Oceans Calling Festival is almost here. The three-day festival returns to Ocean City, Maryland this Friday – September 25, running through Sunday – September 27, with more than 40 performances, three stages and the Ocean City Boardwalk as its backdrop.
Now in its fourth year, Oceans Calling has built a pretty unique setup. The festival takes over the Boardwalk and Inlet area, so instead of being surrounded by parking lots or acres of grass, you can grab food, walk the Boardwalk, hit a ride at Jolly Roger at the Pier and then head back toward the stages for your next set. Experience everything right actually inside the festival grounds.
Friday: Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & The Blowfish and More
Friday gets things started with Dave Matthews Band and Hootie & The Blowfish at the top of the lineup. Opening the day highlights Ludacris, O.A.R., Yellowcard, Shaggy, Liz Phair, Everlast, Gavin DeGraw, Better Than Ezra, KT Tunstall, Shwayze, King Stingray and more. It’s a pretty wide mix for day one, jumping from jam and rock to hip-hop, pop and plenty of late-’90s/2000s nostalgia.
Friday also kicks off the festival’s culinary programming, with Chef Robert Irvine appearing on the Carousel Stage alongside special guest Gavin DeGraw, hosted by Jason Biggs.
Saturday Brings Twenty One Pilots and Gwen Stefani
Saturday turns things up with Twenty One Pilots and Gwen Stefani headlining the day. The lineup also includes Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind, All Time Low, 311, Violent Femmes, Dashboard Confessional, Corinne Bailey Rae, Everclear, Dishwalla, GoldFord and Cassandra Coleman.
Saturday’s culinary demo features Chef Alex Guarnaschelli with Taylor Hanson of Hanson, also hosted by Jason Biggs.
Mumford & Sons Close Out the Weekend
Sunday brings Mumford & Sons and Matchbox Twenty to the close out the festival, with lead up performances from CAAMP, My Morning Jacket, The Head and The Heart, Hanson, JET, OK Go, Susanna Hoffs, Cory Wong, Fastball and Nat Myers also scheduled.
There will also be a special O.A.R. and Friends set.
Sunday’s chef demo brings Antonia Lofaso to the Carousel Stage with special guest Nick Hexum of 311.
Oceans Calling is more than just the Music. The Boardwalk is a pretty big part of what makes the experience different from most festivals.
Food vendors and Ocean City Boardwalk businesses will be part of the festival grounds throughout the weekend, along with rides and games at Jolly Roger at the Pier. And yes, you can actually take a break from the music and wander the Boardwalk. That’s probably one of the biggest draws of Oceans Calling. You’re not stuck in a festival field all weekend. You can walk along the ocean, grab some food, check out the rides or shops and come back when the next band you want to see is getting ready to play.
The official festival schedule is now posted, so it’s worth taking a look before Friday and figuring out which sets you don’t want to miss. The festival guide also has information on parking, rideshare, what you can bring, bag policies, re-entry and accessibility.
Tickets are getting limited as the weekend approaches. As of Monday, September 21, Sunday is the only day with tickets currently available, while Friday, Saturday and three-day options are on waitlists.
Oceans Calling Festival takes place September 25–27, 2026, in Ocean City, Maryland. With Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & The Blowfish, Twenty One Pilots, Gwen Stefani, Mumford & Sons, Matchbox Twenty, Third Eye Blind, O.A.R. and plenty more on the schedule, Ocean City is the place to be when the festival kicks off Friday.
For more on Oceans Calling, click here.
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