Goldenvoice announced Thursday that The Killers and Olivia Dean will headline the inaugural Ocean Way Festival, the first major music festival to be held on the city's shoreline on Sept. 26-27.
The complete lineup is 54 Ultra, Alvvays, Austin Millz, BLOND:ISH, Carlita, Coco & Breezy, DJ Harvey, Durand Jones & The Indications, EREZ, Good Neighbours, Heidi Lawden, Hiatus Kaiyote, Hot Chip DJ set, Jack White, Khruangbin, Nala, Olivia Dean, Poolside DJ set, SG Lewis, Sublime, The Killers and Vandelux DJ set.
The festival will feature a main stage hosting five acts per day, a second stage designed for a more intimate setting, and a mix of standing-room and open blanket areas intended to reflect how people typically spend a day at the beach, organizers said.
Tickets go on sale to the general public Thursday, July 23, at 11 a.m. Pacific time at oceanwayfestival.com. A presale for Santa Monica residents begins Wednesday, July 22, at 11 a.m. Hotel packages and access to the festival's Proper Beach Club went on sale Thursday, July 16.
Two-day general admission passes start at $399 and include access to all general admission areas, both stages, shaded seating areas and food and beverage vendors. Two-day Premium Pit passes start at $749 and add access to a dedicated bar, flushable restrooms and an elevated viewing deck near the main stage. Payment plan options are available, and hotel packages bundling tickets with lodging and transportation are also being offered.
The Proper Beach Club, a beachfront hospitality area developed with Proper Hotels, will include a private lounge designed by Kelly Wearstler Studio.
The festival is designed as a transit-first event with no on-site parking. Metro's E Line stops near the festival entrance, and Big Blue Bus and shuttle service will also be available, along with bike valet and other micro-mobility options.
Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents, was selected by the City of Santa Monica through a competitive process to develop the festival as part of the city's Realignment Plan, a civic investment effort focused on public safety, business growth and cultural programming valued at more than $60 million. City officials said the festival will serve as the cultural anchor of "The Sandbox on the Beach," a newly designated beachfront district for major civic events that will also host activations tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, Super Bowl LXI and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"Santa Monica is in the middle of a renaissance. The city is welcoming the world to its shores, and Ocean Way Festival is how we're making sure our own community is at the center of it," Mayor Caroline Torosis said in a statement.
Nic Adler, Goldenvoice's vice president of regional festivals, said the company's history in Santa Monica — including early shows the company produced at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium — shaped the decision to bring a new festival to the city.
"Santa Monica has an incredible music history, and Goldenvoice has been fortunate to be part of that story," Adler said. "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. Ocean Way Festival is our opportunity to celebrate that history while building something that feels authentically Santa Monica for years to come."
The festival takes its name from Ocean Way, a street near the Santa Monica Pier where Ocean Way Recording got its start in a three-car garage before relocating to Hollywood, where it went on to host numerous recording artists over four decades.
Brad Korzen, CEO of Proper Hospitality, said the beach club concept was meant to complement the festival experience rather than compete with it.
“Music and design have always been at the core of what we do at Proper. Proper Presents has been a big part of that journey, and the Proper Beach Club at Ocean Way Festival feels like a natural next step. To bring our approach to hospitality to an event of this scale, right here in Santa Monica, takes everything we've built to a whole new level,” said Korzen.
The Santa Monica City Council approved preliminary agreements last year to partner with Goldenvoice on the festival.
The festival footprint includes the beach, the Pier parking deck and portions of adjacent beach parking lots, with the main stage positioned at the base of the Pier facing south. The event will be held entirely on the sand and is separate from the city's Twilight Concert Series, which is based on the Pier.
Planned elements include a food lineup featuring Westside restaurants, a "beach club" area in place of a traditional VIP section, a farmers market-style vendor strip, a high school day and college day connecting students with industry professionals, free concerts at Reed Park and Tongva Park, and beach cleanups conducted with Heal the Bay. Organizers said the festival's sustainability measures exceed city requirements, pointing to partnerships with waste-reduction company Three Squares and battery company Overdrive for solar-charged stage power.
In the weeks leading up to the festival, organizers said they will hold free events throughout Santa Monica, including concerts, beach cleanups, leadership programs for local high school and college students, and youth surf and water safety programming, along with partnerships with local businesses.
Ocean Way Festival is produced by Goldenvoice, which also produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach: California's Country Music Festival, and operates venues including the Fonda Theatre, The Roxy Theatre, El Rey Theatre, The Novo, Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, The Regency Ballroom and The Warfield. The company promotes more than 2,000 concerts annually across California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska and Canada.
Additional information on tickets and the festival lineup is available at oceanwayfestival.com.