Oceans Calling will be back! Find out when Ocean City's popular music fest is returning

Olivia Minzola, Salisbury Daily Times
·2 min read

Another three whole days filled with epic live music performances? Say no more.

That's right — Oceans Calling Festival is returning for another round of musical madness in Ocean City, Maryland. Here's everything you need to know about the festival, including when it's hitting the Eastern Shore in 2024.

Oceans Calling Festival announces 2024 dates

What was initially tentatively set for the first full weekend in October is now returning sooner.

Yes, the Oceans Calling Festival is expected to hit the Eastern Shore this fall from Sept. 27-29, 2024. Although no acts have been announced quite yet, festivalgoers can expect another star-studded lineup.

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"Who's at the top of your wishlist for next year's lineup?" asked the festival in a Dec. 14 Facebook post.

The announcement of the music festival's grand return comes after the successful inaugural event, which took place Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, 2023. The event took the town of Ocean City by storm.

"Thank you to everyone who made the first #OceansCalling so unforgettable – the incredible acts, our hardworking staff, and most importantly, YOU, the amazing fans! We're filled with gratitude for Ocean City, and we can't wait to return," said the C3-produced festival in October, thanking festivalgoers and teasing its imminent return.

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Local businesses dub Oceans Calling Festival a success

Crowds walk along the Ocean City boardwalk near the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum on Aug. 22, 2019. Business owners say late August is one of the busiest times for tourism in Ocean City.
Crowds walk along the Ocean City boardwalk near the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum on Aug. 22, 2019. Business owners say late August is one of the busiest times for tourism in Ocean City.

With a reported total of 50,000 people in town each day for the inaugural three-day music festival, crowding the inlet and surrounding beach, businesses lining the historic Boardwalk simply flourished.

Local mom-and-pop-shops King's Cotton Candy, Bull on the Beach and Cork Bar agreed that the festival was a massive success, and all three expressed their eagerness for it to one day return.

""(The festival) was amazing. It was organized. It was functional. The business overall — Friday, Saturday and Sunday — was definitely comparable to weekends during the summer. It was wonderful getting that business, and everyone was super kind and patient," Mary Poudel, co-owner of King's Cotton Candy, previously told Delmarva Now.

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Oceans Calling Festival's comeback, and future

Workers tear down stages, bleachers and tents on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, after a successful inaugural Oceans Calling Festival on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.
Workers tear down stages, bleachers and tents on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, after a successful inaugural Oceans Calling Festival on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.

The music festival made a comeback in 2023 after being forced to cancel in 2022, much to the dismay of excited festivalgoers, due to Hurricane Ian's impending bad weather.

Since it's success in 2023, a three-year contract has been signed by the town and C3, the promoters for the event. The contract includes tentative date holds for a multi-stage music festival in 2025 and 2026.

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Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City's Oceans Calling Festival announces 2024 dates for return