off in Cullman in 2012 as a one-day event and now features several artists performing over a three-day period. In 2023, the event set an attendance record, drawing over 100,000 people, equating to more than 35,000 a day.
According to WAAY 31, the City of Decatur anticipates around 30,000 guests, with 85-90% coming from outside Morgan County.
Rock the South is set for June 11–13, 2026.
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