Ocean Way Festival Cancelled Two Weeks Before Debut

Goldenvoice has cancelled the inaugural Ocean Way Festival, scheduled for September 26-27 at the Santa Monica Pier, after Hurricane Marie battered Southern California's coastline with massive swells and dangerous conditions. The Coachella producers announced the decision just two weeks before gates were set to open.

Hurricane damage forces safety call

Marie's impact generated 8-to-20-foot waves and life-threatening rip currents that pounded south-facing shores from San Diego to the South Bay. The storm collapsed a beachfront driveway in Malibu, forced evacuations of more than a dozen homes in Long Beach, and demolished piers and a boatyard on Catalina Island. At Newport Beach, significant erosion exposed decades-old buried pier remnants.

The festival site itself, a 550,000-square-foot stretch of sand south of the pier known as "The Sandbox," sustained damage that Santa Monica City Council member Dan Hall described as "deeply concerning." Officials are working to repair the Pico storm drain. The National Weather Service has not confirmed any fatalities but reported severe beach erosion across the region.

City prioritizes public safety

Hall, who introduced the motion to launch Ocean Way, said the decision came down to protecting attendees and residents. "I am deeply saddened that severe weather and beach conditions have forced the City and Goldenvoice to make this difficult decision," he said in a statement. "However, the safety of festival-goers, our residents, and the Pier must remain our priority."

The festival was set to feature headliners The Killers and Olivia Dean. According to a staff report issued by the Santa Monica City Council in April, Ocean Way was planned as a multi-year event running through 2028. Goldenvoice confirmed it will return in 2027.