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Ocean Way Festival Canceled After Hurricane Erodes Santa Monica Beach

City officials said storm surf plus storm‑drain runoff stripped sand from the planned site, leaving too little usable beach for stages, emergency access, tens of thousands of attendees, prompting organizers to plan a 2027 return.

Overview

  • City and festival organizers confirmed Friday that Goldenvoice’s inaugural Ocean Way, due Sept. 26–27, has been canceled because the beach no longer meets safety and build requirements.
  • A city site assessment found the safe shoreline setback would need to move about 96 feet inland and the festival’s southern boundary would shift roughly 500 feet north after runoff cut through the southern end of the site near the Pico‑Kenter outfall.
  • Goldenvoice and ticketing partner AXS are automatically processing full refunds for purchasers, and organizers say refunds should appear within five to seven business days with no action required from ticketholders.
  • The cancelation disrupts a lineup that included The Killers, Olivia Dean and Jack White and harms local vendors and businesses that had planned for crowds the city estimated could reach about 45,000 people per day.
  • Officials and reporters tied the erosion to Hurricane Marie’s powerful swells and runoff and said the episode underscores growing challenges for coastal live events this year as storms and erosion force festival postponements and cancellations.