Oceans Calling Festival 2023: All to know, from music schedule to tickets to traffic

Olivia Minzola, Salisbury Daily Times
Updated ·8 min read

Do you hear that? It's the Atlantic Ocean calling you to the Eastern Shore for three whole days filled with epic live music performances.

That's right — the Oceans Calling Festival is back this year for a second attempt with a star-studded lineup, including headliners John Mayer, The Lumineers, Jack Johnson, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow and more, expected to hit the stage come fall.

Here's everything you need to know about when and where your favorite artists will perform, as well as traffic patterns, a weekend weather forecast and more.

Friday, Sept. 29:

Calder Allen will take the Sea Bright stage first on Friday, Sept. 29, from 1:15-2 p.m., followed by Peach Pit from 2:45-3:45 p.m. and Slightly Stoopid from 4:45-5:45 p.m. Headlining that evening from 6:45-8:15 p.m. is Alanis Morissette, with Jack Johnson scheduled to close out the night from 9:30-11 p.m.

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Third Eye Blind is set to play the Ocean Calling Festival in Ocean City for 2023.
Third Eye Blind is set to play the Ocean Calling Festival in Ocean City for 2023.

Nearby, on the Rockville stage, Devon Gilfillian is set to perform from 12:30-1:15 p.m., followed by Michigander from 2-2:45 p.m., Toad the Wet Sprocket from 3:45-4:45 p.m. and Third Eye Blind from 5:45-6:45 p.m. O.A.R will take the stage last from 8:15 to 9:30 p.m.

Chef Robert Irvine and guests will take to the Carousel stage from 1:15-2 p.m., Llyod Yates, Claire Nichols and Olen will perform from 2:45-3:45 p.m. and Declan McKenna from 4:45-5:45 p.m.. Michael Franti & Spearhead will perform onstage last from 6:45-7:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30:

Virginia Coalition will kick things off Saturday, Sept. 30, on the Sea Bright stage from 12:30-1:15 p.m. Their performance will be followed by The New Respects from 2-2:45 p.m., Gin Blossoms from 3:30-4:15 p.m., Sheryl Crow from 5:15-6:15 p.m., and Noah Kahan from 7:15-8:15 p.m. John Mayer, the headlining act, is scheduled to perform from 9:30-11 p.m.

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John Mayer has been announced to play the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City for 2023.
John Mayer has been announced to play the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City for 2023.

Pup Punk will take to the Rockville stage first from 1:15-2 p.m., followed by Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs from 2:30-3:30 p.m., Dispatch from 4:15-5:15 p.m., and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals from 6:15-7:15 p.m. Incubus will then close out the night from 8:15-9:15 p.m.

On the Carousel stage, an act that has yet to be announced will perform from 12:30-1:15 p.m., Chef Robert Irvine and guests from 2-2:45 p.m., White Reaper from 3:30-4:15 p.m. and Matt & Kim from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Jimmy Eat World will perform on stage last from 7:15-8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 1:

An act that has yet to be announced will kick off the final day of the festival on Sunday, Oct. 1, on the Sea Bright stage from 12:30-1 p.m. Then, Robert Randolph will follow suit from 1:45-2:30 p.m., G. Love & Special Sauce from 3:15-4:15 p.m., Dirty Heads from 5:15-6:15 p.m., and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats from 7:15-8:15 p.m. Headlining that evening from 9:30-11 p.m. will be The Lumineers.

Nearby, on the Rockville Stage, Joe P is set to perform from 1-1:45 p.m., followed by ALO from 2:30-3:15 p.m., Fitz & the Tantrums from 4:15-5:15 p.m., and O.A.R. & Friends from 6:15- 7:15 p.m. Set to perform last from 8:15-9:30 p.m. is Weezer.

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Lastly, Chef Amanda Freitag and guests are scheduled to perform first on the Carousel stage from 1:45-2:30 p.m. Following suit is Driver Era from 3:15-4:15 p.m. and The Wallflowers from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Grace Potter is scheduled to close out the night onstage from 7:15-8:15 p.m.

Where can I buy tickets?

Ticket presale started March 16, with three-day tickets and one-day tickets both available for purchase. All ticket options can be found online. Prices are subject to change, so festivalgoers should plan to purchase early to ensure the best price.

A map of the 2023 festival grounds is coming soon to the Oceans Calling website. Until then, festivalgoers can check out the 2022 festival grounds map, detailing ticket areas, food, merchandise and more, online.

Will there be traffic?

This event will be one of the busiest events the resort town has hosted, the town of Ocean City said in a news release. As a result, the Ocean City Police Department will be implementing an alternate traffic pattern in the downtown area in anticipation of increased pedestrian congestion after each day.

The alternate traffic pattern will begin being set up after 8 p.m. each day to assist with the flow of traffic, OC Beach Buses, and pedestrians trying to leave after the festival.

Here is what residents and guests can expect in the evening hours:

  • Traffic will be prohibited from traveling south of North Division Street.

  • The south turn lane off of the U.S. Route 50 bridge onto Philadelphia Avenue will be restricted to emergency vehicles, mass transit vehicles, and residents only.

  • Vehicles will be diverted onto North Division Street and then north on Baltimore Avenue.

  • A traffic pattern will be established to direct all southbound traffic on St. Louis Avenue to 2nd Street towards Philadelphia Ave.

    • Southbound traffic on St. Louis Avenue will be restricted to emergency vehicles, residents, employees, and patrons of downtown businesses.

  • Northbound traffic on Baltimore Avenue from South Division Street to Talbot Street will be reduced to one lane of travel for vehicle traffic.

    • Lane 1 will be designated for vehicle traffic.

    • Lane 2 will be used to stage mass transit vehicles for passenger arrival.

    • Lane 3 will be designated as a safety lane.

The Gin Blossoms are set to play the Ocean Calling Festival in Ocean City for 2023.
The Gin Blossoms are set to play the Ocean Calling Festival in Ocean City for 2023.

All traffic patterns and closures are scheduled to occur after 8 p.m. each festival day to be fully in place for the conclusion of the event, according to the release.

The traffic patterns will be put in place to allow for the maximum number of mass transit vehicles, and to provide plenty of area for pedestrians to exit the venue area. The normal traffic pattern will resume after the downtown area is cleared of festival goers, the release stated.

The OC Beach Bus will be operating in a reduced stop, express service mode to expedite crowd movement during and after the festival. Certain stops will be inactive during the three-day weekend. Affected stops will be marked with signs directing passengers to the nearest available active stop.

Riders needing special mobility assistance may coordinate pickups at inactive stops by calling Dispatch at 410-723-1606 and may coordinate drop-offs directly with their driver, the release stated.

A map depicting the stops that will be in use, as well as additional travel details, can be found online.

The town of Ocean City reminded all residents and visitors to always walk, bike and drive smart. Cross at and within marked crosswalks, follow all traffic signals and use the sidewalks. Use designated bike lanes, follow all traffic signals and ride with traffic. When driving, slow down, stay alert and drive sober.

What is the weather forecast?

Unlike in 2022, there seems to be little to no rain in sight for this year's Oceans Calling Festival.

According to The Weather Channel's 10-day weather forecast, Oceans Calling will kick off on Friday, Sept. 29, with partly cloudy skies, with winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph and a high temperature of 75 degrees.

Similar weather is expected for both Saturday and Sunday, with partly cloudy skies and high temperatures of 75 degrees. However, keep an umbrella handy as periods of showers are likely late Sunday night.

Oceans Calling back after cancellation

John Mayer has been announced to play the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City for 2023.
John Mayer has been announced to play the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City for 2023.

Last year, the inaugural event was set to feature Alanis Morrisette, Cyndi Lauper, the Lumineers, Cage the Elephant, and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds, with three stages that were to be filled by more than 30 performances, Delmarva Now previously reported.

With 40,000 ticket holders expected, the resort town had no other choice but to cancel its planned inaugural event, much to the dismay of excited festivalgoers, due to Hurricane Ian's impending bad weather.

Following the cancelation, Mayor Rick Meehan and Town Council approved City Tourism and Business Development Director Tom Perlozzo’s request to reserve the weekend of Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 for the C3-produced festival to come to town this year.

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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: All to know about Oceans Calling Fest 2023 schedule, tickets, traffic