Decatur City Council approves agreement with Rock the South organizers

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — The Decatur City Council has approved a five-year investment and incentive agreement with Rock the South, which includes an investment from the city and compensation from the festival.

During a city council meeting on Monday, the council approved the agreement in a 4-1 vote. Councilman Billy Jackson was the lone disenter, citing during the meeting concerns over overtime costs for city employees and the overall cost of the event for the city.

The agreement sets expectations and requirements for both the city and the event organizers.

With the event agreeing to a five-year commitment to holding the events in Decatur, the city is also agreeing to pay the organizers $5 million over that period. The city agreed to make a $1,200,000 investment in the event by or on October 31, 2025.

The city will invest $1,100,000 in the second year, $1 million in the third year and $850,000 in the fourth and fifth years. After the first year, all payments will be due Oct. 1 as long as Rock the South is in compliance with its own commitments to the city.

While the city has agreed to invest in the event, the agreement also requires Rock the South to give money back to the city. As part of the agreement, the event will give 50% of its parking revenue to the city, along with revenue generated from a 10% fee added to tickets that include on-site camping.

Rock the South will also be required to pay Decatur $50,000 annually to help with infrastructure upgrades to the event’s location.

The agreement also has some more intangible benefits, such as Rock the South agreeing to lend the city its marketing expertise and to brand the event as Rock the South – Decatur.

Council President Jacob Ladner ultimately supported Monday’s resolution but said he wants to see a more detailed agreement before the city signs a final contract. City Attorney Herman Marks noted that the council would need to vote on a further contract after the city agreed to the investment agreements.

“Again, very exciting for our city, the video, the promotion has been really good, a lot of excitement really from across the state,” Ladner said. “But there’s got to be somethings in the contract that protect us to some degree.

Mayor Tab Bowling said the event moving to the city is a huge success.

“Rock the South is a huge success for Decatur and all of North Alabama,” he said. “This partnership attracts national attention to our city and creates important economic opportunities for our businesses and residents. We appreciate the investment Rock the South is making in our community.”