A wave of music—and some very big names in the biz—will hit the Jersey Shore this September when the Sea Hear Now festival returns to Asbury Park.
The two-day event will be headlined by Stevie Nicks on Saturday, September 17 and Green Day on Sunday, September 18, organizers announced Tuesday, March 8. The full lineup also includes My Morning Jacket, Cage The Elephant, Billy Strings, Gary Clark Jr., The Head and the Heart, Michael Franti and Spearhead, and Shakey Graves.
Sea Hear Now, an annual occurrence since 2018, celebrates music, art and ocean sustainability. The festival showcases more than 25 performances on three stages at North Beach Asbury Park and Bradley Park, as well as a professional surfing competition. The 2022 surfing lineup includes Cory Lopez, Sam Hammer and Cassidy McClain.
There is also Danny Clinch’s Transparent Gallery, which features artwork from the festival’s musicians and houses smaller, impromptu performances. A well-known music photographer and film director from Toms River, Clinch is one of the festival’s co-founders. Proceeds from the gallery benefit the Wooden Walls Project, which brings public art to Asbury Park.
The first Sea Hear Now Festival took place in 2018. The surfside event sees thousands of people gather on the beach each year. Photo by Kevin Doherty for Sea Hear Now
The inaugural Sea Hear Now festival featured headliners Jack Johnson and Incubus in 2018. New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen also made a surprise appearance alongside Social Distortion. The festival’s second incarnation was led by Dave Matthews Band and The Lumineers. Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins then welcomed the sandy jamboree back in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic canceled the event in 2020.
Notable non-headliners who have lent their talents to Sea Hear Now include Blondie, Ben Harper, Brandi Carlile, The Front Bottoms, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, The B-52’s, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Dropkick Murphys, Dispatch, Billy Idol, Patti Smith, The Avett Brothers, Lord Huron and Dirty Heads.
Tickets for the 2022 festival go on sale Wednesday, March 9 at 10 am. Children 7 and under can attend for free alongside a ticketed adult.