Oceans Calling festival news
The gist
Oceans Calling cancelled the 2026 festival's Friday, Sept. 25 opening day due to beach erosion.
The sold-out Ocean City event is a major economic boost; weekend shows remain uncertain.
How it unfolded
- 2022Ocean City was forced to shut down the inaugural Oceans Calling Festival due to Hurricane Ian's impending bad weather, which brought rain, wind, flooding, beach erosion and large breaking waves of over 10 feet. The three-day festival returned in 2023.
- Sep 24, 2026The festival site already saw flooding and beach erosion Thursday morning; next high tides were set for 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 a.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Friday.
- Sep 24, 2026Organizers announced the first day of the 2026 festival, Friday, was cancelled due to inclement weather, citing beach erosion that affected the festival site and making it impossible to safely complete the build in time for Friday.