Los Angeles music festival connoisseurs, get ready.
Goldenvoice is set to launch a new annual beachfront music festival in Santa Monica beginning in fall 2026, marking the city’s first large-scale, Pier-adjacent music event of its kind.
Recently approved by the Santa Monica City Council, the one-day festival will take place on the sand near the Santa Monica Pier and is expected to draw between 30,000 and 35,000 attendees.
“Partnering with the city of Santa Monica to bring a yearly music festival to the Pier is a true honor for us,” said Melissa Ormond, Goldenvoice COO and COO of Festivals for AEG Presents, in an official statement via Time Out Magazine. “We can’t wait to bring world class music and artists to one of the most beautiful urban locations in the state.”
Produced by Goldenvoice, the hitmakers behind Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach, the inaugural edition will feature 12-15 artists, alongside food and beverage vendors, merchandise, art installations and brand activations designed to feel locally rooted. The event is planned as a single-day experience, with the intention of returning annually in 2027 and 2028.
The festival is part of a broader city-backed realignment strategy aimed at activating the Pier, beach and downtown corridor ahead of a major influx of global events coming to Los Angeles, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Santa Monica is also slated to host a World Cup fan club on the Pier, an ESPN fan festival in 2027 and international hospitality and broadcast hubs during the 2028 Olympics.
City officials emphasized that the festival and related activations will be privately funded, with producers covering property use, services, and security costs, and no public subsidies from the City of Santa Monica. The city says the focus will remain on community benefits, economic impact and maintaining public access where possible.
Additional details, including dates and the lineup, are expected to be announced on social media closer to the festival’s 2026 debut.