Pevita Pearce
For over a decade, the salt air of Santa Monica has been conspicuously devoid of the hum of major live music. Since the shuttering of the legendary Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and the discontinuation of the iconic Twilight Dance Series on the pier in 2015, the seaside city has drifted away from its former status as a premier Southern California music destination.
However, the drought is ending. Goldenvoice—the powerhouse promoter behind cultural monoliths like Coachella and Stagecoach—is set to transform the Santa Monica shoreline into a sonic sanctuary with the inaugural Ocean Way Festival. Scheduled for the final weekend of September, the event promises to draw tens of thousands of enthusiasts to the sand, marking a significant, deliberate pivot in the city’s cultural strategy.
A Curated Sonic Landscape: The Main Facts
The Ocean Way Festival is not merely a concert; it is a meticulously designed experience aimed at capturing the ephemeral "endless summer" vibe of the Southern California coast. Spanning September 26 and 27, the festival is permitted to host up to 35,000 attendees per day.
The programming reflects a binary approach to musical curation, split distinctly by the "mood" of the oceanfront setting. The first day, Friday, September 26, leans into high-energy, rock-oriented anthems, headlined by The Killers. The bill is bolstered by the blistering guitar work of Jack White, the iconic ska-punk rhythms of Sublime, and the dream-pop sensibilities of Alvvays.
Saturday, September 27, shifts gears toward a more rhythmic, atmospheric groove. Headlined by the breakout sensation Olivia Dean—whose recent two-night residency at the Crypto.com Arena sold out instantly—the lineup leans into soul, funk, and global sounds with performances by the psychedelic-funk trio Khruangbin and the soulful, vintage-inspired Durand Jones & the Indications.
The Chronology of a Revitalization
The path to the Ocean Way Festival began not in a corporate boardroom, but in the halls of Santa Monica City Hall. During the 2025 legislative sessions, the City Council engaged in rigorous debates regarding the cultural void left by the passing of the Twilight Series.
Councilmember Dan Hall emerged as a primary advocate for a new, modernized approach, arguing that the city’s identity needed to shift away from purely retail-centric tourism toward experiential, memory-making events. The goal was to revitalize the Downtown and Pier corridors through a high-profile cultural anchor.
Following an extensive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, Goldenvoice was selected approximately seven months ago. The speed of the project’s development reflects the urgency of the city’s "realignment plan." The promoter, led by producer Nic Adler, immediately began a deep-dive residency in Santa Monica, meeting with business owners, restaurateurs, and local artists to ensure the festival felt like a product of the city rather than a generic touring production.
Supporting Data and Logistics
The logistical footprint of the festival is as ambitious as its programming. The main stage will be positioned against the Santa Monica Pier, utilizing the structure for back-of-house operations. The audience will congregate on the sands south of the pier, occupying a stretch of beach extending roughly half a mile to Bay Street. A secondary stage, alongside a curated selection of food vendors and experiential art, will line the oceanside paths.
Ticket Pricing Structure
For fans looking to customize their experience, Goldenvoice has implemented a tiered ticketing strategy:
- General Admission: $229 for a single day; $399 for a full two-day pass.
- Premium Pit: $449 for a single day; $749 for a full two-day pass.
- Proper Beach Club: $1,250 for a single day; $2,250 for two days.
The "Proper Beach Club" represents a high-end partnership with the nearby Proper Hotel. Notably, the space is being designed by world-renowned interior designer Kelly Wearstler, who is tasked with bridging the gap between high-fashion design and the rugged, natural aesthetic of the beach.
The Philosophy of the "West Side"
Nic Adler, who has deep personal roots in the Los Angeles music scene, views this festival as a "homecoming." The son of legendary producer Lou Adler, Nic grew up on the Sunset Strip and at the Roxy, eventually rising to prominence within the Goldenvoice ecosystem.
"I am a West sider," Adler told Variety. "I went to school in Santa Monica, and I got my first skateboard from Rip City. To come back 40 years later to produce what is almost certainly the biggest show we’ve ever done on the West side is a surreal full-circle moment."
Adler explains that the festival’s ethos is rooted in the "mixtape culture" of his youth. "We were thinking about those summers where we were meeting at Tower 16 every day," Adler says. "Someone was in charge of the boombox and the mixtape. We wanted that feeling of the last days of the season feeling like an endless summer."
The name "Ocean Way" itself is a love letter to local history. It references both the literal street near the festival entrance and the legendary Ocean Way Recording studio, founded by Allen Sides. By highlighting this history, Goldenvoice is attempting to remind locals and tourists alike that Santa Monica’s contribution to music history extends far beyond the tourist trap veneer of the modern pier.
Official Responses and Strategic Implications
The decision to host the festival is a calculated risk for both the City of Santa Monica and Goldenvoice. For the city, the festival is a test of its "experience-first" economic strategy. If successful, it could provide a blueprint for how other coastal municipalities can leverage public space to stimulate local commerce without sacrificing the integrity of the environment.
For Goldenvoice, the festival represents a strategic return to the company’s roots. While the promoter now manages global phenomena like Coachella, its early history was built on the back of monumental shows at the now-defunct Santa Monica Civic. Adler notes that while the Civic is currently in a state of limbo, the Ocean Way Festival is the first step toward reclaiming that lost legacy.
"We’ll start at the beach," Adler says. "And hopefully, the Civic gets going again, and we’ll make our way back there."
The Full Lineup: A Diverse Sonic Spectrum
The festival’s diversity is reflected in the full, alphabetically listed roster of performers:
- 54 Ultra
- Alvvays
- Austin Millz
- BLOND:ISH
- Carlita
- Coco & Breezy
- DJ Harvey
- Durand Jones & the Indications
- EREZ
- Good Neighbours
- Heidi Lawden
- Hiatus Kaiyote
- Hot Chip (DJ Set)
- Jack White
- Khruangbin
- Nala
- Olivia Dean
- Poolside (DJ Set)
- SG Lewis
- Sublime
- The Killers
- Vandelux (DJ Set)
Looking Ahead
The announcement of the Ocean Way Festival has sent a clear message: Santa Monica is no longer content to be a passive destination. By combining the star power of The Killers and Jack White with the cultural cachet of Olivia Dean and a high-end, design-forward environment, Goldenvoice is betting that the "endless summer" is a commodity that never goes out of style.
As the city prepares for the September launch, the focus will remain on whether the infrastructure can sustain the influx of 35,000 people per day. However, for a community that has spent a decade asking for a return to its musical roots, the Ocean Way Festival looks like the answer they have been waiting for.
Registration for ticket presales opens on July 22 for Santa Monica residents, with the general public on-sale beginning July 23 at oceanwayfestival.com.
Jia Lissa
Muslim
