Ocean Way Festival cancelled weeks before debut as storm damage shrinks beach site
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Ocean Way Festival cancelled weeks before debut as storm damage shrinks beach site")
Ocean Way Festival Photograph: (IMDb/Instagram)
The inaugural Ocean Way Festival in Santa Monica has been cancelled after significant erosion has happened along the beach where the event was supposed to take place. Read to know more.
Santa Monica was preparing to welcome a major new music festival to its famous beachfront, but severe weather has forced those plans to be put on hold. The inaugural Ocean Way Festival, which was due to bring thousands of music fans to the beach later this month, has been cancelled.
Why was Santa Monica’s Ocean Way Festival cancelled?
The inaugural Ocean Way Festival will no longer take place this year after severe beach erosion forced organisers and the City of Santa Monica to call off the event. The two-day festival had been scheduled for September 26 and 27 on the beach south of the Santa Monica Pier. It was being developed by Goldenvoice, the promoter behind Coachella and Stagecoach, and was billed as a major new music event for the Santa Monica coastline.
The cancellation followed the impact of Hurricane Marie, which generated a powerful swell along Southern California’s coast. Heavy surf and runoff subsequently stripped away significant portions of the beach planned for the festival.
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A statement from the city of Santa Monica said that the festival “has been cancelled after storm surf generated by Hurricane Marie and runoff from a storm drain outfall eroded a large portion of the festival site over Labour Day weekend. The beach can no longer safely accommodate the festival production and audience capacity, and with construction and load-in set to begin next week, the city determined that cancellation was the only responsible option. Plans are already underway to bring the Ocean Way Festival back to Santa Monica in 2027.”
The statement sent to ticketholders further said that refunds for passes, which had been sold in a range from $249 to $2,250, will be processed automatically in the next 5-7 business days.
Who were set to headline the Ocean Way festival?
It was designed as Santa Monica's first major music festival on the sand, framed by the Santa Monica Pier. It combined live music with food, wellness, design, sustainability, and beach culture. The festival was organised by Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella Stagecoach.
The Ocean Way Festival was originally planned for September 26-27, 2026, and it was supposed to be headline by The Killers and Olivia Dean. The other key artists who would have reportedly been part of the event are Jack White, Khruangbin, Alvvaya, Hiatus Kaiyote and Durand Jones & The Indications. Electronic and dance Acts which would have been part are SG Lewis, BLOND:ISH, Poolside and Hot Chip DJs.
