A two-day, all-ages music festival will take over the Santa Monica beach later this month, featuring live performances, local artists, food partners and community programming.
The ticketed Ocean Way Festival will run from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, in the beach area from the Santa Monica Pier to Bay Street. Children 5 and under enter free with an adult.
Setup crews will begin work Sept. 14, with minimal activity that should not affect beach access or parking. Work will occur from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and beginning at 6 a.m. on weekends. The main build-out begins Sept. 21 and includes temporary fencing to separate festival operations from beach activities.
Ocean Front Walk will remain open throughout setup, the festival and load-out. The beach bike path will have temporary detours from Sept. 21-30, with signage and staff to assist.
The Santa Monica Pier will stay open for dining, shopping and family activities, except for the Pier Event Deck, which will be closed for festival use. Visitors are encouraged to park in Lot 1 North, Lot 3 North or Downtown Santa Monica, or to arrive by transit.
All beach areas outside the event footprint will remain accessible. On Sept. 26 and 27, beach Lots 1-5 South will be closed to the public. Residents and employees with designated permit hangtags will keep access to authorized sections.
Lighting and audio testing will take place daily from Sept. 24-27, with adjustments made to minimize impacts on nearby homes and businesses. All festival sound checks and amplified audio will comply with the city's event-specific resolution, approved by the City Council on April 14, 2026.
For more information, visit: www.santamonica.gov/programs/oceanwayfestival
Edited by SMDP Staff