Zac Brown Band turned a sold-out Fenway Park concert into an enormous vacation giveaway when more than 37,000 fans were offered a cruise for two.
The surprise came during the band’s August 2 show in Boston, which marked its record-extending 15th consecutive sellout at the home of the Red Sox.
Zac Brown announced the gift from the stage shortly before the group performed “Same Boat.” The cruises were provided through the band’s partnership with Margaritaville at Sea and carried a stated total value of more than $40 million.
The Fenway promotion went far beyond the giveaway running at the other stops on the Love & Fear Tour, where four fans at each concert are selected to receive a cruise for themselves and a guest.
Zac Brown Told the Crowd Everyone Was Getting a Cruise
Brown introduced the surprise by telling the audience that the band was about to do something “even Jimmy would say is crazy,” referring to late Margaritaville founder Jimmy Buffett. “I’m buying every single person here a cruise for two people on the boat,” he announced.
“Every single person here gets a cruise for themselves and a loved one.” Brown called it “the biggest giveaway in history” as thousands of fans cheered throughout the stadium.
According to People’s report on the concert, the band and its partners described the promotion as the largest surprise audience gift in live-entertainment history. Brown then moved into “Same Boat,” the Zac Brown Band single that later received an alternate version featuring Buffett on the deluxe edition of The Comeback.
Fans Initially Struggled to Believe the Announcement
Nathan Whitcomb, who attended with his girlfriend and parents, told CBS Boston that he was still trying to process the announcement the following morning. “I was like, ‘Is he serious?’” Whitcomb said. “I didn’t believe it. It didn’t seem real.”
Serina Ryder attended with her three sons and knew Brown had teased a major surprise during the show. She initially expected the band to bring out an unannounced musical guest.
Ryder considered Snoop Dogg a possibility because the rapper appeared on Zac Brown Band’s 2025 song “Let It Run.” Instead, she and her sons learned that eligible attendees could claim cruise certificates.
Attendees Had Until Midnight to Start Their Claims
Fans were instructed to text “SameBoatBoston” to a number displayed inside Fenway Park before 11:59 p.m. on the night of the concert. Those who completed the required claim process could receive a cruise for two on select Margaritaville at Sea sailings.
“We were honored to work alongside Zac to help bring this incredible surprise to life for his fans,” Margaritaville at Sea CEO Christopher Ivy said. “This was an extraordinary way to thank the fans who have supported him throughout his career, and we’re proud to have helped make that incredible vision a once-in-a-lifetime reality.”
The promotion covered the cruise fare, but recipients would still be responsible for expenses not included in their certificates, potentially including transportation to the departure port, taxes, fees, port expenses, gratuities and optional onboard purchases.
The Tour’s Regular Giveaway Selects Four Fans Each Night
The scale of the Fenway gift represented a major departure from the promotion announced for the rest of the band’s 27-date tour. At each regular stop, fans can text a code displayed on the venue screens.
Four winners are then selected to receive a cruise for two aboard Margaritaville at Sea’s new Beachcomber ship. Under the official tour promotion, each certificate covers an interior guaranteed stateroom for two on select Beachcomber departures through September 30, 2027, subject to blackout dates and additional costs.
The regular sweepstakes is limited to legal residents of the United States and Washington, D.C., who are at least 21 years old.
The New Ship Will Include a Venue Designed With Zac Brown
Beachcomber is scheduled to begin sailing from PortMiami in January 2027, with itineraries lasting between four and eight nights through the Eastern and Southern Caribbean. The ship will include Same Boat by Zac Brown, a live-music venue co-created with the singer.
Brown helped shape the space’s stage, artwork, acoustics, drinks and entertainment programming. Margaritaville at Sea describes it as the only artist-designed live-music venue aboard a cruise ship.
The room’s name reflects both Zac Brown Band’s song and Brown’s musical relationship with Buffett, whose Margaritaville brand inspired the cruise line.
The Partnership Includes a Private Bahamas Concert
Zac Brown Band will continue its relationship with the cruise company during a three-ship gathering in Nassau on January 28, 2027. Beachcomber, Paradise and Islander are scheduled to meet in the Bahamas, with passengers from all three ships receiving access to a private Zac Brown Band concert at the Nassau Cruise Port Amphitheatre.
The Beachcomber itinerary for the event is a seven-night sailing from PortMiami with stops in George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Nassau.
The Concert Extended the Band’s Fenway Record
Zac Brown Band first performed at Fenway Park in 2014 and has since built one of the strongest concert histories at the Boston stadium. The group was inducted into the Fenway Music Hall of Fame in 2022, joining Paul McCartney and Billy Joel. Its August 2 performance extended the band’s record to 15 consecutive sellouts at the venue.
The band also holds Fenway’s record for the most tickets sold for a single concert, according to the announcement accompanying the giveaway.
Old Crow Medicine Show opened the Boston date as part of the 2026 Love & Fear Tour. The tour is scheduled to continue through November 21, when Zac Brown Band closes the run at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.