In the news: Ocean Way Festival cancelled after beach erosion
Santa Monica and Goldenvoice cancelled the inaugural Ocean Way Festival when storm damage left the beach site unsafe — a sharp reminder that outdoor footprints move.
The inaugural Ocean Way Festival on Santa Monica Beach was cancelled in September 2026 after storm surf and runoff from Hurricane Marie eroded enough of the site that production could not safely load in.
The City of Santa Monica and Goldenvoice said plans for a 2027 return are already under way; refunds were set to process automatically. Headliners and a large beach footprint do not help if the ground itself has moved.
Read the city statement · Pollstar coverage
Why organisers care: weather and ground conditions can retire a PDF site plan overnight. Keeping layout in a live outdoor planning map does not stop a hurricane — it does stop you redrawing the same field three times in Illustrator while the crew wait.
