Asbury Park and Santa Monica Turn USA Beaches into September Festival Powerhouses

Written By: Pamela Das

Pamela Das

I'm Pamela Das, an SEO Content Writer at Travel and Tour World, a leading travel and tourism news portal based in Kolkata, where I work on crafting engaging, search-optimized editorial content for a global travel audience. Alongside my professional role, I'm pursuing an MA in Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University, expected in 2027, which reflects my deep and abiding interest in literature, language, and cross-cultural storytelling.

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September 5, 2026 1:38 AM

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September 2026 will bring two major coastal festivals to the United States. Sea Hear Now will return to Asbury Park, New Jersey, on 19 and 20 September. Ocean Way Festival will make its first appearance on Santa Monica Beach, California, on 26 and 27 September. Both events will put music beside the sea. Yet they will offer very different travel experiences. One celebrates surf, art and the Jersey Shore. The other brings large music acts, wellness, food and beach culture to Southern California. Together, they show why coastal festivals can draw visitors even after the busiest summer weeks end.

Sea Hear Now Gives Asbury Park a Powerful September Tourism Boost

Sea Hear Now will bring live music, surfing and art to Asbury Park. The event will take place across North Beach, Bradley Park and Atlantic Park. The Atlantic Ocean will sit beside the festival site. Visitors will see the beach, boardwalk and music stages in one trip.
The festival has become an important late-summer event for the Jersey Shore. It turns a beach visit into a full weekend break. Fans can listen to music during the day. They can watch surfing near the stages. They can also explore local art, food vendors and the city’s nightlife after the main programme ends.
The 2026 line-up has names from many music styles. Mumford & Sons, The Strokes, Goo Goo Dolls, The Offspring and Chaka Khan will lead the event. The programme will also feature The War on Drugs, Pixies, Moby, Fontaines D.C., Shaggy and Ziggy Marley. This wide mix can attract rock fans, pop fans, indie listeners and families travelling together.
Music is only one part of the event. Sea Hear Now has built its identity around surf culture. The North Beach Rumble surf contest will bring established East Coast surfers and rising talents together. Surfers will compete between the Surf and Sand stages. The contest makes the sea an active part of the festival rather than a simple view behind the performers.
This feature gives Asbury Park a special advantage. Many music festivals use a city park or a large field. Sea Hear Now uses the beach, waves and local surf history. It links the festival to the spirit of the Jersey Shore. That makes the event more memorable for visitors.

Art and Local Culture Add More Reasons to Stay

Sea Hear Now also gives local art a clear place in its programme. Visitors can see art installations and creative work alongside music and surfing. This makes the festival feel like a celebration of the place, not just a concert with a big crowd.
The wider city will gain attention too. Late-night shows will take place around Cookman Avenue in downtown Asbury Park. This encourages visitors to leave the festival grounds and spend time in local venues. Restaurants, cafés, shops and bars can benefit when visitors stay longer in the city.
This is why festivals matter to tourism. A visitor may book a hotel for one night to see a singer. But a festival with food, art, surf and city events can encourage that same visitor to stay for a whole weekend. They may also return later to enjoy the beach without the festival crowds.
Travel access will play an important role. Visitors from New York City can use NJ Transit and travel towards Asbury Park via Long Branch. The station is within walking distance of the festival area. The organiser has also made clear that visitors should plan transport carefully because there is no parking on the festival grounds.

Ocean Way Brings a Fresh Beach Festival to Santa Monica

One week later, the coastal festival story will move across the country. Ocean Way Festival will debut on Santa Monica Beach on 26 and 27 September. Goldenvoice will produce the new two-day event. It will bring music, food, wellness, design and beach culture to one of California’s best-known stretches of coast.
The Santa Monica Pier will form a striking backdrop. The festival site will run along the beach between the Pier and Bay Street. It will offer visitors a classic California setting where the city meets the Pacific Ocean.
The line-up will include The Killers, Olivia Dean, Jack White, Khruangbin and Sublime. Durand Jones & The Indications, Alvvays, Hiatus Kaiyote, SG Lewis, Poolside and Hot Chip DJs will also appear. The programme mixes big live acts with indie music and electronic sounds. This can attract visitors from across Los Angeles, other US cities and overseas markets.
Ocean Way is not a surf contest festival. Its beach appeal comes from lifestyle and place. Visitors will experience performances on the sand, food vendors, shaded areas, wellness ideas and design-led spaces. The event will present Santa Monica as more than a beach for a daytime walk. It will show the destination as a place for culture, music and modern city life.

A Festival Built Around Public Transport

Ocean Way will also take a different approach to travel. The event will not offer parking at the festival site. Organisers want visitors to use Metro trains, Big Blue Bus services, bicycles, scooters, rideshare options and off-site parking shuttles.
Metro’s Downtown Santa Monica station sits around 0.4 miles from the entrance. Big Blue Bus will extend some services on the Saturday night. This plan can help reduce traffic pressure near the beach. It can also make the event easier for visitors who do not want to drive.
The City of Santa Monica will keep beach access open outside the festival footprint. However, several beach car parks south of the Pier will close during the event. The festival will run from noon until 11pm on Saturday. It will run from noon until 10pm on Sunday.

Two Coasts One Strong Tourism Message

Sea Hear Now and Ocean Way show two powerful ways to use a coastline for tourism. Asbury Park will use surf, art and music to deepen its Jersey Shore appeal. Santa Monica will use its beach, Pier, food, wellness and major performers to create a new California travel experience.
Both festivals will arrive after the peak summer holiday season. This timing matters. They can bring new visitors when beach destinations often begin to slow down. Hotels, restaurants, transport providers and local businesses may all gain from this extra demand.
For travellers, the choice is exciting. Asbury Park offers waves, surfing and a lively East Coast music weekend. Santa Monica offers Pacific views, famous performers and a new beach lifestyle festival. September 2026 will prove that the US coast is not only a summer escape. It can also become one of the country’s most exciting festival stages.

image credit: seahearnowfestival