While rain and flooding caused delays during the festival’s first day, officials and business owners report they were better prepared for the second installment of Oceans Calling, which brought more than 50,000 attendees to town each day over the weekend.
Following the success of last year’s Oceans Calling Festival, the outlook going into last weekend’s three-day event seemed bright for event promoter C3 Presents and the Town of Ocean City. And while rain and flooding led to significant logistical issues Friday, officials report the event was largely celebrated by concertgoers and business owners.
“I think the entire Oceans Calling weekend was a huge success,” Mayor Rick Meehan said this week. “Again we had concert attendees from every state and it looked like everyone enjoyed the event. The weather didn’t cooperate Friday night but the concert goers hung in there and they were rewarded with great weather Saturday and Sunday. The band lineup was awesome, and the crowds were polite and just enjoying themselves.”
Like last year, rain moved through the area during the first day of Oceans Calling. However, heavy downpours started in the early evening and continued throughout the night, leaving attendees soaked as they made their way out of the festival footprint at the conclusion of day one. Additionally, the weather led to a 45-minute delay in Friday night’s headliner, Blink 182, taking the stage. Due to the delay and lack of communication from the festival, thousands of attendees left Friday night before the band took the stage around 10:20 p.m.
As a result of the rain and flooding, Transit Manager Rob Shearman said concertgoers moved in and out of the festival grounds in patterns the city’s transportation department did not anticipate. Despite preparations, he said buses were overwhelmed on Friday evening.
“Friday night was certainly the most challenging of the three days,” he said. “The effect of the rain changed the movement pattern. People were coming and going at different times than we were prepared for. It was a pretty significant disruption. We did our best to adjust, but the weather often is not always predictable. I also feel like the weather contributed to the overall mood and frustration of attendees. When everyone is drenched head to toe, their patience evaporates, which we understand.”