The Carolina Beach Music Festival returns to the sand on Saturday, June 6, 2026 for its 40th year. Presented by the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce, the festival is billed as the longest-running beach music festival in the United States still held on the actual beach. The 2026 lineup features Band of Oz, The Tams, and Jim Quick & Coastline performing back-to-back sets from 11 AM to 4:30 PM, with the stage set up directly on the sand at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk.
This guide covers what visitors need to plan a day at the festival: the 2026 lineup and set times, ticket prices, where to enter, what to bring, parking near the boardwalk, and a quick primer on what beach music actually is. The event typically sells out, so anyone planning to attend should know the basics before showing up at the gate.
About the Festival About the Carolina Beach Music Festival
The Carolina Beach Music Festival has been a summer kickoff tradition on the Pleasure Island shoreline for four decades. It runs the first Saturday of June every year and consistently draws thousands of attendees. The festival's defining feature is its location: most large music festivals happen in parking lots, convention centers, or repurposed fields. This one happens directly on the beach, with the stage facing the Atlantic and Carolina shag dancers filling the sand below.
The 2026 edition marks 40 years. The Town of Carolina Beach has supported the event since its founding, and the festival has become one of the signature dates on the Pleasure Island summer calendar alongside the Carolina Beach Air Show and the Boardwalk Blast fireworks.
2026 Lineup at the Carolina Beach Music Festival
Three classic beach music acts perform back-to-back from 11 AM through 4:30 PM on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Re-entry is permitted throughout the day, so attendees can step away to grab food on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk between sets and come back to the festival.
Band of Oz at the Carolina Beach Music Festival
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Band of Oz is one of the most prolific touring beach music bands in the Carolinas. The group formed in 1967 in Greenville, North Carolina, starting as a high school band called The Avengers before going full-time in the mid-1970s. They were inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame in 1997 and remain a fixture of the regional festival circuit, known for their original hits including "Shaggin" and the People's Choice Cammy Award winner "Shama Lama Ding Dong."
The Tams at the Carolina Beach Music Festival
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. The Tams formed in Atlanta in 1960 and helped define the beach music sound. The R&B vocal group's catalog includes "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy," "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)," "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me," and "I've Been Hurt." The group earned the Beach Music Awards' "Beach Band of the Decade" title in 1986 and was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1992. Multiple generations of the original Tams families continue to tour.
Jim Quick & Coastline Jim Quick and Coastline at the Carolina Beach Music Festival
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Jim Quick & Coastline close out the festival. The North Carolina-based band blends beach music with soul, blues, R&B, country, and southern rock into a sound the band calls "Swamp Soul." Quick has won the Carolina Music Awards "Entertainer of the Year" award more than a dozen times, and the band tours the Southeast more than 250 nights per year. Their fan base is known as the "Coastline Crazies."
Tickets for the Carolina Beach Music Festival
Tickets are sold through the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce. Pricing for the 2026 festival:
- Advance tickets: $35
- Day-of tickets at the gate: $40
- Children 10 and under: Free with a paying adult
- Personal 10x10 tent space: Reservations through the Chamber office at 910-458-8434, first-come first-served, opens early January
Tickets are available online through the Chamber's ticketing partner. The festival usually sells out, so buying advance is the safer bet for anyone with firm plans.
Where Is It Where the Carolina Beach Music Festival Is Held
The festival is held on the beach itself, adjacent to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. The main gate is located on the Hampton Inn (north) side of the boardwalk. Once inside, the stage is set up directly on the sand facing the Atlantic Ocean.
Carolina Beach sits about 20 miles south of downtown Wilmington, accessible via US-421 South. The drive takes roughly 30 minutes without traffic. From Wrightsville Beach, the drive is closer to 45 minutes since it requires routing back inland through Wilmington.
What to Bring to the Carolina Beach Music Festival
The festival is a daytime beach event. Plan for sun, sand, and limited shade on the beach itself.
Bring:
- Beach chairs and blankets for sitting on the sand
- Sunscreen and a hat (the stage area has minimal shade)
- Coolers (allowed inside the festival)
- Cash or card for food and drinks from nearby vendors
- A trash bag for personal items so it's easy to pack out
Not Permitted:
- Tents (unless a 10x10 personal tent space has been reserved through the Chamber)
- Umbrellas
- Shibumi shades
- Glass containers
- Liquor
Coolers are allowed, but the no-liquor rule applies to what goes in them. Tent space reservations open in early January each year through the Pleasure Island Chamber office at 910-458-8434. Spaces are first-come, first-served and tend to go fast.
Parking for the Carolina Beach Music Festival
Carolina Beach uses paid parking throughout the boardwalk area. Multiple public and private paid lots surround the festival, with rates and capacity varying by lot. Spaces fill up quickly on festival Saturdays, especially after 10 AM. Arriving by 9:30 AM gives the best chance of parking near the boardwalk.
For a full breakdown of Carolina Beach parking options, lot locations, rates, and free parking alternatives, see the guide to parking at Carolina Beach.
Friday Night Kick-Off Friday Night Boardwalk Kick-Off Concert
The Pleasure Island Chamber adds a free Friday night concert the evening before the main festival. The 2026 edition is the "80s Boardwalk Bash" on Friday, June 5, held on the boardwalk itself. The concert is free and open to the public. Specific set times are typically announced closer to the date through the Chamber's social media and the official festival page.
Beach Music What Is Carolina Beach Music
For visitors unfamiliar with the genre, "beach music" doesn't mean Jimmy Buffett tropical pop or any kind of surf rock. It's a specific Carolina coast tradition with roots going back to the 1940s.
According to the Pleasure Island Chamber, the sound was born just across the bridge from Carolina Beach in the historic community of Sea Breeze. Juke joints there mixed rhythm-and-blues, swing, and boogie in the 1940s, creating a sound that would shape coastal Carolina music for decades. In Carolina Beach, oceanfront dance halls known as "jump joints" turned the music into a movement, and the partner-style dance called the Carolina Shag emerged from those floors.
Beach music as a genre tends to feature smooth R&B grooves, horn sections, vocal harmonies, and a tempo built for shagging. Mainstays of the genre include classic recordings by The Drifters, General Johnson & The Chairmen of the Board, The Embers, The Catalinas, and the festival's own headliners The Tams and Band of Oz. The genre has its own awards (Carolina Beach Music Awards), its own Hall of Fame, and its own dedicated radio rotation across coastal NC and SC.
Where to Eat Near the Carolina Beach Music Festival
Food and drinks are available for purchase from vendors near the festival, but the surrounding Carolina Beach Boardwalk is full of long-standing food spots within a short walk. The boardwalk's food culture is part of the festival experience, and the re-entry policy makes it easy to grab a real meal between sets.
Britts Donuts
A Carolina Beach Boardwalk institution since 1939, Britt's makes one thing and one thing only: hot, hand-cut glazed …
Beach Bunny Ice Cream & Coffee
Family ice cream shop steps from the Carolina Beach Boardwalk serving Hershey's hard ice cream, soft serve, milkshakes, …
For a broader look at boardwalk food, rides, and the rest of the summer event lineup, see the Carolina Beach Boardwalk guide.
Common Questions About the Carolina Beach Music Festival in NC
Coolers Allowed Are Coolers Allowed at the Carolina Beach Music Festival?
Yes. Coolers are permitted inside the festival per the Pleasure Island Chamber. Glass containers are not allowed.
Is It Free Is the Carolina Beach Music Festival Free?
The Saturday festival is ticketed at $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Children 10 and under are free with a paying adult. The Friday night kick-off concert on the boardwalk is free.
Kids Allowed Are Kids Allowed at the Carolina Beach Music Festival?
Yes. Children 10 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The festival is daytime, family-friendly, and held in an open beach setting.
Rain Plan What Happens If It Rains at the Carolina Beach Music Festival?
The festival is rain or shine. Tickets are non-refundable for weather including rain, heat, or wind. The event may pause or modify the schedule for severe weather or safety reasons, but a normal rain day continues as planned.
Main Gate Where Is the Carolina Beach Music Festival Main Gate?
The main gate is located on the Hampton Inn (north) side of the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. Look for festival signage and Chamber staff at the entrance.
Re-Entry Is Re-Entry Allowed at the Carolina Beach Music Festival?
Yes. Re-entry is permitted throughout the day. Keep the wristband on if leaving to grab food or browse the boardwalk between sets.
How to Plan a Day at the Carolina Beach Music Festival
The festival rewards an early start. The first set begins at 11 AM and the gates open at 10 AM, but parking near the boardwalk thins out quickly after 9:30 AM. Plan to arrive in the parking lot by 9:00 to 9:30, walk in with the morning crowd, and set up chairs in the sand before Band of Oz starts.
The full day runs until 4:30 PM with minimal gaps between sets. Re-entry means there's no penalty for stepping away to grab food on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk between performances. After 4:30, the boardwalk stays active well into the evening with restaurants, the arcade, and the broader Carolina Beach summer scene.
For anyone making a full weekend of it, the surrounding Pleasure Island has plenty to fill the rest of the trip. The Carolina Beach Boardwalk guide covers the rides, food, and Thursday-night programming. Parking logistics are covered in the Carolina Beach parking guide. The Boardwalk Blast fireworks happen the following month on July 3.