OCEAN CITY — Delivering on a promise to bring a major lineup of known entertainment to Ocean City, event promoter C3 Presents on Monday announced the star-studded bands for the inaugural Oceans Calling Festival.
Last August, Tourism and Business Development Director Tom Perlozzo and C3 Presents promoter Tim Sweetwood pitched the idea of a significant three-day music festival in the resort for late September of this year and promised an eye-popping lineup of entertainment. C3 Presents is internationally known for the concerts, festivals and events in produces, including Lollapalooza in Chicago and the NFL draft, for example.
In March, C3 Presents announced nationally known and locally popular O.A.R., based out of Rockville, had signed on to be one of the headlining acts for the first-ever Oceans Calling Festival, a three-day event on the beach at the south end of the Boardwalk from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, but the other acts booked to perform remained a mystery. On Monday, C3 Presents announced the remainder of the performers, including perhaps the greatest lineup of live music ever scheduled in the resort.
On opening day of the Oceans Calling Festival, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will headline with other performers including O.A.R, Dirty Heads, Skip Marley, Noah Kahan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Peach Pit, Johnnyswim, The New Respects, Mihali and the Virginia Coalition.
On Saturday, the Lumineers headline a great lineup that also includes Cage the Elephant, Logic, Young the Giant, Jimmy Eat World, Allen Stone, Larkin Poe, Wilderado, and Pup Punk. On the event’s last day, Alanis Morissette will lead an amazing slate that also includes Cyndi Lauper, Sublime with Rome, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Tai Verdes, Lawrence, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and the Samples. O.A.R will also perform sets throughout the three-day event.
The festival will feature over 30 artists performing on three stages on the beach near the Inlet at the south end of the Boardwalk, promising a crescendo of sorts for the summer season. Over the last few months, the dates for the Oceans Calling Festival had been a bit of a moving target. It was planned to coincide with the unsanctioned pop-up event in late September in the hopes festival goers would gobble up hotel rooms and other accommodations and curtail some of the activity associated with that event, or at least provide alternative entertainment options for those participants other than driving up and down Coastal Highway.
In March, Perlozzo advised the Mayor and Council the event was going to be moved from the original dates of Sept. 23-25 to Sept. 30-Oct. 2. The event was moved largely because of logistical issues with other major events during that time in September including OC BikeFest.
Oceans Calling will also feature a culinary component hosted by world-renowned chefs along with cooking demonstrations celebrating local Eastern Shore cuisine. In addition to announcing the major music entertainment lineup on Monday, C3 Presents also announced the headliners for the culinary component including popular chefs Andrew Zimmern, Robert Irvine and Amanda Frietag, who will perform on stage during the festival. In addition, the Jolly Roger Amusement Park on the pier will be located within the festival grounds and will be fully-operational during the event, creating the opportunity for a unique experience unlike any other festival of its kind.
“We are thrilled to host the Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland and celebrate all that our incredible city has to offer,” said Mayor Rick Meehan this week. “Thank you to C3 Presents and Maryland’s own O.A.R. for bringing an event of this magnitude to the Ocean City Boardwalk. We look forward to seeing everyone.”
For Sweetwood, co-founder of the Oceans Calling Festival and festival director at C3 Presents, the three-day event in Ocean City in late September and early October represents an opportunity to showcase what the organization does best.
“We are thrilled to be able to produce an incredible new festival in partnership with my friends and Maryland legends O.A.R.,” he said. “City officials have been incredibly welcoming, and we look forward to delivering an outstanding experience for festival fans.”
Premium ticket experiences start with the GA-Plus plan, which offers fans a private lounge setting with seating, private air-conditioned restrooms and a full-service bar with beer, wine and cocktails available for purchase. VIP tickets also offer luxury with prime viewing at two stages, along with air-conditioned restrooms, full-service cash bar, and food for purchase at the Main Stage Lounge and dedicated lane entry and more.
Platinum tickets offer all the amenities of the VIP and GA-plus tickets, in addition to on-stage viewing at the main stage, front-of-stage viewing areas, complimentary full-service bar and access to an open-air Platinum Lounge with relaxed seating and more. For a full list of details, and to purchase one-day or three-day tickets, visit www.oceanscallingfestival.com/tickets.
