Hurricane Marie beach erosion forces cancellation of Santa Monica's Ocean Way Festival

Storm damage on the Santa Monica shoreline

The City of Santa Monica canceled the inaugural Ocean Way Festival on Friday, September 11, after storm surf and runoff generated by Hurricane Marie eroded a substantial portion of the event site. The two-day music festival, organized by concert promoter Goldenvoice, was scheduled to take place on September 26 and September 27 on the beach near the Santa Monica Pier. Pacific storm activity generated waves measuring up to 4.5 meters over the preceding week, washing away sand and stripping the beachfront ground needed to stage the concert infrastructure. Municipal officials determined that runoff from a storm drain outfall combined with heavy swells degraded the shoreline to a degree that prevented the safe assembly of concert stages and attendees.

The surf took the beach we planned this on, and we cannot put tens of thousands of festival-goers on that sand until it's safe.

Ticketing and postponement to 2027

Ticketing service AXS notified passholders that the event would not proceed as planned, confirming that all purchases would be refunded automatically within several business days. Ticket packages for the debut weekend had ranged from single-day four-packs priced at $189 to premium weekend passes sold for more than $700. The festival roster featured headliners The Killers, Olivia Dean, Jack White, and Khruangbin, alongside acts including Sublime, Alvvays, Durand Jones & The Indications, and Hiatus Kaiyote. Additional scheduled performers included SG Lewis, 54 Ultra, Hot Chip DJs, DJ Harvey, Austin Millz, Vandelux, Heidi Lawden, Blond:ish, Poolside, Carlita, Good Neighbours, Coco & Breezy, Nala, and Erez. Goldenvoice and local authorities announced that planning is already underway to bring the event to Santa Monica in 2027.

Widespread coastal damage across Southern California

The erosion in Santa Monica forms part of a broader pattern of destruction caused by tropical storm activity along the Southern California coast. Swells from Hurricane Marie opened a sinkhole on the beachfront driveway of a property owned by actor Nicolas Cage in Malibu, prompting local officials to order the evacuation of 31 homes due to ground instability. In Orange County, coastal erosion rendered at least seven residential properties uninhabitable in Dana Point, where one home collapsed directly into the ocean. Similar severe shoreline loss affected nearby Laguna Beach. Scientists reported that an El Nino episode of near-record strength warmed Pacific waters, while human-caused climate change intensified the storm activity.

Preceding festival cancellations in Los Angeles

The Ocean Way cancellation is the second outdoor music event in the Los Angeles area postponed until 2027 within two months. In August, organizers canceled the inaugural LA Jazz Festival, which had been scheduled for Dockweiler Beach with performances by John Legend, Janelle Monae, Raphael Saadiq, Charlie Wilson, Terrace Martin, Poncho Sanchez, and Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton. Organizers of that event cited municipal costs and public safety issues connected to final municipal permitting as reasons for the postponement. Goldenvoice, which also produces Coachella and Stagecoach, had originally pitched Ocean Way in July as a long-term tribute to Santa Monica's musical heritage, citing past performances at the Civic Auditorium and the nearby legacy of Ocean Way Recording.