Ohana Festival 2026

gotthebottle · May 14

Go Beavers said:

gotthebottle said:

RatherStarved said:

It might be different this year with all the pent up demand for a PJ show but in the past for PJ at Ohana I have got there around 3pm for an 8pm start and got a spot about 30 rows back, which gradually improves to about 20 rows when people filter out between some of the earlier acts. Invariably there are people who elbow their way to the first few rows at 7:59 and say they are looking for their friend/relative/etc.

I have also sometimes said to heck with it, got there at 7 and grabbed a spot at the back. It’s a more chill way to be.

Also don’t underestimate the free spot on the beach where you can hear but not see.

I never care where I stand.. don't need to waste my day at front ... which last year let us walk right up front for Amanda Reckonwith at other stage when people didn't know. There's a hill and you can see if you get a spot there... and giant screens at both stages... it's low stress. People in bleachers get a good view but far away.
I don't get people worrying about this in May.... there will be the usual crowd lined up to run to rail when gates open... but whatever....I enjoy listening to speakers at Cove. It's a relatively small space for 30k people

I think it maxes out at around 20k

Ok

BO175983 · May 14

TenDays said:

What does it take to get in the front 20 rows or so for EV and PJ at Ohana? Does it mean being at the front gate before 12:00, and then heading straight to the stage and claiming your spot and staying there until 8:00 p.m.? I see that towels aren't allowed after 4, so are you then standing from 4-10?

My son and I were about 2 rows from
the stage for EV Ohana ‘25.. i didn’t leave my spot from Noon until after EV’s set…

Moffat12 · May 14

CantKeepmedown said:

Damn. McCready is like “huh?”

That made me laugh 🤣

Velvet Jones · May 14

Does anyone believe night 1 will sell out?

TenDays · May 14

MB30816 said:

TenDays said:

MB30816 said:

TenDays said:

Gern Blansten said:

TenDays said:

JG242853 said:

TenDays said:

What does it take to get in the front 20 rows or so for EV and PJ at Ohana? Does it mean being at the front gate before 12:00, and then heading straight to the stage and claiming your spot and staying there until 8:00 p.m.? I see that towels aren't allowed after 4, so are you then standing from 4-10?

We did it in 2024. Be prepared to stand all day. We stood for Dog Star and worked our way up (without being jackasses) every act until we were about 10 rows back for PJ. As far as hours standing, I guess not too different than getting rail or row 2 for PJ at an Arena show.

Fffff... I think of myself as a relatively fit person with weightlifting and walking and dancing, but I'm not sure I have it in me to stand all day! I'm a new fan and have never seen PJ live, and I think it would be so fun to be toward the front for a concert!

Priority one is to see them...even if you are sitting on the bleachers in the back it's not a bad spot. Video screens do the trick and the sound is good.

We have usually ended up standing on the walkway in front of the bleachers and had a good time there as it was a little higher than the grass

Good info, thanks. I'm thinking that once you're more than a few rows back (20?), there's probably not much difference from being there versus anywhere else on site.

Agreed. If I'm more than perhaps 4 people back from the rail, I typically have trouble seeing over people's heads since I'm short. At that point, I'd rather be further back where it's less packed and I can actually see better. Only you can decide what is right for you and different people have different opinions on this.

That is an excellent point. I'm 5'3". 🤔

I'm around your height. Occasionally I have lucked out with having short people in front of me in GA, but that's not common. If there is more than a few people in front of me on a flat GA floor (i.e. not angled), it means that I can't see around people's heads/shoulders. That affects my experience of the concert, so I typically prefer to be further back if I can't be really close. When I went to Ohana two years ago, I recall feeling very claustrophobic when I was closer to the front but not actually near the rail during the Devo set. We ended up choosing to move further back/off to the side to be more comfortable.

If you truly want to be on the rail or very close to it for PJ, you should be prepared to get in line for entry by around 6am on Sunday morning. You won't be able to leave the rail except for very short periods either and you'd need to communicate and befriend those around you to ensure that your spot is there when you return. Not trying to discourage you, but I want to ensure that you are realistic about what this commitment looks like.

This is all extremely helpful. How far back do you like to be to not feel so claustrophobic and see ok? And how early do you typically need to show up to end up that far back, both for EV and for PJ? I thought about maybe trying to be closer for EV, and farther back for PJ.

I got married at 20, first kid at 21, and was super religious until my late 30s, so I missed out entirely on typical young adult experiences. So I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to do this all-day commitment to get near the front, just to *experience it* once, or just chill and be relaxed and glad to be there. Now in my mid 40s, I identify with this meme 🤣🤣

I have been right next to the stage for Brad Paisley, but that did not require any effort or waiting - just super fast fingers when the tickets went on sale!

TenDays · May 14

gotthebottle said:

RatherStarved said:

It might be different this year with all the pent up demand for a PJ show but in the past for PJ at Ohana I have got there around 3pm for an 8pm start and got a spot about 30 rows back, which gradually improves to about 20 rows when people filter out between some of the earlier acts. Invariably there are people who elbow their way to the first few rows at 7:59 and say they are looking for their friend/relative/etc.

I have also sometimes said to heck with it, got there at 7 and grabbed a spot at the back. It’s a more chill way to be.

Also don’t underestimate the free spot on the beach where you can hear but not see.

I never care where I stand.. don't need to waste my day at front ... which last year let us walk right up front for Amanda Reckonwith at other stage when people didn't know. There's a hill and you can see if you get a spot there... and giant screens at both stages... it's low stress. People in bleachers get a good view but far away.
I don't get people worrying about this in May.... there will be the usual crowd lined up to run to rail when gates open... but whatever....I enjoy listening to speakers at Cove. It's a relatively small space for 30k people

Having never done this before, I wouldn't say it's *worrying* about it, it's trying to figure out what my plan is. Although, I guess all I really need to decide right now is whether to get a ticket or not. All of the other stuff can wait!

TenDays · May 14

RatherStarved said:

It might be different this year with all the pent up demand for a PJ show but in the past for PJ at Ohana I have got there around 3pm for an 8pm start and got a spot about 30 rows back, which gradually improves to about 20 rows when people filter out between some of the earlier acts. Invariably there are people who elbow their way to the first few rows at 7:59 and say they are looking for their friend/relative/etc.

I have also sometimes said to heck with it, got there at 7 and grabbed a spot at the back. It’s a more chill way to be.

Also don’t underestimate the free spot on the beach where you can hear but not see.

That's good info. As far as the relative issue, what is the etiquette on saving a place for a partner? My party pooper husband is willing to attend the festival, but he doesn't want to wait for hours in one spot. If I waited, and then let him come up with me when the show starts, is that bad etiquette? This is if I was 10 to 30 rows back let's say. I know I wouldn't be able to let him come up if I was on the rail or something.

lastexitlondon · May 14

TenDays said:

RatherStarved said:

It might be different this year with all the pent up demand for a PJ show but in the past for PJ at Ohana I have got there around 3pm for an 8pm start and got a spot about 30 rows back, which gradually improves to about 20 rows when people filter out between some of the earlier acts. Invariably there are people who elbow their way to the first few rows at 7:59 and say they are looking for their friend/relative/etc.

I have also sometimes said to heck with it, got there at 7 and grabbed a spot at the back. It’s a more chill way to be.

Also don’t underestimate the free spot on the beach where you can hear but not see.

That's good info. As far as the relative issue, what is the etiquette on saving a place for a partner? My party pooper husband is willing to attend the festival, but he doesn't want to wait for hours in one spot. If I waited, and then let him come up with me when the show starts, is that bad etiquette? This is if I was 10 to 30 rows back let's say. I know I wouldn't be able to let him come up if I was on the rail or something.

That's not going to go down well from my experience. Although if you are way back I doubt anyone would even notice

TenDays · May 14

BO175983 said:

TenDays said:

What does it take to get in the front 20 rows or so for EV and PJ at Ohana? Does it mean being at the front gate before 12:00, and then heading straight to the stage and claiming your spot and staying there until 8:00 p.m.? I see that towels aren't allowed after 4, so are you then standing from 4-10?

My son and I were about 2 rows from
the stage for EV Ohana ‘25.. i didn’t leave my spot from Noon until after EV’s set…

Awesome!! 😍

Ummm.... Are you saying you *literally* didn't leave your spot? I need a bathroom every few hours, especially staying hydrated on a warm day 🤭.
I hear that some people avoid drinking anything, to avoid the bathroom, but I think the dehydration would ruin the experience for me!

BO175983 · May 14

TenDays said:

BO175983 said:

TenDays said:

What does it take to get in the front 20 rows or so for EV and PJ at Ohana? Does it mean being at the front gate before 12:00, and then heading straight to the stage and claiming your spot and staying there until 8:00 p.m.? I see that towels aren't allowed after 4, so are you then standing from 4-10?

My son and I were about 2 rows from
the stage for EV Ohana ‘25.. i didn’t leave my spot from Noon until after EV’s set…

Awesome!! 😍

Ummm.... Are you saying you *literally* didn't leave your spot? I need a bathroom every few hours, especially staying hydrated on a warm day 🤭.
I hear that some people avoid drinking anything, to avoid the bathroom, but I think the dehydration would ruin the experience for me!

Yeah somehow i stayed in my spot the whole time… my son ran and got me an iced coffee and a water.. and food around 2pm.. weather was perfect, not too hot.

njhaley1 · May 14

TenDays said:

MB30816 said:

TenDays said:

MB30816 said:

TenDays said:

Gern Blansten said:

TenDays said:

JG242853 said:

TenDays said:

What does it take to get in the front 20 rows or so for EV and PJ at Ohana? Does it mean being at the front gate before 12:00, and then heading straight to the stage and claiming your spot and staying there until 8:00 p.m.? I see that towels aren't allowed after 4, so are you then standing from 4-10?

We did it in 2024. Be prepared to stand all day. We stood for Dog Star and worked our way up (without being jackasses) every act until we were about 10 rows back for PJ. As far as hours standing, I guess not too different than getting rail or row 2 for PJ at an Arena show.

Fffff... I think of myself as a relatively fit person with weightlifting and walking and dancing, but I'm not sure I have it in me to stand all day! I'm a new fan and have never seen PJ live, and I think it would be so fun to be toward the front for a concert!

Priority one is to see them...even if you are sitting on the bleachers in the back it's not a bad spot. Video screens do the trick and the sound is good.

We have usually ended up standing on the walkway in front of the bleachers and had a good time there as it was a little higher than the grass

Good info, thanks. I'm thinking that once you're more than a few rows back (20?), there's probably not much difference from being there versus anywhere else on site.

Agreed. If I'm more than perhaps 4 people back from the rail, I typically have trouble seeing over people's heads since I'm short. At that point, I'd rather be further back where it's less packed and I can actually see better. Only you can decide what is right for you and different people have different opinions on this.

That is an excellent point. I'm 5'3". 🤔

I'm around your height. Occasionally I have lucked out with having short people in front of me in GA, but that's not common. If there is more than a few people in front of me on a flat GA floor (i.e. not angled), it means that I can't see around people's heads/shoulders. That affects my experience of the concert, so I typically prefer to be further back if I can't be really close. When I went to Ohana two years ago, I recall feeling very claustrophobic when I was closer to the front but not actually near the rail during the Devo set. We ended up choosing to move further back/off to the side to be more comfortable.

If you truly want to be on the rail or very close to it for PJ, you should be prepared to get in line for entry by around 6am on Sunday morning. You won't be able to leave the rail except for very short periods either and you'd need to communicate and befriend those around you to ensure that your spot is there when you return. Not trying to discourage you, but I want to ensure that you are realistic about what this commitment looks like.

This is all extremely helpful. How far back do you like to be to not feel so claustrophobic and see ok? And how early do you typically need to show up to end up that far back, both for EV and for PJ? I thought about maybe trying to be closer for EV, and farther back for PJ.

I got married at 20, first kid at 21, and was super religious until my late 30s, so I missed out entirely on typical young adult experiences. So I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to do this all-day commitment to get near the front, just to *experience it* once, or just chill and be relaxed and glad to be there. Now in my mid 40s, I identify with this meme 🤣🤣

I have been right next to the stage for Brad Paisley, but that did not require any effort or waiting - just super fast fingers when the tickets went on sale!

I have also been right next to the stage for Brad Paisley, but it was pretty early in his career at a tiny outdoor show in uuuuupppppstate NY, where one of his bandmates grew up

Sounds like this is a sort of revisiting your youth after some life-altering changes sort of thing, and in that case I say "go for it." Have you got companions you're going with to help hold spots?

My kids and I usually hang out in the sand pit in front of the stands. To the right of the ADA seating area there's a running concrete bench sort of thing that provides a good view that most people stand on.

GlowGirl · May 14

TenDays said:

gotthebottle said:

RatherStarved said:

It might be different this year with all the pent up demand for a PJ show but in the past for PJ at Ohana I have got there around 3pm for an 8pm start and got a spot about 30 rows back, which gradually improves to about 20 rows when people filter out between some of the earlier acts. Invariably there are people who elbow their way to the first few rows at 7:59 and say they are looking for their friend/relative/etc.

I have also sometimes said to heck with it, got there at 7 and grabbed a spot at the back. It’s a more chill way to be.

Also don’t underestimate the free spot on the beach where you can hear but not see.

I never care where I stand.. don't need to waste my day at front ... which last year let us walk right up front for Amanda Reckonwith at other stage when people didn't know. There's a hill and you can see if you get a spot there... and giant screens at both stages... it's low stress. People in bleachers get a good view but far away.
I don't get people worrying about this in May.... there will be the usual crowd lined up to run to rail when gates open... but whatever....I enjoy listening to speakers at Cove. It's a relatively small space for 30k people

Having never done this before, I wouldn't say it's *worrying* about it, it's trying to figure out what my plan is. Although, I guess all I really need to decide right now is whether to get a ticket or not. All of the other stuff can wait!

If you have never been to a festival before you should go for it even if you don’t get super close to the stage. It’s a beautiful festival and so much more chill than other festivals. It’s also smaller. So it would be a great first time for you to experience it.

But I do think Sunday will be crazier than normal. When they played in 2024 they were coming off a pretty decent tour so people had already seen them in other cities and maybe didn’t feel like they needed to add Ohana. They also played two nights at Ohana. But since this is looking like the only show this year people who may not normally go to Ohana are going to try to be there. So just be prepared for a bit of craziness on Sunday. But you should have a more relaxing time on Friday and Saturday. It’s a great vibe.

GlowGirl · May 14

TenDays said:

RatherStarved said:

It might be different this year with all the pent up demand for a PJ show but in the past for PJ at Ohana I have got there around 3pm for an 8pm start and got a spot about 30 rows back, which gradually improves to about 20 rows when people filter out between some of the earlier acts. Invariably there are people who elbow their way to the first few rows at 7:59 and say they are looking for their friend/relative/etc.

I have also sometimes said to heck with it, got there at 7 and grabbed a spot at the back. It’s a more chill way to be.

Also don’t underestimate the free spot on the beach where you can hear but not see.

That's good info. As far as the relative issue, what is the etiquette on saving a place for a partner? My party pooper husband is willing to attend the festival, but he doesn't want to wait for hours in one spot. If I waited, and then let him come up with me when the show starts, is that bad etiquette? This is if I was 10 to 30 rows back let's say. I know I wouldn't be able to let him come up if I was on the rail or something.

People will very loudly protest your saving a spot for someone who hasn’t been there, especially if he would have to squeeze in. It is generally not tolerated. If you are far back enough where people are loosely hanging and there is room for mingling around then that is fine. The same rule also goes for the line to get in. You can’t hold spots for someone in line.

In terms of leaving your spot it really is based on the crowd. For me, I have found that before the crowd starts packing in like sardines I can run to the bathroom or get food to bring back to my spot. I tell the people around me that I am just running out and will be right back. You can do this a few times over the early hours. However, I always know it’s time to stop as the crowd starts packing in. I usually make my cutoff around 4:00/5:00 and stay put from that point on. That is just my system but it works for me.

gotthebottle · May 14

Every year the big crush at main stage is less and less appealing to me, and I've been standing at concerts for 30+ years. You can always go to the bathroom.. it's ridiculous to think you can't.
But more impt to me is having space and hearing music instead of thinking about getting closer.... been there done that.
If you need to be close to band, go for it....

Spags · May 14

We did the first PJ night under the Palm Trees area and it was cool and all, but we made sure we had a closer spot for the second PJ night. Very jealous of you Ohana folks this year - drink some Kona Big Wave for me!

gotthebottle · May 14

Spags said:

We did the first PJ night under the Palm Trees area and it was cool and all, but we made sure we had a closer spot for the second PJ night. Very jealous of you Ohana folks this year - drink some Kona Big Wave for me!

$15 bucks a can last year...

gotthebottle · May 14

Another factor for those newbies.... lots of folks who buy VIP get in line early too and their entrance is closer to the main stage than general entrance..I have seen them running to get front rail and beating the GA folks.
That's alot of money for a rail spot, but to each their own.

Spags · May 14

gotthebottle said:

Spags said:

We did the first PJ night under the Palm Trees area and it was cool and all, but we made sure we had a closer spot for the second PJ night. Very jealous of you Ohana folks this year - drink some Kona Big Wave for me!

$15 bucks a can last year...

Was the least expensive part of the trip lol

Go Beavers · May 14

gotthebottle said:

Spags said:

We did the first PJ night under the Palm Trees area and it was cool and all, but we made sure we had a closer spot for the second PJ night. Very jealous of you Ohana folks this year - drink some Kona Big Wave for me!

$15 bucks a can last year...

There is the one area that sells decent beer and not the Kona that feels like it’s 3% abv. I always forget to go there, though. I think it’s near the food zone.

pjbugs007 · May 14

Go Beavers said:

gotthebottle said:

Spags said:

We did the first PJ night under the Palm Trees area and it was cool and all, but we made sure we had a closer spot for the second PJ night. Very jealous of you Ohana folks this year - drink some Kona Big Wave for me!

$15 bucks a can last year...

There is the one area that sells decent beer and not the Kona that feels like it’s 3% abv. I always forget to go there, though. I think it’s near the food zone.

Facts Beavers if your gonna spend 15$+ mine as well make it a higher ALC/VOL 😂

Ohana Festival 2026

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