Darker Waves Festival

Music fans, get ready for a day of new wave, post-punk, alternative rock and '80s favorites by the beach. Darker Waves Festival is returning to Huntington Beach on Saturday, November 14, 2026, bringing more than 35 artists to Huntington City Beach for a full day of live music across three stages.

Headlined by Morrissey and The Smashing Pumpkins, this year's festival features an impressive lineup of legendary alternative, punk and new wave bands, along with newer artists influenced by the sounds of the '80s and '90s.

The single-day festival takes place right on the sand at Huntington City Beach, making it a pretty great setting for an afternoon and evening of live music.

The concert will take place at Huntington City Beach on Saturday, November 14, 2026.

Darker Waves Fest

Official Darker Waves Fest Website
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Dates: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Hours: 11 AM to 10 PM
Venue: On the Beach at Huntington City Beach
Address: 21301 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Visit the official Darker Waves website for the latest event information and tickets.

Darker Waves Festival Lineup 2026

This year's lineup brings together more than 35 artists spanning new wave, post-punk, punk rock, alternative and synth-pop.

Headlining the 2026 festival are Morrissey and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Other announced performers include:

Simple Minds
Bad Religion
Adam Ant
The Psychedelic Furs
Soft Cell
The Damned
Manic Street Preachers
Gary Numan
Silversun Pickups
Buzzcocks
EMF
Circle Jerks
Spacehog
Marky Ramone
Missing Persons
Modern English
The Motels
Christian Death
Cold Cave
TR/ST
Mariachi El Bronx
Purest Form
The Sounds
Gene

Additional artists round out the three-stage festival lineup. For the complete artist lineup and any updates, visit the official Darker Waves lineup page.

Darker Waves Festival Tickets

Tickets are available in several categories, depending on how you'd like to experience the festival.

Current advertised starting prices include:

General Admission: Starting at $259.99
GA+: Starting at $439.99
VIP: Starting at $639.99
Ultimate VIP: Starting at $1,750.70

Prices are subject to change and availability.

General Admission provides access to the festival grounds and performances. GA+, VIP and Ultimate VIP offer progressively upgraded festival experiences and amenities.

There are also General Admission four-pack and six-pack ticket options for groups.

You can purchase tickets directly through the official Darker Waves ticket page.

Hotel and Ticket Packages

Planning to make a weekend of it? Darker Waves also offers hotel packages that combine festival admission with accommodations at participating Huntington Beach hotels.

Packages include two- to four-night stays at beachfront properties, including:

The Waterfront Beach Resort
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa

Hotel packages can include official festival tickets, access to the Darker Waves Welcome Party and commemorative merchandise. Additional upgrades may also be available.

Visit Darker Waves Hotel Packages for availability and package details.

Darker Waves Festival Location

Darker Waves takes place directly on the sand at Huntington City Beach, near the intersection of Huntington Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

Address:
21301 Pacific Coast Highway
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

The festival grounds are across Pacific Coast Highway from The Waterfront Beach Resort and Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa.

Parking and Transportation

Parking around Huntington Beach can get busy during large events, so arriving early or arranging alternative transportation is recommended.

Nearby Parking

Self-parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at several nearby locations, including:

Huntington City Beach parking lots
Huntington State Beach parking lots
Main Promenade parking structure in Downtown Huntington Beach
Huntington City Beach parking lot on 6th Street
Pierside Pavilion

Free Festival Shuttles

Free shuttles will operate between Pacific Coast Highway and Brookhurst Street and the festival drop-off area at Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway.

Shuttle service begins at 10:30 AM and will continue for approximately 45 minutes after the show ends.

Rideshare

Uber and Lyft pickup and drop-off will be on the beach side (south side) of Pacific Coast Highway, between Twin Dolphin Drive and Beach Boulevard.

Public Transportation

OC Bus also provides service near the festival grounds. Nearby routes include:

Route 1: Long Beach–San Clemente
Route 25: Fullerton–Huntington Beach
Route 29: Buena Park–Huntington Beach via Beach Boulevard

OCTA has added some additional evening trips on Routes 1 and 25 for festival attendees returning home.

Check the OCTA website for schedules and trip-planning information.

What Can You Bring to Darker Waves?

Before heading to the beach, take a look at the festival's bag policy and list of permitted items.

Bag Policy

Small clutch purses and fanny packs measuring 6" x 9" or smaller are allowed without being clear, with no more than one pocket.
Larger bags must be clear and smaller than 12" x 6" x 12".
Hydration packs are permitted but must be emptied before entering. They can have no more than two main compartments and one smaller compartment.
All bags are subject to security searches.

Permitted Items

Some of the items attendees can bring include:

Empty reusable plastic water bottles
Empty hydration packs
Small blankets and beach towels
Binoculars
Basic point-and-shoot cameras without detachable lenses
Portable battery packs
Personal-sized hand sanitizer (3.4 ounces or less)
Small non-aerosol sunscreen containers (3.4 ounces or less)
Factory-sealed electrolyte packets

Prohibited Items

A few things to leave at home include:

Outside food and beverages
Glass containers
Metal, steel or aluminum water bottles
Chairs, tents and canopies
Umbrellas
Coolers
Aerosol products
Professional cameras and recording equipment
Selfie sticks and tripods
Pets (except service animals)
Smoking and vaping products
Bicycles, scooters and wagons inside the festival grounds

Bicycles can be parked outside the festival entrance.

The festival's complete permitted and prohibited items list is available through the Darker Waves Help Center.

About Darker Waves Festival

The first Darker Waves Festival took place in Huntington Beach on November 18, 2023. That inaugural event brought together more than 30 artists, including New Order, Tears for Fears, The B-52s, Echo & the Bunnymen, Devo, The Human League and The Psychedelic Furs.

After its successful debut, the festival is returning to the same beachfront location for its second edition in 2026, with another impressive collection of alternative, new wave and punk rock artists.

For more information, tickets, lineup updates and festival policies, visit DarkerWavesFest.com.