How Chris Stacey and Tara Wilson turned Tortuga into a movement creating ocean advocates

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On the sands of Fort Lauderdale, something highly expected happens every spring. An already legendary music festival takes over the shoreline. But it is not just about the music. It is also about the ocean.

That is the spirit behind Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival, a three-day gathering that blends country and rock with a deeper purpose: ocean conservation. Behind it is the Rock The Ocean Foundation, a nonprofit focused on protecting sea turtles, marine mammals, coral reefs, sharks and marine habitats.

For the 2026 edition, that will be held April 10 to 12, VoLo Foundation has partnered with Rock The Ocean to bring some new and exciting elements to their sustainability efforts at Tortuga Music Festival. The alignment of goals between the two organizations was key to landing the partnership.

Since 2013, Tortuga has raised more than $6 million for conservation efforts, supporting more than 100 nonprofit partners and five universities across the United States, the Bahamas, South Africa and Asia. But beyond the numbers, the story of Tortuga begins with a personal turning point.

The spark

For Chris Stacey, the idea did not come in a boardroom. It came at sea.

“There was a definite lightbulb moment,” Stacey, a music industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, recalled. In 2012, he watched The Cove, the Oscar-winning documentary about dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan.

“It shook me. I have always been a boater, a diver, a fisherman. I thought I knew the ocean.” The next day, he went freediving off Fort Lauderdale. On the boat ride back, something clicked.

“I looked to the right, saw this beautiful stretch of beach, and I told my friend: I am going to put a music festival right there. And we are going to call attention to all the things killing the ocean that I did not even know about,” he recounted.

So, he decided to throw a large-scale event that could inform people while they were having a good time.

A partnership built on a shared passion

By the time Tara Wilson became involved, the idea was already in motion. What began as occasional advice evolved into a leadership role.

“He had the idea before we met, and the idea took shape over the next two years leading to the festival… And the rest is history,” Wilson explained.

“That was one of the things we bonded over,” she added. “Our love for marine life and conservation.” She made clear that “he is the big-idea guy; I am focused on strategy, numbers and execution.”

Stacey agreed. “A dream without execution is just a dream.” He brought the connections and creative direction. Wilson helped build the operational backbone, especially in sustainability.

Beyond the music

From the beginning, they understood that hosting a festival on a sea turtle nesting beach came with responsibility.

At first glance, Tortuga looks like a major beach party, featuring artists across genres, including outstanding artists such as Post Malone and Ice Cube.

“A lot of people think it is just a country festival,” Stacey noted. “Then they show up and realize it is much more diverse.” Another common misconception is about environmental impact. “How do you have 100,000 people on a beach and not trash it?” he asked.

From the start, the team committed to leaving the beach in better condition than they found it. Over time, that promise has grown into a comprehensive sustainability program with recycling systems, compostable materials and creative reuse of resources across the site.

Some decisions have been difficult.

“We have turned down seven-figure deals,” Stacey reflected. “Because the brands did not align with our values.”

For Wilson, integrity has been central to building the brand. “We do not expect partners to be perfect, but there are clear lines that we will not cross,” she emphasized.

The ripple effect

Those high standards have had an unexpected outcome: brands that participate often adapt. “They come in confused, but then they see it can be done differently,” Stacey observed.

Wilson highlighted that those practices often extend beyond the festival. “The ripple effect matters,” she pointed out.

That influence is part of what sets Tortuga apart. It is not only raising money, but also shaping behavior.

Where missions meet

The alignment with VoLo Foundation was cemented around the experience of being part of Climate Correction™. For Stacey, “The support helps us elevate our game. It raises the bar,” he remarked.

Wilson sees the connection not as scale, but as structure. Rock The Ocean sits at the intersection of live events, culture and conservation. That blend, she noted, mirrors VoLo’s approach.

The more they learned about the foundation’s work, the clearer that overlap became. Not just in mission, but in method.

A leadership parallel

Meeting Thais Lopez Vogel, cofounder and trustee of VoLo Foundation, allowed Wilson to recognize a shared mindset: a refusal to frame challenges as dead ends. “This isn’t an obstacle. It’s an opportunity to find a solution,” Lopez Vogel said at the time.

It is a mindset Wilson brings to her own team, and hearing it echoed reinforced the parallel.

There is also a broader recognition of what leadership looks like in that space. Not just funding initiatives but actively shaping them.

For her, the takeaway is a sense that different organizations are moving in the same direction.

What stays with fans

When the festival ends, Stacey hopes attendees leave with more than memories.

“If people walk away knowing just one or two things about ocean conservation, that is a win,” he noted.

Wilson emphasized that participation alone makes an impact. “Buying a ticket supports the cause. That allows us to keep doing this work,” she underlined.

For both, the goal is to show that entertainment and environmental responsibility can coexist.

Press Contacts:

Shannon Ports Maganiezin

External Relations Director, VoLo Foundation

[email protected]

Carlos Roa

Senior Press and PR Director

[email protected]