Boardwalk Rock, a festival that debuted in May 2025 in Ocean City, Maryland, and featured headliners Def Leppard, Nickelback, Shinedown and Rob Zombie, will take 2026 off and return in 2027.
“We had an incredible time rocking out with you at Boardwalk Rock this year,” reads a statement released on Nov. 5. 2025. “We can’t wait to do it all over again!
“We’ll return in 2027 with another incredible lineup, so rest up and we’ll see you back on the beach soon!”
Soon after the conclusion of the inaugural event, festival promoters indicated that it would return in 2026. In a Nov. 5 statement, the Ocean City government attributed the change in plans to “a variety of challenges.”
“The Town of Ocean City is disappointed to share that Boardwalk Rock will not return in 2026,” the town posted to social media. “Although it wasn’t for lack of effort, a variety of challenges made it difficult to deliver the same high-quality experience fans have come to expect.
“’Boardwalk Rock quickly became a highlight of Ocean City’s spring event calendar,’ said Ocean City Business Development Director Tom Perlozzo. ‘While we are disappointed to take a pause in 2026, we are fully committed to working with C3 Presents to bring the festival back stronger than ever in 2027.’
“The Town looks forward to welcoming Boardwalk Rock back to Ocean City in 2027 and remains committed to collaborating with C3 Presents to plan the next edition. We thank the music fans, our residents, and Ocean City visitors for their continued support and enthusiasm for this beloved event. We look forward to a great festival in 2027!”
The sold-out, two-day Boardwalk Rock festival was produced by C3 Presents, the promoter behind a number of festivals nationwide, including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and When We Were Young, as well Oceans Calling and Country Calling, both of which also take place in Ocean City. In addition to the headliners, the band lineup featured Alice Cooper, Halestorm, Bush, Mammoth, Extreme, Everclear, Three Days Grace, Bret Michaels and others.
