Ocean Way Festival is a 2-day music festival taking place on Saturday, September 26 & 27, 2026 at The Beach at Santa Monica
Ocean Way is a cashless event. Major credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover will be accepted. Contactless payment solutions such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and contactless cards will also be accepted.
You can convert cash to a pre-paid Visa card. See your nearest Guest Service booth for closest cash to card locations.
Please visit our Accessibility / ADA page.
For any accessibility-related questions, please email our Accessibility Team
The name Ocean Way Festival begins at the corner of Ocean Way and Bay Street, just steps from the sand in Santa Monica. In the 1970s, Allen Sides transformed a small garage on Ocean Way into a recording studio that would become one of the most respected names in sound. Just blocks from where the festival now takes place, that legacy of creativity, craftsmanship, and musical discovery became an inspiration for Ocean Way Festival. Rooted in Santa Monica’s rich music history, the festival carries that spirit forward, bringing artists, neighbors, families, and fans together by the ocean where new memories are made.
Before it became a name known throughout the music world, Ocean Way was simply a street in Santa Monica.
In the 1970s, a young musician, recording enthusiast, and audio designer named Allen Sides began building and testing custom speaker systems from a small garage on Ocean Way, just steps from the beach. That same garage, located just outside today’s Ocean Way Festival entrance, soon became a gathering place for artists searching for a new kind of sound.
What started as speaker demonstrations quickly became something bigger. Musicians were captivated not just by the speakers, but by the recordings Allen created to showcase them. They wanted their own music to capture that same feeling.
From that small Santa Monica garage, Ocean Way Recording was born.
As word spread, Allen’s pursuit of perfect sound carried Ocean Way from the beach to Hollywood, where his studios became home to some of the most iconic recordings in music history.
Decades later, Ocean Way Festival returns to where the story began, bringing artists, neighbors, families, and fans together on the same coastline that inspired a legacy.
The event shall be presented in accordance with applicable public health conditions as of the date of the event and which may change at any time as determined by federal, state or local government agencies or instrumentalities, artists or the promoter; such requirements may include, without limitation, changes to capacity, attendance procedures and attendance requirements, such as proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID-19 test, and other protective measures such as requiring attendees to wear face coverings. If any ticket holder does not comply with any laws, mandates, health orders or directives, promoter or event terms, conditions or rules, then the promoter or event operator may refuse admission to the event or require the ticket holder to leave the venue and such ticket holder will not be entitled to a refund.
COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. There is an inherent and elevated risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place or place where people are present and there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to COVID-19.
All attendees agree to follow festival policies (including health and safety policies) and posted instructions while at the festival. All attendees should evaluate their risk in determining whether to attend the festival. By entering the festival, attendees voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to viruses (including, without limitation, COVID-19) and confirm that they will adhere to federal, state and local mandates and/or any quarantine or isolation recommendations.
Security and safety are of utmost importance. We work hand in hand with law enforcement and public safety agencies to help ensure the safety of our events. Because of those very same concerns, we are unable to publicly comment on detailed, specific actions which are taken. You will notice safety measures upon your arrival such as dog sweeps, bag checks, and walk-through metal detectors (magnetometers, open gates or evolve systems) for all attendees, staff, and performers.
Please note that we will implement safety screenings upon festival entry. Please arrive early and note the Prohibited Items list. Prohibited items will be refused upon entry and must be returned to the patron’s vehicle or disposed of by the patron.
In the event of an emergency, information may be relayed on the video screens, over the audio system, and/or through mobile notifications via the festival app.
If you, or a friend, require medical assistance please locate your nearest medical tent or alert a staff member. And remember: if you see something, say something. Flag down any staff member or public safety official if you notice something that doesn’t seem quite right.
Ocean Way Festival is committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and family-friendly experience for our guests. The following actions may result in ejection from the event: