The first ever ‘Ocean’s Calling Festival’ took place in Ocean City, MD from September 29 to October 1, and concertgoers said it was a major success.
Over 50,000 people attended the music festival held on Ocean City’s boardwalk. Headliners included artists such as Jack Johnson, Alanis Morissette, John Mayer and The Lumineers. A three day pass for the festival sold for about $300. This included admission to over 40 performances and free amusement park rides on the boardwalk.
“I am 100% going back next year, it was so worth the money. My favorites were Noah Kahan, The Lumineers and Declan Mckenna,” Lindsay Fisher , a sophomore criminal justice major, said.
“I thought they did a good job of including all age groups.”
Noah Kahan and The Lumineers were fan favorites of the weekend, attracting crowds that stretched to the end of the boardwalk. Fans could get up close to some of their favorite artists by camping out in front of the stage, but for those who prefer a more laid-back festival experience, the music could still be heard at the top of the ferris wheel.
“The final headliner, The Lumineers, was a huge highlight as they really connected with the audience and walked in the crowd while they were singing” Jessica Fisher, a University of Maryland alumni, said.
While the majority of the festival went smoothly, as with any festival there were some complaints. The main issue of the weekend was the transportation services offered by the festival. Many fans complained on Facebook about long waits for festival buses, not enough bus stops and services from Uber and Lyft being unresponsive. Cell service was also spotty making it hard to send texts or make phone calls.
“The Oceans Calling festival was quite literally the best weekend of my life,” Casey Rolfes said, a sophomore in architecture. “I think the transportation issues were expected because there is limited parking, but it was easy enough to walk or bike to the festival.”
Last year, the festival was canceled at the last minute due to Hurricane Ian leaving many disappointed. While there were some scattered showers on Friday and Saturday, that didn’t stop excited fans from showing up in full force, to the city’s benefit. OC Today mentions that concertgoers traveled from all 50 states and five international locations, and that 70% of ticket-holders had never been to Ocean City before.
City officials are hopeful that the Oceans Calling Festival will help introduce tourists to everything else Ocean City has to offer, as many businesses along the boardwalk experienced an uptick in sales over the weekend.Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan hopes that the festival will encourage out-of-towners to visit apart from the festival weekend.
The city is already negotiating plans to hold a second year of the festival in October of 2024. After a wildly impressive first run, Oceans Calling is likely to become many music enthusiasts favorite annual tradition.