What I’ve Learned After Three Years of Oceans Calling
Oceans Calling is almost here, September 25-27, 2026, in Ocean City, Maryland! It’s time to start listening to the bands, studying the schedule, checking the weather way too often, and making some very difficult decisions about overlapping sets.
After attending Oceans Calling 2023, 2024, and 2025, I’ve learned that a little planning makes a big difference. Ocean City is my home away from home, but spending three days going between stages takes a different kind of preparation than an ordinary beach weekend.
Heading down the ocean for the festival? Here’s my advice:
1. Pick your must-see acts before you arrive.
Make a playlist before the trip and listen to some artists you don’t know yet. I’ve been listening to my festival playlist on Apple Music since the lineup was announced earlier this year.
Our crew likes to print the daily schedules, circle our favorites, and talk through the tough choices. Who wants to get close? Who’s happy listening from farther back? When are we going to eat?
You probably won’t see every band you want to see. It’s okay to split up! We’ve done it plenty of times. You can compare highlights afterward.
Last year, I left my crew to get close to Lenny Kravitz and it turned into an experience I’ll never forget. I’ve never once regretted prioritizing one act and missing another to get up close. Being close to the stage for a singer/band you love is a memory that will stay with you forever!
If you have a plan ahead of time, you’ll know which people in your crew to team up with for different acts, when to meet up, and when to eat meals together, go on the free rides at the Jolly Roger’s Pier, or chill out on the beach or Boardwalk.
Insider tip: If you want to get close to the stage for the headliners, you probably need to skip a prior act or two.
2. Pre-FESTIVAL Prep.
Check the official festival Help Center for the current bag policy, permitted items, entrance information, accessibility details, and transportation guidance. Do this before you’ve packed everything!
- Download the Oceans Calling festival app: Festiverse.
- Activate your wristbands with a credit card, but don’t put them on and tighten them yet!
- Make sure you have a portable phone charger, or two, charged and ready to go. Bonus if it’s solar-powered!
- Get a clear plastic tote bag or backpack. (Bag policy)
- Bring an empty water bottle and a compact beach blanket that fit into your tote bag (no chairs, coolers, selfie sticks, inflatables, outside food/beverages, umbrellas, etc…). (What you can/can’t bring)
- They have lockers. Reserve them ahead of time. I haven’t used one before, but I’m assuming it’s handy if you don’t want to carry stuff around. (Reserve a locker)
Insider tip: Wear something that stands out so your crew can find you! I always wear my Maryland flag bucket hat and tie colorful bandanas to our clear plastic bags.
3. Pack for every possible situation.
Rain gear earns its place in your bag (raincoats, ponchos, trash bags, – no umbrellas). So do comfortable shoes, sunblock, hats, jackets. The weather is going to be unpredictable.
It might be super hot and humid. It might be cold, rainy, and windy. You might not even know the full extent of the weather on the day itself.
After getting soaked all years prior, having dry backup shoes waiting for the next day was a huge relief.
I normally wear shorts and a band/festival t-shirt, and bring a poncho and/or light jacket. If you’re in need of more clothes at the festival, there are a bunch of shops on the Boardwalk where you can get whatever you need. Quiet Storm is my favorite clothes shop on the Boardwalk.
5. Eat before you’re desperate.
Eat breakfast and/or lunch before you go to the festival. Dinner lines can be very long and eating at off-times helps. There are plenty of food options on the festival grounds and on the Boardwalk. Look for a gap in your schedule before everyone else decides it’s dinner time. You can’t bring any food or drinks with you (but you can bring an empty water bottle to fill up at the water stations).
Leave room in the budget for food, too. Boardwalk snacks are part of the fun, but a full weekend of meals and treats adds up… and the alcoholic drinks at the festival are expensive. There are a ton of bar tents, so you almost never have to wait for an alcoholic drink.
Boardwalk snacks I recommend: Dumser’s ice cream, Kohr Bros frozen custard, Thrasher’s french fries, Fisher’s popcorn, Dolle’s Candyland, Candy Kitchen, a funnel cake, and freshly squeezed lemonade.
If you want to have a sit-down meal and relax a bit, head over to Flamingo Coast (best festival view from the rooftop), Harrison’s Harbor Watch, The Dough Roller, The Cork Bar, The Bar at the Inlet, or The Wedge.
Want to get a drink and chill out? Purple Moose Saloon is the place to go.
Insider tip: You can get a reusable soda cup at Dolle’s Candyland on the Boardwalk that has a discount on refills.
6. Give yourself time to enjoy the Rest of the Festival.
There’s also more to explore between sets: the festival’s official website highlights chef demonstrations, Boardwalk food, and Jolly Roger at the Pier within the festival grounds.
Make sure you take some time to go on the free rides. We always go on the ferris wheel at least once or twice. It’s such a great view of the festival.
Enter the sponsors’ giveaways and win the prizes! My favorite free souvenir each year? The Hoop Tea merch!
Insider tip: Pick a specific landmark once you’re inside in case your phone isn’t working and you get separated. “Somewhere near the stage” leaves a lot of room for interpretation when thousands of people are standing there. We normally pick a particular vendor’s booth or a sign.
7. Plan how you’ll get home before the last song.
Most people walk. Some drive. Some take shuttles, public buses, or rent bikes. The transportation to and from the event is probably the hardest thing to figure out. Every year there seems to be different pros and cons for each option. But one thing is certain: you will probably not find a place to park near the festival grounds.
Each year, we’ve walked to and from the event (which is about 2.5 miles one way from our condo). Typically, the entire Boardwalk is packed with people walking home from the festival.
If you’re using public transportation, check the current arrangements and allow extra time. Some people leave early from the event to get a head start and beat the traffic. I like to leave late and not miss anything!
Insider tip: Wear comfortable shoes. Even if you want to look cool or cute, comfortable shoes are your number one priority.
8. Bring realistic expectations and a flexibility.
There will be tradeoffs. A bathroom break might win over another set. You will need to sit down and rest. Your carefully planned schedule will inevitably change.
Leave yourself enough energy to enjoy the reason you came: hearing music you love, surrounded by people who love it, too.
Some people will be annoying… it’s going to happen. There’s always that person who bumps into you, or cuts in line, or is so drunk that they cause a scene. But, rowdy behavior is not the norm at Oceans Calling. It’s a pretty chill festival and almost everyone is friendly and considerate.
Insider tip: Beach blankets are only allowed in certain areas further away from the stage. If you’re close to the stage, prepare to stand up for the entire set.
I hope to see you there! You’ll LOVE IT!
Oceans Calling Music Festival 2026
Friday, September 25, 2026
Dave Matthews Band
Hootie & the Blowfish
Ludacris
O.A.R.
Yellowcard
Shaggy
Liz Phair
Everlast
Gavin DeGraw
Better Than Ezra
Sons of Legion
KT Tunstall
Shwayze
King Stingray
Linka Moja
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Twenty One Pilots
Gwen Stefani
Goo Goo Dolls
Third Eye Blind
All Time Low
311
Violent Femmes
Dashboard Confessional
Corinne Bailey Rae
Everclear
Dishwalla
Goldford
American Authors
Cassandra Coleman
Rio Romeo
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Mumford & Sons
Matchbox Twenty
Caamp
My Morning Jacket
The Head and the Heart
Hanson
Jet
OK GO
Susanna Hoffs
Cory Wong
Fastball
Nat Myers
O.A.R. & Friends
Celebrity Chef Demonstrations:
Robert Irvine
Antonia Lofaso
Hosted by Jason Biggs
Alissa Arford 
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