Hurricane Marie Forces Cancellation Of Santa Monica's Ocean Way Festival

SANTA MONICA, CA — Santa Monica's inaugural Ocean Way Festival has been canceled after storm surf and runoff from Hurricane Marie caused significant beach erosion, organizers told ticket holders Friday.

The two-day beachfront music festival, scheduled for Sept. 26-27, was set to feature headliners The Killers and Olivia Dean along with Jack White, Khruangbin, Sublime and other artists.

"Due to the impacts of Hurricane Marie, the City of Santa Monica has canceled the inaugural Ocean Way Festival," organizers said in an email sent to ticket holders.

"Storm surf and runoff has caused significant beach erosion and the festival can no longer be safely held as planned."

Organizers said plans are already underway to bring the festival back to Santa Monica in 2027. Refunds are being processed automatically through AXS, according to the notice, and ticket holders were told to allow five to seven business days for the money to appear in their accounts.

Patch has contacted the City of Santa Monica and festival organizers for additional information about the extent of the erosion, when the decision was made and whether other Ocean Way-related events planned around the festival will still go ahead.

First Major Music Festival On Santa Monica Beach

Goldenvoice announced Ocean Way in July as the first major music festival on Santa Monica Beach, with the event planned on the sand between the Santa Monica Pier and Bay Street.

The promoter, which produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach, described Ocean Way as a celebration of music, food, wellness, design, sustainability and beach culture.

Along with The Killers and Olivia Dean, the lineup included Jack White, Khruangbin, Sublime, Durand Jones & The Indications, Alvvays, SG Lewis, 54 Ultra, Hiatus Kaiyote, BLOND:ISH, Poolside and Hot Chip DJs, among others.

Goldenvoice was selected through a competitive city process to develop Ocean Way as part of Santa Monica's more than $60 million Realignment Plan. City officials had positioned the festival as a cultural anchor of the city's planned beachfront district for major events and public gatherings.

Powerful waves generated by Hurricane Marie battered the Southern California coast in recent days, causing beach erosion and damage even though the storm remained offshore. Waves reached more than 11 feet in some areas, according to reports.

Related Ocean Way Events Still Listed

As of Friday afternoon, several official and promotional websites had not yet been updated to reflect the cancellation. Goldenvoice was still advertising Ocean Way for Sept. 26 and 27, while the city's Ocean Way event listing continued to show the festival taking place on the beach south of the Santa Monica Pier.

AXS's website was also still displaying the festival and individual Sept. 26 and Sept. 27 ticket pages Friday afternoon despite the cancellation notice sent directly to ticket holders.

The city also continued to list two free Ocean Way-related events at Reed Park on Sept. 24 and 25. The dublab Open Air events were promoted as a way to "start your Ocean Way Festival weekend early," with live music and DJs planned on both evenings. It was not immediately clear Friday whether those events would proceed despite the festival's cancellation.