SAVE THE DATE: Coast Film & Music Festival Returns to Laguna Beach October 16–25 With an Expanded Celebration of Film, Music, Art and Culture
The debut of Concerts in the Canyon brings live music to the historic Irvine Bowl, opening and closing a month-long celebration
LAGUNA BEACH, CA — August 19, 2026 — Something big is coming to Laguna Beach this October.
The Coast Film & Music Festival (CFMF) announces today the dates for its most expansive celebration yet, a month-long gathering of film, music, art, ideas and community that organizers are calling “Experience Coast This October.”
The month opens with the debut of Concerts in the Canyon, October 3–4, and builds toward the Coast Film & Music Festival, October 16–25, closing with three nights of live music at Laguna Beach’s historic Irvine Bowl, October 23–25.
Coast Film & Music Festival passes go on sale Friday, August 21, with several pass options including all three nights of the Concerts in the Canyon closing weekend, the best value for experiencing the full breadth of Coast. Concerts in the Canyon tickets open first to Laguna Beach residents on Thursday, August 27, giving locals a 48-hour presale window ahead of the general public on-sale Saturday, August 29. Those who sign up for Coast emails at coastfilmfestival.com will be the first to know when the local presale goes live, and the first to hear when the lineup drops.
Across the month, Coast will bring musicians, filmmakers, artists, athletes, environmental leaders, creators and changemakers to venues throughout town for independent films, live performances, conversations, outdoor experiences and community events. A full lineup of films, musicians and speakers will follow in the coming weeks.
“Coast has grown from a film festival into something much bigger, a gathering around film, music, art, ideas and the experiences that bring people together,” said Ben Warner, Co-Founder of the Coast Film & Music Festival and Coast Film Foundation. “This October is our most ambitious program yet. We’re excited to create something that feels distinctly Laguna Beach while inviting people from across Southern California to come experience Coast, discover something new and leave inspired.”
WANT THE LINEUP FIRST? Sign up for Coast emails at coastfilmfestival.com for lineup announcements, presale access, ticket information and festival news as it’s released.
EXPERIENCE COAST THIS OCTOBER
October 3–4 — Concerts in the Canyon
Coast opens October with the debut of Concerts in the Canyon, a new live music series at Laguna Beach’s Irvine Bowl. Set beneath the stars in one of Southern California’s most distinctive outdoor venues, the two-night opening weekend brings nationally recognized artists to town alongside the city’s renowned Plein Air Invitational. The full concert lineup will be announced soon.
October 16–25 — Coast Film & Music Festival
The festival returns for ten days of films, music, art, conversations, outdoor experiences and community gatherings, staged throughout Laguna Beach at the Festival of Arts grounds and Forum Theater, Rivian South Coast Theater, Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, Forest Avenue and the Irvine Bowl.
Films + Filmmakers
Film remains at the heart of Coast. The 2026 program will present independent films spanning adventure, environment, surf, outdoor culture, music and the human experience, many paired with post-screening conversations featuring the filmmakers, athletes and subjects behind the stories. The complete film program will be announced in the coming weeks.
Coast Summit
The Coast Summit returns with an afternoon of ideas featuring leading thinkers, innovators, filmmakers and changemakers. This year’s theme, “Intelligence of Nature,” explores what the natural world can teach us about how we live, create, design and build the future. Speakers will be announced soon.
Films on Forest
Coast once again brings film, music and culture to the heart of downtown with Films on Forest, an outdoor gathering place for the community featuring films, live music, conversations and partner activations, and another way for residents and visitors alike to discover the festival.
Emerging Filmmakers & the Next Generation of Storytellers
The festival continues Coast’s commitment to emerging filmmakers and young creators through screenings, education and mentorship, connecting them with established filmmakers and industry leaders as part of the year-round work of the nonprofit Coast Film Foundation.
Get Outside + Community Experiences
Coast extends well beyond theaters and stages. Outdoor experiences, stewardship programs and community gatherings connect festivalgoers with the coastline, ocean, trails and open spaces that make Laguna Beach such an extraordinary setting.
Concerts in the Canyon: Closing Weekend
The festival closes with three nights of live music at the Irvine Bowl, a new closing-weekend tradition bringing acclaimed artists together for performance, collaboration and community beneath the stars. The artist lineup will be announced soon.
MORE THAN A FESTIVAL
The expanded October program reflects Coast’s evolution into a broader cultural platform connecting film, music, art, ideas, outdoor experiences and community, built on a simple belief: stories, music and shared experiences have the power to bring people together and inspire meaningful change.
Proceeds from Coast events support the nonprofit Coast Film Foundation and its work in filmmaker support, film education, community programming and year-round storytelling, with Coast collaborating throughout the region with nonprofit organizations, artists, businesses and community partners.
DATES AT A GLANCE
October 3–4
Debut of Concerts in the Canyon, Irvine Bowl
October 16–25
Coast Film & Music Festival, Laguna Beach
October 22
Coast Summit — Intelligence of Nature
October 23–25
Concerts in the Canyon — Festival Closing Weekend, Irvine Bowl
About Coast Film & Music Festival
The Coast Film & Music Festival is an annual celebration of film, music, art, ideas and outdoor culture in Laguna Beach, California. Through films, live music, conversations and community gatherings, Coast brings together filmmakers, artists, musicians, athletes, environmental leaders and curious audiences from Southern California and beyond. Come Curious. Leave Inspired.
About Coast Film Foundation
The Coast Film Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering filmmakers and amplifying stories that entertain, inform and inspire people to see the world differently. Through the Coast Film & Music Festival, community and education programs, filmmaker support and year-round cultural experiences, the Foundation uses the power of storytelling to connect people, ideas and community.
Media Contact
Caroline Rustigian, K-Line Media Group I 949-315-5101 I caroline@k-linemediagroup.com
####
Photos and interviews are available upon request
