Friday is canceled. Saturday and Sunday are on.
The nor'easter chewed up the beach and organizers couldn't finish building the site in time, so Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, O.A.R. and the rest of Friday are out. Friday single-day tickets get refunded automatically, and 3-day passes get a third back. Friday is now officially a boardwalk bar crawl day.
Radar Check
Latest National Weather Service read for Ocean City. Refresh with the links below, because this weekend it will change.
- Wind
- NE 21 mph, gusts 36
- Humidity
- 68%
- Surf
- 8–12 ft breakers
Showers likely after 1pm. North wind 25–28 mph, gusts to 38.
No showsMostly sunny, breezy, slight chance of a shower. Best day of the weekend.
Game onPartly sunny. Clouds roll back in overnight. Bring a hoodie for Mumford.
Game onThe 2026 Lineup
40+ acts on three stages in the sand just south of the North Division St. end of the Boardwalk.
Hootie & the Blowfish
- Ludacris
- O.A.R.
- Liz Phair
- Yellowcard
- Shaggy
- Everlast
- Gavin DeGraw
- Better Than Ezra
- Sons of Legion
- KT Tunstall
- Shwayze
- King Stingray
- Linka Moja
Gwen Stefani
- Goo Goo Dolls
- Third Eye Blind
- All Time Low
- 311
- Violent Femmes
- Dashboard Confessional
- Everclear
- Corinne Bailey Rae
- Dishwalla
- Goldford
- Cassandra Coleman
Matchbox Twenty
- My Morning Jacket
- CAAMP
- The Head and the Heart
- Hanson
- Jet
- OK Go
- Susanna Hoffs
- Cory Wong
- Fastball
- Nat Myers
Twenty One Pilots
Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, a two-man band that plays like ten. Expect "Stressed Out," "Heathens," "Ride" and Josh doing something unreasonable with a drum kit.
Gwen Stefani
The No Doubt frontwoman turned solo star. Odds are good for "Hollaback Girl," "The Sweet Escape" and a No Doubt deep cut or three.
Mumford & Sons
Banjos, kick drums and full-crowd singalongs. "Little Lion Man" and "I Will Wait" are the closing-night hug moments.
Matchbox Twenty
Rob Thomas and the soundtrack of every late-'90s car ride. "3AM," "Push," "Unwell," "Bent." You know every word.
Goo Goo Dolls
Sunset slot energy. When "Iris" hits, phones go up and somebody in the crew gets emotional.
Third Eye Blind & 311
3EB is back from 2023 with "Semi-Charmed Life." 311 is back from 2024 with "Amber" and "Down."
The Crew
Five years, ten people, zero excuses. Shout-outs in no particular order, except that there are two Chrises and they know which one is which.
Five Years of Oceans Calling
Every band that's been on the bill since 2022, the year Hurricane Ian canceled the whole thing and we showed up anyway.
Repeat offenders
Games
- KingswikiHow →The card-circle classic. Every card has a rule, and the fourth King drinks the cup.
- Flip CupWikipedia →Five-on-five relay. Crew splits cleanly into two teams of five.
- Beer PongWikipedia →House rules must be agreed on before the first throw. Re-racks are a right, not a privilege.
- Power HourWikipedia →60 songs, 60 minutes, one sip a minute. Build the playlist from the five-year lineup below.
- QuartersWikipedia →Bounce it in, pick who drinks. Works on any hotel table.
- Never Have I EverWikipedia →After five years together, this gets dangerous fast.
Oceans Calling House Rules
- Someone checks the radar app: they drink.
- A band says "Ocean City!" or "Maryland!": everyone drinks.
- Someone yells "Chris!" and both Chrises answer: both drink.
- A '90s one-hit wonder plays its one hit: finish your drink.
- Anyone mentions Friday getting canceled: pour one out for O.A.R.
- Sand in the cup: that's just seasoning.
Recovery
- Mayo Clinic: Hangover treatmentmayoclinic.org →What actually helps: fluids, bland carbs, sleep, and which pain relievers to skip.
- Cleveland Clinic: Hangoverclevelandclinic.org →Why you feel like that, and how to feel less like that.
- Healthline: Evidence-based hangover cureshealthline.com →Breakfast, hydration and the few remedies with real science behind them.
- NIAAA: Hangovers fact sheetniaaa.nih.gov →The official word on myths like "hair of the dog." Spoiler: it just delays things.
The Boardwalk Protocol
One water per round, eat real food before the gates open, and nobody drives. The festival shuttle runs from the park-and-ride lots for a $4 all-day fare. Saturday morning plan: Thrasher's fries with vinegar, a long walk on the sand, and a nap before Twenty One Pilots.