The inaugural Ocean Way Festival, which had been set for Sept. 26-27 on the beach south of the Santa Monica Pier, has been canceled after storm surf and drainage runoff eroded large sections of the festival site, the city and concert promoter Goldenvoice announced Friday.
City officials said the beach can no longer safely support the festival's production and audience capacity. With construction and load-in scheduled to begin the following week, officials said cancellation was the only responsible option. Plans are already underway to bring the festival back to Santa Monica in 2027.
The damage stemmed from Hurricane Marie, an Eastern Pacific storm that reached Category 2 strength and sent a large south swell into Southern California beaches on or about Sept. 5, accompanied by rain across Los Angeles County on Sept. 6 and 7. The National Weather Service kept a High Surf Advisory in effect for the Los Angeles County coast through Sept. 8. The same storm system caused coastal flooding and property damage in Long Beach and Seal Beach, prompted local emergency declarations in Malibu and Dana Point, and eroded beaches across the region.
In Santa Monica, the surf stripped away enough sand south of the pier that the festival's safe shoreline setback would have needed to move 96 feet inland. At the same time, runoff from the Pico-Kenter Storm Drain outfall cut through the southern end of the site, pushing the festival's southern boundary about 500 feet to the north. City staff assessed sand conditions, emergency vehicle access, construction and load-in requirements, crowd circulation, tides and the extended forecast, and concluded the combined loss of usable beach meant the festival infrastructure could not be built safely on the remaining footprint. The Santa Monica Pier was not damaged and remains open.
Mayor Caroline Torosis said she was disappointed by the turn of events but said safety was the top priority. "We've spent more than a year on this festival, and I've spent most of it telling anyone who would listen that music was coming back to this beach," Torosis said. "I wanted to stand on the sand, see the Pier lit up behind that stage, and sing along with our community. I feel for the fans, the artists, and the businesses counting on that weekend, and I'm right there with them. But the surf took the beach we planned this on, and we cannot put tens of thousands of festival-goers on that sand until it's safe. What didn't wash away is the partnership. Goldenvoice has been a responsible partner from day one, and that work continues. Next year, the show goes on."
Goldenvoice Chief Operating Officer Melissa Ormond said the company backed the city's call. "While we share everyone's disappointment that the show can't go on this year, we fully support the city's decision to prioritize safety, and we believe canceling for 2026 is the right call," Ormond said. "We are committed to returning to Santa Monica in 2027 and delivering the Ocean Way Festival experience we envisioned for the community, artists and fans."
All tickets purchased for the 2026 festival will be automatically refunded to the point of purchase, organizers said. Even with the event canceled, the city and Goldenvoice plan to move forward this year with many of the community benefit programs developed alongside the festival, with details to be announced in the coming days.
Ocean Way Festival was conceived as a partnership between the city and Goldenvoice, the AEG Presents subsidiary that also produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach. It was planned as Santa Monica's first major music festival, a two-day, all-ages event featuring live music, local artists, food and community programming on the sand south of the pier, an area organizers had branded "The Sandbox."
Council Member Dan Hall, who introduced the motion directing city staff to explore a beachfront festival, said the storm damage was part of a broader pattern of severe weather affecting the region this month.
"I am deeply saddened that severe weather and beach conditions have forced the City and Goldenvoice to make this difficult decision. However, the safety of festival-goers, our residents, and the Pier must remain our priority," Hall said. "With Hurricane Marie also causing sinkholes in Malibu and triggering home evacuations in Long Beach due to rising surf, the rapid erosion of the beach near the Sandbox event space over the past few days is deeply concerning. The City is working rapidly to keep the Pico storm drain and shoreline repaired and ready for upcoming weather."
Hall also reflected on the festival's origins. "I want to thank Goldenvoice for their partnership in bringing my idea of a beach festival to life," he said. "The announcement of Ocean Way successfully placed Santa Monica back 'on the map' for pop culture and the arts, and it was exciting to see such an incredible artist lineup that truly captured the essence of a Santa Monica summer. By involving local restaurants and hotels, Goldenvoice has demonstrated a genuine commitment to our community. While we are all disappointed, I remain optimistic about bringing Ocean Way back next summer. I will continue working hard to ensure Santa Monica remains a clean, safe, affordable, and fun place for everyone."
The 2026 lineup had been headlined by The Killers on Saturday and Olivia Dean on Sunday, with a 22-act, two-stage bill spanning rock, indie, soul and house music, including Jack White, Sublime, Khruangbin and Hiatus Kaiyote. The festival, planned for noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday at 2030 Ocean Ave., was designed as all-ages with children 5 and under admitted free, and organizers had arranged transit-first access through the Metro E Line, Big Blue Bus service, bike valet and paid off-site shuttle lots, with no on-site parking. General admission tickets had started at $229 for a single day and $399 for two days, with premium packages reaching roughly $2,250.
City officials have described the festival as the cultural centerpiece of Santa Monica's $60 million Realignment Plan, an effort to reverse declining tourism and address a projected $29.6 million structural deficit. The City Council approved preliminary agreements with Goldenvoice on Dec. 16, 2025, granting the company exclusive negotiation rights, and unanimously adopted municipal code waivers for the event on April 14. The California Coastal Commission approved the plan June 11.
Goldenvoice said it will announce dates, programming and ticketing for the 2027 Ocean Way Festival when details are finalized. Community members with questions can contact community@oceanwayfestival.com or 424-260-1923.