Santa Monica’s COAST 2026 open streets festival celebrates World Cup finale

July 14, 2026 9:27 AM

Santa Monica, Calif. (July 14, 2026) — Santa Monica will celebrate the World Cup final with the COAST 2026 open streets festival on Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The free festival will take over more than a mile of downtown, including Ocean, Colorado, and Arizona avenues, Third Street Promenade, and the Santa Monica Pier

 

A revival of the beloved annual event that had been paused since the pandemic, COAST 2026 is made possible by a grant from Metro and will offer a vibrant community celebration featuring food, music, family-friendly activities, arts, culture, and soccer fun, including livestreams of the World Cup final match.

 

Palisades Park will transform into the Superbloom Garden, offering a breathwork meditation at 10:30 a.m.; Tea & House – featuring a live house DJ with iced tea from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and a closing music and sound bowl meditation with Chinese zither accompaniment from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The Camera Obscura Art Lab will become "Memory World,” an exhibition featuring local artists and a somatic workshop led by a city Artist in Residence at 2:30 p.m. Surrounding the Camera Obscura Art Lab will be a visual art workshop, World Cup-themed face painting and a community mural.

 

City departments will offer interactive booths including a Recreation and Arts Department collaboration with Santa Monica Sports Academy providing family-friendly games, an Office of Sustainability and the Environment Rediscover kids activity and a Big Blue Bus featuring live music onboard in partnership with Music in Transit.

 

The Third Street Promenade Entertainment Zone will be active, allowing guests 21 and older to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating establishments and enjoy them within designated Entertainment Zone boundaries.

 

Themed Promenade blocks include:

 

From noon to 2 p.m., cheer on the last teams standing in the World Cup final, surrounded by fellow fans. LED screens will be located near the beer garden on Ocean Avenue and Arizona Avenue and at the Shore Hotel, as well as two on the 1300 block of Third Street Promenade.

Arizona Avenue, known as “The Tailgate,” will offer a relaxed outdoor gathering space to gather, connect, and celebrate before and after the final match. And Ocean Avenue will feature local businesses The Lobster, The Whaler, The Eden, Blue Plate Taco and the Shore Hotel.

 

COAST will also feature a robust slate of live performances spread across four stages throughout the event:

 

Main Stage, located at Ocean Avenue and Broadway:

10:30 a.m. – Bomba Borikén

Noon – Masanga Marimba

2 p.m. – Sangre Nueva

4 p.m. – Esther Anaya

 

Indie Stage, located at Triangle Park on the grassy area at Main Street and Colorado Avenue:

10 a.m. – DJ LDOTADOT

11 a.m. – Mr. $now

Noon – Bubby Reynolds

1 p.m. – Bryce Byrd

2 p.m. – BONOVEGA

3 p.m. – Free Hamze

4 p.m. – Chris Powe

 

Santa Monica Stage located at Ocean Avenue and Arizona Avenue:

10 a.m. – DJ Yahdy Sensei

Noon – 2 p.m. – World Cup Final

2 – 6 p.m. – Performances from Funky House Collective

 

Kids Stage, located at Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue:

10 a.m. – “SUELTA” Community Movement & Wellness

11 a.m. – Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Noon – Pull My Finger by The Crow comedy club

1 p.m. – Jason Mesches

2 p.m. – Cabaret by The Crow

3 p.m. – Pull My Finger by The Crow

4 p.m. – Rangeela Dance Company

4:15-6 p.m. – Kid Rock Band by The Crow

 

COAST 2026 invites the community to experience city streets without cars by walking or rolling around the event. With 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions coming from the transportation sector, COAST is a great opportunity to consider the impact of our modes of travel on our community. While the downtown parking structures will be open, attendees are encouraged to make a car-free day and walk, bike or take Big Blue Bus or Metro to the event to celebrate the convenience and joy of a clean, green, multi-modal city.

 

Multiple Big Blue Bus routes (routes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 18 and 43) and the Metro E Line will deliver you right into the heart of the action. New this summer, Big Blue Bus and Metro now accept credit or debit cards, digital wallets, or wearable devices at fare gates and bus validators. Riders can pay fare for themselves and up to four additional passengers using one card.

 

Plan your transit trip at bigbluebus.com. Please note that Big Blue Bus Route 8 will have a short detour in Downtown Santa Monica and will service stops on 4th Street.

 

Cyclists will appreciate the free on-site bike valets on Ocean, Arizona, and Colorado avenues, providing a safe and easy way to park bikes while enjoying the event.

 

Road closures (3 a.m.-7 p.m. on July 19):  

 

COAST 2026 is made possible due to generous funding from Metro. For more information on this and future events, visit santamonica.gov.

Media Contact

Lauren Howland
Communications and public information manager
lauren.howland@santamonica.gov

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