Information provided by the Oceans Calling Festival and the Town of Ocean City.
Here is your parking and transportation guide for the 2024 Oceans Calling Festival to help you plan ahead so you can minimize uncertainty, anxiety and frustration. Remember, “Ocean City is a barrier island with only three ways on and off the island. This means during special events that attract large amounts of visitors to the island; itโs a given that there are significant traffic and crowd issues.
The festival begins at noon each day and ends at 11 PM each night. George Peake, the Director of Transportation Operations from the Town of Ocean City offers his insight,
“By working together with the police and concert event staff we hope we have all made strides to improve our operations to โmove peopleโ.
Using our bus system:
- Due to major residential developments surrounding our north bus station parking is VERY limited in the area
- Public Parking at 100th Street near the library fills up fast
- Convention Center parking is free, and we will be focusing on transporting people from these lots until they are full
- The Coastal Highway bus service runs 6AM to 3AM next day; on a daily basis
- We are running a shuttle service from/to Park โNโ Ride in west OC and it has free parking. This shuttle will operate during the hours of 6AM to 1AM next day during the concerts
- Many will use the outlet mall parking as an overflow
- We will be selling bus tickets, including multi-day tickets at the Park โNโ Ride facility
- For Oceans Calling I have 165 bus deployments scheduled during the three day event; and for Countryโs Calling, (a two day event), 100″
Parking
If you are not staying in Ocean City where parking is provided, there are three lots for you to try:
- West Ocean City Park and Ride 12848 Ocean Gateway, Ocean City, MD 21842
- Ocean City Convention Center Parking Lot 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842
- 100th Street Municipal Parking Lot 10267 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842
There will be Public Transportation available to and from the festival from these locations. ADA parking is available at all municipal parking lots.
There are no parking options for the festival from N. Division Street south to the inlet.
You can check our Parking Guide on OceanCity.com for the location of other lots. Remember, the inlet lot is closed and there will be no parking south of N. Division St.
Transit
- Ocean City Beach Bus:
- Travels north and southbound along Coastal Highway
- For the festival, the Beach Bus is running an express route with a reduced set of stops. Please see route map for available locations.
- When leaving the festival in the evening, concertgoers can walk to Baltimore Avenue to catch the Beach Bus (for northbound access). Northbound buses will be staged on Baltimore Avenue between Worcester Street and Talbot Street.
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West Ocean City Shuttle
- to and from the West Ocean City Park and Ride.
- The West Ocean City shuttle will transport to and from the West Ocean City Park and Ride lot (12848 Ocean Gateway) and the festival.
- When leaving the festival, patrons traveling west to the West Ocean City Park and Ride can take a bus from the South End Transit Station (South Division Street) directly to the West Ocean City Park and Ride Lot.
All Ocean City municipal buses are ADA accessible.
Ride-All-Day pass
- $4 and allows you to ride from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m. on the Beach Bus and 11 a.m. until 12 a.m. on the West Ocean City Shuttle.
- Exact cash fare is required – credit card payments are NOT accepted.
ADA Drop-Off and Pick Up
- ADA drop off and pick up is available at 1โฏN. Division St (east of Baltimore Ave.).
Oceans Calling transport map
Walking or Biking to the Festival
Walking and/or biking to the festival is strongly encouraged. The walk from the North End of the Boardwalk (27th Street) to the North Entrance is approximately a 2 mile walk, taking around 40 minutes. Please remember to walk smart, use crosswalks, and wait for the pedestrian signal.โฏBike Parking will be available on the beach between 1st and 2nd St. Please remember to bring your own bike locks to secure your bicycle(s)!
Walking/Biking Times – Southbound to the Main Entrance
- From 40thโฏSt, 55โฏmin walk, or 13 min bike ride
- From 30thโฏSt, 45โฏmin walk, or 10 min bike ride
- From 20thโฏSt, 30 min walk, or 8 min bike ride
- From 10thโฏSt, 15 min walk, or 5 min bike ride
Walking/Biking Times – Eastbound to the Main Entrance
- From West Ocean City Park and Ride, 20โฏmin walk, or 8 min bike ride
Bicycle Storage
There will be a bicycle storage area located on the beach between first and 2nd street. Make sure you write your name on your bike and bring a lock!
Hotel Shuttles
Some hotels may be running a courtesy shuttle from your hotel to the festival area. Be sure to check with your hotel for service hours. If provided, hotels will drop/pick up their guests at Somerset Street, approximately two blocks from the venue.โฏPlease note these shuttles are different from the Beach Bus.
The Residence Inn by Marriott has a shuttle for their 2024 Oceans Calling guests.
Ride Share/Taxi/General Drop-off & Pick-Up
- The official passenger drop-off and pick-up location for Oceans Calling is located at 409 Baltimore Ave.
- The walk from the Ride Share lot to the festival grounds is approximately 10 minutes.
- Please keep in mind that ride share demand will be very high after the festival concludes each night with a limited number of drivers. Consider leaving early or taking a stroll along the boardwalk until the rush is over.
- Areas south of N. Division Street will be closed to vehicular traffic, so ride shares, taxis, and friends wonโt be able to pick you up near the festival site.
- It will be best to walk north to 4th St along the Boardwalk and use the crosswalk to cross Baltimore Ave. to the Ride Share lot.
OC Bay Hopper Water Taxi
For transportation over the water, consider taking one of the 5 OC Bay Hopper vessels which will be in operation during the festival. Service will be available from three locations (118th St., Ocean Pines Yacht Club, and Pier 23). The boats will run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12PM -11:40PM. Reservations are required. Find out more here.
Responsibility has its rewards. If you drink, donโt drive. Decide to Ride. Courtesy of Kona Big Wave.
