The Darker Waves Festival just announced their 2026 lineup and unearthed ’80s heroes, ’90s icons and more for a one-day goth and punk extravaganza set to take place in Huntington Beach, CA on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Headliners on the stacked bill include former Smiths frontman Morrissey, alt-rock legends Smashing Pumpkins, Scottish hitmakers Simple Minds, anti-authoritarian punks Bad Religion and new wave wunderkind Adam Ant.
They’ll be joined by Psychedelic Furs, Soft Cell, The Damned, Manic Street Preachers and Marky Ramone.
Silversun Pickups, Buzzcocks, EMF, Circle Jerks and Spacehog round out the throwback lineup.
In total, 39 acts — that you likely remember from way before Y2K — will descend upon the actual beach come mid-November.
“Long time, no see,” Darker Waves shared via Instagram.
Prior to the 2026 edition, the last DW fest went down in November 2023 with Tears For Fears, New Order and The B-52s atop the bill.
As one might expect, the get-together leaned heavily into an ’80s aesthetic.
“From the multi-colored archway attendees passed under as they entered to a Delorean displayed on the sand surrounded by mock hoverboards, the organizers made sure to keep the theme ‘like, totally radical,’” New Noise Magazine wrote in a tongue-in-cheek yet enthusiastic review.
“What other festival has an arcade tent stocked with the decade’s staples like Galaga, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Burger Time, Pac-Man, and more?”
Blogger Kat Goes To Shows reported that the food selection consisted of “typical” fare like “burgers and fries, chicken strips, etc., but almost all of it was elevated in both quality and taste.” She added “Pulled pork nachos, teriyaki chicken wraps, root beer floats, and pumpkin spice shakes” were slightly more off-the-beaten path options.
Tickets officially go on sale to the general public on Thursday, April 2 at 11 am local time through Ticketmaster but are available now on trusted secondary market sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats.
We only recommend sites with a 100% buyer guarantee, so you know your transaction is safe and your tickets will arrive on time.
A complete breakdown of all the different ticket types for the 2026 Darker Waves Festival can be found here:
As you likely recall from above, 39 artists are scheduled to bring the hits to Huntington Beach this fall.
To make sure you’re fully in the loop, you can check out the chilled-out, beach-y Darker Waves poster here.
If that’s the case and you need an ’80s fix, we’ve got your back. Here are just five of our favorites from the “Where’s the beef” decade that we can’t wait to see live these next few months.
Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2026 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
