Boardwalk Rock is back. After sitting out 2026, the beachfront rock festival will return to the Ocean City Inlet in Maryland from May 14 to May 16, 2027, and it is growing from two days to three, with Korn, Bad Omens and Iron Maiden each closing a night. Producer C3 Presents released the full lineup on October 20, 2026, according to Pollstar and TicketNews.
Who plays which day
Korn headlines Friday, May 14, on a bill that includes Breaking Benjamin, The Prodigy, Cypress Hill, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Clutch, Sevendust, Theory of a Deadman, Filter, All Them Witches, Corrosion of Conformity, Eve 6, Local H, Nonpoint and Soil, TicketNews reported.
Bad Omens lead Saturday, May 15, with Good Charlotte, Marilyn Manson, Motionless in White, Bullet for My Valentine, Poppy, Tesla, Superheaven, Buckcherry, Drowning Pool, Sponge, Showing Teeth, Tetrarch and Asava.
Iron Maiden close the festival on Sunday, May 16, joined by Alice in Chains, Judas Priest, Sleeping with Sirens, The Pretty Reckless, Down, The Warning, Loathe, The Hu, Apocalyptica, GWAR, Dirty Honey, The Flys and Mac Sabbath. Maiden were announced ahead of the rest of the bill as part of their 2027 “Run for Your Lives” North American tour, and TicketNews said the Ocean City show is scheduled to end that run, after a Sonic Temple festival set in Columbus, Ohio, on May 14.
Why it skipped a year
Boardwalk Rock debuted in 2025 with a bill that included Def Leppard, Nickelback and Shinedown. On November 6, 2025, organizers said the festival would not return in 2026, CoastTV reported. At the time, the Town of Ocean City said two headliners had dropped out of the planned 2026 edition, making it hard to finalize a lineup, and that a variety of challenges made it difficult to deliver the experience fans expected.
The site is shared with Oceans Calling, another C3 Presents festival. Pollstar noted that the 2026 Oceans Calling, set for September 25 to 27 with Dave Matthews Band, Twenty One Pilots and Mumford & Sons, was cancelled because of severe weather, and that it is expected to return in the same window in 2027.
Tickets
A presale starts Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 10 a.m. Eastern, with the lowest priced general admission tickets offered for the first hour, followed by the general on-sale at 11 a.m. Eastern for whatever remains, according to Pollstar and TicketNews. Fans can sign up for a presale passcode at boardwalkrockfest.com, CoastTV said. Pollstar reported that single-day, three-day, general admission and VIP options are planned, with VIP perks such as private lounges, air conditioned restaurants and private bars. The festival grounds include the Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, and the site gives fans access to the Ocean City Boardwalk and its restaurants, bars and shops.