Mission Bayfest is cranking the volume back up at Mariner's Point in Mission Beach, returning as a three-day waterfront blowout set for Oct. 16-18, 2026, with Rebelution, Kolohe Kai and The Offspring locked in as headliners. The fifth-anniversary edition is expected to spread roughly 27 bands and solo acts across the sand and grass, blending reggae, ska and punk for a fall crowd that would rather be at the beach than anywhere else. Organizers say they are aiming to deliver one of San Diego's biggest waterfront music weekends of the season.
Tickets, prices and presale
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale Saturday, March 20 at 10 a.m. local time, with a presale rolling out this week, according to Bayfest. Fans will see single-day general admission and VIP options, plus three-day passes for those in it for the full marathon. The site also points buyers to official ticketing partners and breaks down VIP perks, including private viewing areas and dedicated restrooms for anyone looking to upgrade from the standard porta-potty experience.
Who’s headlining each night
Rebelution is slated to top the bill on Friday, Oct. 16, Kolohe Kai will close out Saturday, and The Offspring will take over Sunday, Oct. 18, as reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune. The outlet notes that the lineup is designed to mix national touring draws with regional favorites, giving the festival both name recognition and a strong local spine.
Roots and growth
Mission Bayfest traces its lineage to San Diego Bayfest and a one-day Mission Bay event in 2022 that has since expanded into a full multi-day weekend at Mariner's Point. Times of San Diego credits founders including Beats (a.k.a. DJ Mikey Beats), Dominic Coleman and Joe Rinaldi with carefully scaling the party. Their playbook has leaned heavily on local reggae and punk scenes while steadily layering in national acts to keep the bill from getting predictable.
The bill beyond the headliners
The 2026 outing is expected to feature about 27 bands and solo artists in total, and recent coverage highlights groups like Steel Pulse and SOJA as examples of the kinds of performers Bayfest tends to book, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. The idea is to pair crowd-pulling headliners with a deep bench of reggae, ska and punk acts across multiple stages, so fans willing to wander away from the main draw should have plenty of discoveries waiting on the undercard.
Where it happens and what to expect
Mission Bayfest will once again take over Mariner's Point Park on the Mission Bay peninsula, a waterfront spot managed by the City of San Diego. The park's information pages outline the permit contacts and directions that organizers use to nail down logistics for large events, from traffic flow to crowd management. Attendees should plan on limited on-site parking, designated shuttle zones and neighborhood road closures around the festival days, so this is not the weekend to wing it on transportation.
Presales are rolling out this week and general tickets go live March 20 at 10 a.m. local time. Fans can sign up for updates or grab passes through Bayfest. With a waterfront setting and a bill built around reggae, ska and punk, Mission Bayfest is positioning itself as one of San Diego's marquee music weekends in October.
