By Lookout Staff
July 16, 2026 -- COAST -- Southern California's signature open streets festival -- will return after a six-year hiatus to celebrate the World Cup final match between Argentina and Spain on Sunday.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Coast 2026 will take over more than a mile of Downtown Santa Monica, including Ocean, Colorado,and Arizona avenues, the Third Street Promenade and the Pier, City officials said.
Made possible by a grant from Metro, the free festival offers "a vibrant community celebration" that features food, music, family-friendly activities, arts, culture and livestreams of the World Cup match.
During its three-year run from 2016 to 2019, COAST attracted more than 50,000 locals and visitors each year, with 80 percent of participants walking the route, according to Community Arts Resources, which produces the car-free event.
Starting at 10:30 a.m., Palisades Park will "transform into the Superbloom Garden," offering a breathwork meditation. Tea & House, will feature a live house DJ with iced tea from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., followed by a closing music and sound bowl meditation with Chinese zither accompaniment from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, the park's Camera Obscura Art Lab will become "Memory World,” an exhibition featuring local artists and a somatic workshop led by a city Artist in Residence at 2:30 p.m. Surrounding the Art Lab will be a visual art workshop, World Cup-themed face painting and a community mural.
City departments will offer interactive booths, including a Recreation and Arts Department collaboration with Santa Monica Sports Academy that provides family-friendly games.
The Office of Sustainability and the Environment will offer kids activities, while the Big Blue Bus presents live music onboard in partnership with Music in Transit.
From noon to 2 p.m., fans will gear up for the World Cup Final, which will be shown on LED screens near the beer garden on Ocean Avenue and Arizona Avenue and at the Shore Hotel.
The 1300 block “Grandstand” will serve as a central gathering space with an outdoor live stream of the event and World Cup-themed activations on two screens.
On the 1200 block, “The Huddle” will offer food, beverages, and additional match-viewing opportunities at bars and restaurants, alongside live music presented by Jam in the Van.
Arizona Avenue, known as “The Tailgate,” will offer a "relaxed outdoor space to gather, connect, and celebrate before and after the final match,: while Ocean Avenue will feature local businesses The Lobster, The Whaler, The Eden, Blue Plate Taco and the Shore Hotel.
The Third Street Promenade Entertainment Zone will be active during the festival, allowing guests 21 and older to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating establishments and enjoy them within designated Entertainment Zone boundaries.
While the Downtown parking structures will be open, attendees are encouraged to "make a car-free day and walk, bike or take Big Blue Bus or Metro to the event to celebrate the convenience and joy of a clean, green, multi-modal city," officials said.
There will also be free on-site bike valets on Ocean, Arizona and Colorado avenues that provide "a safe and easy way to park bikes while enjoying the event."
Between 3 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Ocean Avenue from Wilshire Boulevard to Colorado Avenue will be closed, along with the Colorado Esplanade from 5th Street to the Pier, Arizona Avenue from 4th Street to Ocean Avenue, and Arizona Avenue and Colorado.