The inaugural Ocean Way Festival in Santa Monica has been cancelled after Hurricane Marie caused severe beach erosion along the California coastline.
The two-day electronic music festival was scheduled to take place on September 26 and 27. However, the storm significantly changed the landscape of the planned festival site, leaving organizers with no safe way to proceed.
Hurricane Marie reached Category 2 strength after developing off the Pacific coast. The storm brought powerful swells and winds of up to 100 mph to parts of Southern California. The resulting surf and storm runoff caused extensive erosion across several coastal areas.
Ocean Way Festival Forced To Cancel
Ocean Way Festival was set to bring a major lineup to Santa Monica Beach for its debut edition.
The bill included BLOND, Hot Chip, DJ Harvey, SG Lewis, Carlita, Coco & Breezy, and more. The event was being organized by Goldenvoice and was expected to welcome tens of thousands of festivalgoers.
However, the damage proved too significant to overcome.
Following an assessment of the beach, the City of Santa Monica determined that the available usable space had been dramatically reduced. As a result, there was not enough safe ground to construct the required festival infrastructure.
Festival organizers confirmed the cancellation on September 12.
“Storm surf and runoff has caused significant beach erosion and the festival can no longer be safely held as planned,” the festival shared.
The decision came after Hurricane Marie’s impact left a large portion of the festival site severely eroded. Santa Monica officials also declared an emergency following the storm due to coastal flooding, property damage and beach erosion.
Ocean Way Festival Will Return In 2027
Although the 2026 debut will not happen, Ocean Way Festival is already looking toward next year.
Organizers confirmed that plans for a 2027 edition are underway, giving fans another chance to experience the new festival on Santa Monica Beach.
Mayor Caroline Torosis also addressed the cancellation, expressing her disappointment for the artists, fans and local businesses affected by the decision.
However, safety remains the priority.
The festival’s 2026 ticket holders will receive automatic refunds. Meanwhile, Goldenvoice and Santa Monica officials are continuing to work together toward bringing the event to the beach in 2027.
For now, the debut of Ocean Way Festival will have to wait. The lineup may have been ready to take over Santa Monica, but the coastline needs time to recover first.
