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Ocean Way Festival Canceled Due to Beach Erosion
Confirmed
In Short: The inaugural Ocean Way Festival, set to debut in Santa Monica, has been canceled just weeks before its scheduled start due to severe weather and beach conditions, organizers announced.
The Ocean Way Festival, a music event organized by the producers of Coachella, has been canceled due to beach erosion and severe weather conditions, according to Goldenvoice, the festival's organizers. The event, scheduled for September 26-27, was to take place on a 550,000-square-foot stretch of sand south of the Santa Monica Pier, featuring acts like The Killers and Olivia Dean.
Organizers stated that plans are already underway to bring the festival to Santa Monica in 2027, with safety concerns being the primary reason for the cancellation. The festival was to be a celebration of Santa Monica's music history, with Goldenvoice VP of regional festivals Nic Adler noting the city's unique creative legacy.
Santa Monica City Council member Dan Hall, who first introduced the motion to launch Ocean Way, said the storm compromised the safety of prospective attendees. 'I am deeply saddened that severe weather and beach conditions have forced the City and Goldenvoice to make this difficult decision,' Hall said in an emailed statement.
The conditions caused significant beach erosion, exposing decades-old buried pier remnants and collapsing a beachfront driveway into a sinkhole in Malibu. The National Weather Service reported life-threatening rip currents and significant beach erosion, prompting evacuations and safety concerns for the planned festival venue.
What's confirmed
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What's still developing
- “Santa Monica has an incredible music history, and Goldenvoice has been fortunate to be part of that story. From legendary shows at the Civic Auditorium to the origins of Ocean Way Recording just steps from the beach, there’s a creative legacy here that’s unlike anywhere else,” said Goldenvoice VP of regional festivals Nic Adler in a statement back in July.
- Southern California favorites Sublime and Durand Jones and the Indications were also set to perform at the festival put on by the same promoters as Coachella and Stagecoach.
- “Ocean Way Festival is our opportunity to celebrate that history while building something that feels authentically Santa Monica for years to come.” The message from AXS says fans will be refunded for the price of their tickets that ranged from single day four packs for $189 to premium weekend passes for more than $700.
- The conditions collapsed a beachfront driveway into a sinkhole in Malibu, compromising a seawall and prompting evacuation of more than a dozen homes in Long Beach while demolishing piers and a boatyard on Catalina Island, according to local reports.
- The same goes for the beach venue of Ocean Way Festival, according to Hall, who characterized the threat as “deeply concerning” as officials work to repair the Pico storm drain.
- “Resident and festival safety are first and foremost in my mind and in our staff’s mind,” Hall told us at the time.
- A staff report issued by the Santa Monica City Council back in April said they are planning for Ocean Way to return in both 2027 and 2028.