For anyone looking forward to practicing yoga on the beach whilst listening to their favorite house and techno artists, those dreams will no longer become a reality — at least for now.
On Monday, Oct. 1, it was announced that the Oceano Music Fest had been canceled due to “unanticipated production challenges,” according to the event’s Facebook page.
The announcement came just two weeks after the festival was revealed to the public — and only two weeks before the event was scheduled to take place.
The festival, scheduled for Oct. 11-14, would have been California’s only overnight beach music festival. The event was expected to host 2,000 attendees, 50 artists from across North America and Europe and feature 24-hour sound service.
The festival had not yet been permitted, but that was not the only factor involved in its cancellation.
“The promoters were having to navigate pretty difficult terrain,” Associate Park and Recreation Specialist Dena Bellman said. “[Oceano] is one of the toughest places to get permitted. I think they decided it was best to start over and try again next year.”
The producers were facing a mitigation process from the State Parks that required several environmental evaluations. The festival first needed to pass a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) evaluation, which requires state and local agencies to identify significant environmental impacts of an event and avoid those impacts if feasible. On top of the CEQA, a noise study needed to be conducted as well as a 30-day public comment period.
According to their Facebook announcement, the organizers are “working to create conditions for a successful Oceano Music Fest at Pismo State Beach in 2019.”
Individuals who have already purchased tickets and vehicle passes, which ranged from $147 all the way to a $4,888 “glamping” package, will receive a full refund within 48 hours.
The event’s Facebook page indicated that more than 500 people had been planning to attend the event.