by julia finocchiaro
New Jersey’s annual beachside festival Sea.Hear.Now returns for its sixth installment on the Asbury Park boardwalk in just under three weeks, and with it will come performances by some incredible folk and rock performers, including The Gaslight Anthem, The Black Crowes, Trey Anastasio Band, The Revivalists, and more. Headliners include Noah Kahan and, of course, a three-hour-long set by New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, the group’s first appearance at the festival since its inaugural date in 2018.
When & Where
This year’s Sea.Hear.Now festival takes place the weekend of September 14 - 15th, with gates opening at noon and a 10:30 pm curfew each night. To get there, fans can utilize the New Jersey Transit Asbury Park station, which goes to New York City’s Penn Station via a transfer at Long Branch. However, this ride will take you around 2.5 hours, so we recommend finding accommodations closer to the festival rather than staying in the city. For fans who decide to stay nearby, the festival will have a dedicated rideshare area for drop offs/pickups from the festival.
Surfing? Art Galleries? Food?
Sea.Hear.Now isn’t just a music festival. This year (and for the past few years), the festival also hosts a professional surfing competition in the waters surrounding the festival grounds, making sure there’s always something to see in addition to just the music. One of the festival’s main producers is legendary rock photographer Danny Clinch, who has worked with Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Foo Fighters, to name a few. His work will be displayed in the Transparent Clinch Gallery along with impromptu sets by some musicians. And of course we can’t forget about the food. With NYC to the north and Philly to the south, the festival promises delicious eats throughout the weekend.
Lineup
The full lineup and schedule for this year’s festival can be found on the Sea.Hear.Now website. This year’s lineup is packed with talent from household names to lots of smaller artists. Saturday’s highlights earlier in the day include Massachusetts rock band Guster and solo rock singer Grace Potter. On Sunday, make sure to catch high energy sets by The Aces and Larkin poe, as well as a soul-filled performance by folk and R&B singer Joy Oladokun.
Tickets & More
Tickets to this year’s festival are currently sold out, but fans can join the waitlist or view resale tickets on the Sea.Hear.Now website. Those coming with VIP tickets will get to enjoy front-of-stage viewing, VIP lounges, and express lanes for both entry and merchandise.
For anything we’ve missed, check out the festival’s comprehensive FAQ page here to get your questions answered.
We hope to see you in Asbury Park for this year’s festival!