There were plenty of reasons not to miss Ohana Festival 2026, Eddie Vedder’s annual gathering by the sea at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California. Pearl Jam was scheduled to close out Day Three with its only performance of the year, after a 2026 that had otherwise only seen Vedder touring solo. Just as importantly, the band had spent months teasing the identity of the drummer who would replace Matt Cameron following his retirement after the 2025 tour. And on top of all of that, this was the festival’s tenth anniversary, so anticipation was unusually high.

In keeping with tradition, fans gathered on the beach Thursday afternoon to reconnect with old friends and listen to the band’s soundcheck. This year, however, the fencing surrounding the stage had been completely covered, making it impossible to catch a glimpse of the mystery drummer. His identity would remain under wraps for one more day. Still, one thing seemed clear from the other side of the fence: whoever was behind the kit sounded incredible and hit hard.

Last year’s festival loosely grouped its lineup by genre, with alternative and grunge rock on Friday; Americana, roots and soul on Saturday; and punk rock on Sunday. This year, the order was more or less reversed, with Friday leaning heavily into punk and garage rock.

Among Day One’s highlights was Muttlee, the young punk band who joked that they could now say that Eddie Vedder had opened for them. Before inviting the group onstage, Vedder appeared alone with a ukulele and sang the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” an appropriately choice on a sunny, hot afternoon.

The day also brought out the recently reunited Sugar, led by Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü fame; Bad Religion, one of the foundational bands of Southern California punk; Billy Idol, whose hits-heavy set turned into one long singalong; and Maná, one of the most successful Spanish-language rock bands of all time.

Vedder joined Bad Religion for “American Jesus,” for which he sang backing vocals on the song’s original 1993 recording, though he went uncredited at the time. During the set, young Dragon Bentley nearly stole the show, waving enthusiastically to the crowd from the stage while his father, Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley, played nearby.

Day One ended with the billed “Eddie Vedder and Friends,” although the name turned out to be something of an understatement. Vedder began alone with an acoustic “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.”

Simon Good, Glen Hansard’s guitar tech, then joined him for “Song of Good Hope,” performed as tribute to Hansard, a longtime Ohana regular and one of Vedder’s closest friends, who died unexpectedly in July. Billy Idol came out next for a cover of The Who’s “I’m One,” followed by Jeff Ament, who joined Vedder for “Bee Girl,” which the two co-wrote together.

Then Vedder began “Corduroy” on his own before stopping and joking that he might need a few friends to help him out. The curtain dropped, revealing Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and Jeff Ament — along with Abe Laboriel Jr. behind the drum kit. What had been advertised as Eddie Vedder and Friends suddenly became a surprise Pearl Jam show.

The band tore through 15 songs, mixing staples with a handful of rarities, including “Green Disease,” “I Got Id” and the Dead Boys cover “Sonic Reducer.” More importantly, the set answered the question everyone had been asking. Laboriel, best known for his decades-long work with Paul McCartney, was the man behind the kit.

Saturday arrived with a concern uniquely suited to a festival held quite literally at the water’s edge. High tides and elevated surf threatened portions of an already eroded Doheny State Beach, but by afternoon the warning had eased, and the day ended with a beautiful sunset.

Day Two highlights included a duet from Jake Wesley Rogers and Olivia Vedder, Eddie’s daughter; Ellery Harper, the son of Ben Harper and Laura Dern, with Dern watching from the crowd; and P.E.S.T., Jeff Ament’s side project, performing in front of a Montana state flag as Ament played bass and occasionally sang.

Vedder joined Stephen Wilson Jr. for “Hunger Strike,” the Temple of the Dog song written by Chris Cornell and originally recorded as a duet with Vedder. Wilson, who spoke about his love of grunge music, recorded the song for his 2025 EP Blankets.

Jon Batiste played the weekend’s most musically expansive set, moving between guitar, piano, saxophone, melodica and vocals while effortlessly weaving together classical music, jazz, soul, pop and hip-hop, all grounded in his New Orleans roots. One particularly memorable included Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” Tupac Shakur’s “Changes” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” the latter closely associated with Jeff Buckley’s celebrated version.

Alabama Shakes followed with a powerful set that mixed blues, soul and Southern rock, and Florence Road, who had been unable to perform as scheduled Friday after their equipment was stolen from their van, finally took the stage using replacement instruments provided by Fender and borrowed from Vedder.

Tyler Childers closed the night on a looser, more conversational note, frequently pausing between songs to tell stories and joke with the crowd before returning to his blend of country, folk and Appalachian roots music.

By Sunday, skies had turned a little grayer, but anticipation for Pearl Jam had only intensified. Some fans had begun lining up the evening before.

Josh Klinghoffer, an additional touring member of Pearl Jam since 2021, opened the day with an acoustic set as Pluralone, his solo project. Other highlights included Villanelle, fronted by Gene Gallagher, son of Oasis’ Liam Gallagher; Linka Moja, recently discovered by Vedder while studying economics at UCLA; Ecca Vandal, who brought a dose of hip-hop and plenty of stage presence to the main stage; Pixies, who welcomed Vedder out for “Wave of Mutilation,” introduced by Black Francis as an appropriately “nautical” song for a festival by the beach; and a sunset set from Fontaines D.C., fresh off an appearance at Sea.Hear.Now in Asbury Park.

Beyond the music stages, Ohana’s Storytellers series once again offered a more intimate side of the festival, with conversations centered on art, community, activism, environmental justice and Indigenous voices. This year, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Jeff Ament each made separate appearances. Ament, joined by his brother Barry, reflected on Pearl Jam’s history through his photography and new book Since Forever, while McCready offered a looser conversation touching on his life, his work and, inevitably, the band’s new drummer.

Then came Pearl Jam. As the crowd waited, Audioslave’s “Like a Stone” played over the PA, and thousands of voices began singing along. When Pearl Jam finally walked onstage, Vedder tried to keep the song playing, but the house music was cut. The crowd simply kept going, finishing it a cappella. It was one of those small, unscripted moments that Ohana does especially well.

Before Pearl Jam played, the screens showed video montage filled with footage from Glen Hansard’s many years at Ohana and moments shared with Vedder. The band followed with “Long Road,” a song steeped in grief and remembrance, before shifting into the soaring, life-affirming “Given to Fly” and then “Daughter,” which included tags from U2’s “Bad” and Hansard’s “Down on Our Knees.”

Sunday’s show was more recognizably a Pearl Jam festival set than Friday’s surprise appearance, filled with many of the band’s biggest hits. But for longtime fans who know the contours of a Pearl Jam show almost instinctively, something felt different with Laboriel behind the kit. His playing had weight and a personality of its own, particularly on drum-forward songs such as “Running,” and he also contributed backing vocals. His kick drum still bore the question mark that had appeared Friday, preserving at least a little ambiguity around his status.

Vedder thanked Paul McCartney for “letting us borrow Abe” and told the crowd that “you cannot be a great band without a great drummer.” He dedicated the chorus of “Better Man” to Laboriel.

Another of the weekend’s surprise was a guest appearance by Billy Strings, an Ohana 2022 alumnus and lifelong Pearl Jam fan who once won a fourth-grade talent show performing “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.” Strings joined Vedder for an acoustic performance of that song before remaining onstage for Neil Young’s “Throw Your Hatred Down” with the full band.

Toward the end of the night, Vedder spoke about the brevity of life and the responsibility people have to help one another, their communities and the planet. “Giving is one of the more selfish acts you can do,” he said, “because you get so much back.”

By the end of the weekend, Pearl Jam had given its fans two very different shows: Friday’s surprise reveal and Sunday’s full-scale closing set. But one question remained unresolved. The band never formally announced Laboriel as Pearl Jam’s new drummer. There may be contractual or practical reasons for that ambiguity, or perhaps the arrangement is simply not yet permanent.

Whatever the reason, the audience reaction left little doubt about one thing. If Abe Laboriel Jr. is the guy, Pearl Jam fans seem more than ready to welcome him.