Sessions Surf Festival runs September 12 to 19, 2026 across Encinitas, Solana Beach and Carlsbad in North County San Diego. The week-long celebration of surf, music, film and art is the reborn Solento Surf Festival, and it opens with a beachfront concert headlined by the Osees at Seaside Reef. Two of the four headline events are free community days. The full schedule, lineup and venues are below.
What is Sessions Surf Festival?
If the name sounds new, the festival is not. Sessions Surf Festival is the renamed Solento Surf Festival, the North County San Diego celebration of surf culture that pairs live music with surf contests, surf cinema and art shows. The 2026 edition stretches across a full week and four venues along the Coast Highway 101 corridor, and Solento Tequila, the original namesake partner, remains on the festival partner roster.
The format mixes ticketed and free programming: an opening day music festival on the beach, a free community beach day with a surf contest, a three-night film program at the historic La Paloma Theatre, and a free week-long art exhibit in Carlsbad.
Sessions Surf Festival 2026 schedule
| Dates | Event | Venue | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12 | Opening Music Festival, 12pm to 10pm | Seaside Reef, 2504 S Coast Hwy 101, Solana Beach | Ticketed |
| Sep 13 | Seaside Reef Beach Day and surf contest | Seaside Reef, Solana Beach | Free |
| Sep 14 to 19 | Art Sessions, 10 artists plus live music | Hotwater Gallery, 6880 Embarcadero Ln, Carlsbad | Free |
| Sep 17 to 19 | Film Sessions, surf films and panels | La Paloma Theatre, 471 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas | Lineup TBA |
Opening day: the Osees on the sand at Seaside Reef
The festival launches on Saturday, September 12 with a ten-hour music festival on the beach at Seaside Reef in Solana Beach, running from noon to 10pm. Tickets are on sale now through the festival site, and this is the one event in the program most likely to sell out.
- ~Osees (headliners)
- ~Unwritten Law
- ~Bully
- ~Yoke Lore
- ~MT Warning
- ~Jack Shields and the Mojave Rush
- ~Emily Afton
Beach day, film sessions and art sessions
On Sunday, September 13 the festival stays at Seaside Reef for a free, open-to-the-community beach day. A unique surf contest runs with multiple categories built for surfers and spectators alike, and when the contest wraps the beach bar and stage keep going with live music and entertainment into the evening.
From September 17 to 19, the La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas becomes the festival hub for surf cinema, hosting the best surf films of the year alongside panel conversations and live music. The full film lineup is still to be announced.
Running the full second half of the week, September 14 to 19, Art Sessions takes over Hotwater Gallery in Carlsbad with work from 10 artists. It is free to attend, with live music, food and drinks across the run.
What happened to the Solento Surf Festival?
The Solento Surf Festival became Sessions Surf Festival. It is the same North County San Diego surf culture festival under a new name, with Solento Tequila continuing as a festival partner. Coverage, photos and film from previous years under the Solento name refer to this same event.
Is Sessions Surf Festival free?
Partly. The Seaside Reef Beach Day on September 13 and the Art Sessions at Hotwater Gallery, September 14 to 19, are both free community events. The opening day music festival on September 12 is ticketed, and access details for the Film Sessions at La Paloma will be published with the lineup.
Where is Sessions Surf Festival held?
Sessions takes over four venues along Coast Highway 101 in North County San Diego: Seaside Reef in Solana Beach for the music festival and beach day, the La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas for film sessions, and Hotwater Gallery in Carlsbad for the art program.
The full lineup, tickets, film submissions and partner list are live on the official festival site.
Visit Sessions Surf Festival →Make a surf trip of it
Festival week pairs well with a wider California surf trip. Our guides cover every wave pool in the state, from Palm Springs Surf Club two hours inland to Kelly Slater Surf Ranch in the Central Valley, plus the Ocean Kamp development coming to Oceanside, ten minutes up the 101 from the festival grounds.
Written and hand-verified by Wave Pool Party.
