The inaugural Ocean Way music festival, a new beachfront event planned for Santa Monica later this month, has been canceled. Organizers made the announcement Friday, stating that significant beach erosion caused by storm surf and runoff from Hurricane Marie made it impossible to proceed as planned.
Originally scheduled for September 26-27, the two-day festival had promised a notable lineup. Headline performances were set to include The Killers and Olivia Dean, with other acclaimed artists such as Khruangbin, Sublime, and Jack White also on the bill. The prospect of these acts performing directly on the Santa Monica sand had generated considerable local interest.
According to an email sent to ticket holders, organizers confirmed the cancellation, specifically attributing it to the extensive impacts of Hurricane Marie. They elaborated that the City of Santa Monica had intervened, canceling the festival because the "storm surf and runoff has caused significant beach erosion and the festival can no longer be safely held as planned." This assessment by the city highlights the extent of the damage to the coastal area, deeming it unsafe for a large-scale public gathering. AXS, the official ticketing platform for the event, also confirms the cancellation on its listings.
Ocean Way was first announced in July by Goldenvoice, the well-known promoter responsible for major events like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The festival was conceived as a fresh take on music events for the Southern California coast. Part of its unique appeal was its design as a car-free event, where concertgoers were actively encouraged to utilize public transportation instead of driving to the already bustling Santa Monica beach area. This initiative aimed to alleviate local traffic congestion and promote more sustainable event access.
The cancellation of Ocean Way marks the second instance this year of a major beachside music festival in the Los Angeles area being called off. Just last month, on August 7, the inaugural LA Jazz Festival also met a similar fate. Organizers for the jazz festival cited different challenges, specifically "unexpected public safety and municipal permitting costs," as their reasons for canceling. That festival had envisioned a series of events throughout August, culminating in "Jazz on the Beach" concerts on August 22-23 at Dockweiler Beach. Its lineup included an array of prominent artists such as John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, Charlie Wilson, and Raphael Saadiq.
For those who purchased tickets or were looking forward to the beachside concerts, the wait for Ocean Way will be considerably longer. Organizers have already indicated that "plans are already underway to bring the festival back to Santa Monica in 2027," pushing its debut back by three years. This leaves Santa Monica residents and visitors looking forward to beach music festivals with a bit of a dry spell for now.
