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LVMH (LVMHF) updated investors that third-quarter revenue reached €18.50B, slightly above analysts’ €18.46 billion consensus. Organic sales growth of 1% was reported, down from the 3% pace seen in the second quarter. Strength in the U.S., Europe, and Japan offsets weaker demand in China.
A PICTURESQUE UK island is on the verge of being evacuated as water supply drops to “lowest-ever” levels.
Residents may be forced to leave the area if supplies continue to decrease.
Lundy, located off the north Devon coast, is on the verge of being closed – with all residents evacuated – as a result of a severe water shortage.
The self-sufficient English island relies on a combination of rainwater and groundwater to maintain regular water levels.
However, following the dry conditions of this summer, reservoir levels dropped to their lowest-ever levels, at 13 per cent.
This has led to emergency shipments now being put in place to bring water from the mainland to the island in order to sustain its 28 residents.
Water restrictions have also been placed on tourists – including the removal of plugs to prevent visitors from taking baths.
Pumping water from ponds used by wildlife to a treatment works is being used as a “last resort”, according to Lundy managing director Derek Green.
He told the BBC: “Bringing in pond water is something we’ve never had to do before.
“If we didn’t do this, we would be facing the reality of closing Lundy…it would be devastating for us.
“We’ve got a working farm here and the animals need water every day… so to evacuate those animals, those people and to cancel all those holidays is something that has never happened in the history of Lundy before.”
Green added that there had been “no significant rainfall” on the island since April, contributing to the severe water shortage.
The area is known for its abundant puffin and seal colonies, as well as whale and dolphin spotting.
The 3.1 mile long isle can be reached from Devon’s mainland in less than two hours by ferry, and remains popular among holidaymakers for its picturesque beaches and adventurous hikes.
Editorial decisions at ABC News are being influenced by the Federal Communications Commission’s early license review of its TV stations, the network’s legal team told a U.S. District Court judge Tuesday.
The Disney-owned network is seeking a restraining order to stop the FCC’s action, which its attorneys said was unprecedented and an attempt by the Trump White House to chill free speech.
Disney attorney Beth Wilkinson said the FCC’s action is having an impact on ABC News coverage in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, as the network tries to avoid further action from the agency that regulates over-the-air broadcast TV licenses.
“We are making different editorial decisions,” Wilkinson said during the court hearing in Washington. “We are watching everything that we do because every time we do something — even not broadcasting this presidential speech — brings out the anger in the administration and the retaliation from the agency.”
Wilkinson was referring to President Trump’s frustration over ABC’s decision not to air his July 16 speech about voter fraud. The network chose to run it on its news streaming platform. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized the move and said it would be considered in the license renewal process.
Wilkinson cited Carr’s complaint as an example of how the review is being driven by Trump’s unhappiness over the network’s coverage across its news programs, its late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and its topical daytime chat show “The View.” The FCC’s action, she said, is the administration “retaliating with their government power against ABC’s right to protected speech.”
Assistant U.S. Atty. Dimitar P. Georgiev argued for the FCC that ABC is trying to avoid the commission’s regulatory process by taking the case to the U.S. District Court. Georgiev said the license renewal was initiated because of a dispute over documents in the commission’s investigation into alleged discriminatory hiring practices at Disney.
Judge Loren L. AliKhan did not issue a ruling. She asked the FCC to provide further documentation on its claim. Disney will have until Oct. 14 to respond.
Trump has frequently threatened to have TV station licenses pulled when he believes he is treated unfairly on news and talk programs. He has also successfully extracted multimillion-dollar settlements from CBS and ABC after suing the networks over news content he said had treated him unfairly.
ABC is the first network to take the FCC to court over the threats.
Wilkinson noted that Carr said during a visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., that “broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions, also known as fake news, have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.”
The licenses for eight ABC-owned TV stations, including KABC in Los Angeles, were originally scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031.
Carr has said ABC’s daily talk show “The View” should not be exempt from the FCC’s equal time rule that requires broadcasters to bring on opposing candidates to provide balanced coverage. Wilkinson noted that the program — which was given the exemption in 2002 — has avoided using clips of politicians during its popular “Hot Topics” segment at the top of the program.
Carr also said earlier this year that stations could be subject to discipline if they “don’t operate in the public interest” after criticisms from the White House about coverage of the Iran war.
Carr called for the ABC license review in April, days after Kimmel delivered gags about the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner attended by Trump for the first time as president and described First Lady Melania Trump as having a “glow like an expectant widow.”
The satirical remarks drew criticism after a man later breached security at the Washington Hilton event while armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives. The dinner was cut short and rescheduled.
BRITS are being warned to check a vital travel document as it might soon be expiring and could cost you thousands if you don’t renew it.
Up to 1.3million Brits could be caught out when travelling abroad this year due to out-of-date travel documents.
A Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is a free card that gives UK travellers access to state healthcare when on holiday.
New data collected by Compare the Market for the NHS has revealed that 1,299,484 UK GHIC cards are due to expire this year.
This means that if you needed emergency healthcare when on holiday, you could be faced with a nasty bill if your GHIC card is out of date.
Currently there are around 23.3 million GHIC cards in circulation in the UK but the cards only last five years.
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If your GHIC is due to expire soon and you are also due to travel soon, then apply for a new card for free via official NHS BSA Healthcare Cover Application, as soon as possible.
It usually takes around 15 working days for the card to arrive once your application is approved.
If you travel before your card arrives, then don’t worry – if you need medical treatment when abroad, then you or someone on your behalf can request a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) online or by phone.
All you need to provide is your name, address, date of birth and your National Insurance Number.
The certificate can then be emailed directly to the hospital or medical centre you are seeking treatment at and gives you the exact same healthcare cover as a physical card.
It is worth remembering though that GHIC cards are not a substitute for travel insurance.
GHICs do not cover private medical care, mountain rescue, flight cancellations or being flown back to the UK – all things that you will need travel insurance for.
Tim Knighton, travel insurance expert at Compare the Market, said: “With nearly 1.3 million GHICs due to expire this year, anyone travelling to Europe should check their card well before they set off.
“It’s an easy thing to overlook, particularly if you haven’t needed to use your GHIC on previous trips.
“The rise in applications for PRCs also highlights that people could find themselves needing access to healthcare unexpectedly while abroad, so checking you have a valid GHIC before travelling is an important part of preparing for your trip.
“A GHIC can be very useful if you need medically necessary state healthcare while abroad, but it’s important to remember that it isn’t a substitute for travel insurance.
“There are costs and circumstances that a GHIC may not cover, so having appropriate travel insurance can provide additional protection if something goes wrong.
“Before travelling, check the expiry date on your GHIC and make sure you understand what healthcare you can access at your destination.
“It’s also worth arranging travel insurance as soon as you book your trip and comparing policies carefully to make sure the level of medical and other cover suits your needs.”
THE UK Government has issued a new travel warning to Brits heading to Thailand following mass flooding.
According to the Foreign Office, severe floods believed to be the worst in Bangkok in over a decade are impacting parts of Thailand caused by heavy rainfall.
Impacted destinations include Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan.
On the FCDO website it states: “All 50 districts of Bangkok have been declared disaster-affected areas. Travel disruption, including road closures and flooding of low-lying areas, is possible.
“The Thai government has declared special public holidays on 28 and 29 September in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan.
“Many government offices and services may be closed or operating with reduced capacity.
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“Follow the advice of local authorities if you plan to travel.”
The flooding has caused some flights to be delayed or cancelled, including a Thai Airways London Heathrow flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Thai Airways is allowing passengers due to travel today and tomorrow to change their flights for free.
There are several other departures from Suvarnabhumi Airport which have been cancelled including to Phuket and Hong Kong.
While the airport does remain open, domestic departures and regional flights have been worst affected by cancellations.
Passengers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport have also reported having to wait up to six hours for their luggage and as a result.
There was around 12 inches of rain over 48 hours resulting in cars being submerged and homes flooded leaving some residents stranded.
Some locals have said the flood waters are as high are as those in 2011 which affected 13million people.
While other parts of the country are also impacted, they have not been as badly hit as Bangkok.
CATANIA Airport in Sicily has been forced to cancel all its flights again today after yet another eruption on Mount Etna.
Volcanic ash in the airspace has resulted in the suspension of inbound flights until at least midnight tonight.
The airport first stopped incoming flights on Saturday due to ash in the airspace and limitations have since been placed on departures too.
This morning, a warning on the airport’s website explained that due to “volcanic activity and weather conditions” cancellations and delays are expected until “23:59pm today, Monday, September 28.”
Flights to and from London Gatwick and London Luton remain on the schedule – but are likely to be cancelled due to the flight limitations.
Some passengers took to social media over the weekend explaining they had travelled across to Palermo to get a flight home from there instead.
It’s only been two weeks since the last time that Catania Airport had to close due to volcanic ash after an eruption.
Some UK flights were affected then too, either being cancelled or diverted to Palermo on the northwestern coast of the island.
In August, ongoing eruptions from Mount Etna forced the airport to shut for five days in a row resulting in hundreds of cancelled flights.
Families who had their flights cancelled were left stranded with videos on social media showing holidaymakers sleeping on the airport floor and even luggage belts.
Last time Mount Etna erupted, nearby Malta International Airport had to cancel 19 flights due to volcanic ash.
Catania is Sicily’s busiest airport handling around 12.4million every year – which works out to around 40,000 passengers each day.
Anton Radchenko, air passenger rights expert and founder and CEO of AirAdvisor, explained what the disruption means for customers…
“When volcanic ash closes airspace, airlines will usually class it as an extraordinary circumstance, which means fixed cash compensation is unlikely.
“However, I would urge passengers not to confuse ‘no compensation’ with ‘no rights’.
“The airline must still offer a refund or rerouting and provide reasonable meals, accommodation and transport while passengers wait.
“If you still need to get home, do not automatically accept a refund.
“Once you accept it, the airline’s rerouting and care obligations will normally end.
“Ask for the earliest reasonable alternative and, if another airline can get you back significantly sooner, ask to be transferred to that service.
“If you have to pay for reasonable essentials because the airline fails to provide them, keep every itemised receipt so you can seek reimbursement.”
This is supported by the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s current cancellation guidance which you can find here.
HEATHROW Airport bosses have warned plans for a third runway could be delayed by four years due to major planning rows.
The Government’s ambition had been to see flights take off from a new runway in London by 2035.
But airport bosses are believed to have told ministers that the deadline is not possible and won’t be ready until 2039, reports The Times.
The initial target had been set by then-Chancellor Rachel Reeves in January 2025 – but it was considered an ambitious goal at the time.
Ms Reeves used a major speech on infrastructure to announce the Government would be supporting the third runway project as a means of growing the economy, and also said it would create 100,000 jobs.
But London Heathrow has said they aim to “secure planning permission” by 2029 and “once achieved, the runway will be open within a decade”.
Its bosses believe it could be delivered more quickly, but that this may require further regulatory red tape to be removed beyond reforms that the Government has already made to planning law.
A spokesperson said: “It’s right that ambitious targets were set; the sooner expansion begins, the sooner the whole UK will benefit. Our focus has always been to secure planning permission by 2029.
“Once achieved, the runway will be open within a decade – and the benefits of expansion can be felt from today. At least 108,000 new jobs and billions invested in supply chains in every part of the country.
“This is a national project, 100% privately financed, which will support growth today and secure the UK’s position in the global economy once the runway opens.”
Meanwhile, the Department for Transport said the timeline for the plans “has always been ambitious”.
Gary Smith, General Secretary of GMB, said: “This is a deliverable, workable and practical timeline for Heathrow expansion that unlocks over 100,000 jobs.
“We need to put an end to decades of talk and lost benefits for working people across the country and get cracking.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander insisted the project could go ahead in a way that would not fall foul of climate change commitments.
The Climate Change Committee, the expert panel that advises the Government, said earlier this month the expansion of Heathrow airport cannot go ahead unless the aviation industry is forced to clean up its emissions.
The cost of international flights might have to increase by hundreds of pounds by 2050 to pay for measures that will help the airline sector cut its carbon pollution to zero overall, known as net zero, the committee said.
Ms Alexander told the Daily Telegraph the committee had set out “one view” but there was “more than one pathway to meeting our climate mate change obligations”.
“We do remain committed to net zero, and we’re updating some of our wider decarbonisation plans in transport as well,” she said.
“But the UK’s climate change targets are ultimately economy-wide targets, and we really need to look holistically at how emissions are reduced across the economy as a whole.”
She said an expanded Heathrow could be “the country’s front door” to tourists from China and India.
The Heathrow proposals involve building a 3,500-metre runway and requires a new M25 tunnel and bridges to be built 130 metres west of the existing motorway.
It is estimated to cost £33 billion, including £1.5 billion on re-routing the motorway which would also see nearby villages demolished.
The government had previously rejected a proposal from Arora Group, led by hotel tycoon Surinder Arora, to build the third runway.
The Arora plan had proposed a shorter, 2,800-metre runway that would not require diverting the M25.
The new 3,500 metre runway will be in the northwest of the airport, and will eventually welcome up to 276,000 new flights a year.
This takes the annual flights from 480,000 to 756,000, with as many as 30 new flight routes a day.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “There is currently no live planning application for a third runway, and we cannot comment on ongoing consultation processes or prejudice them in a way that will only delay progress.
“The timeline has always been ambitious.
“We’ll continue to work with promoters, including Heathrow, and all other stakeholders at pace to ensure the right framework is in place for which a planning application for a third runway could be considered.”
A GROWING number of UK airports are facing delays and cancellations following another air traffic control failure.
This comes just a fortnight after a major outage left thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the UK.
London Gatwick, Glasgow Airport and Belfast International Airport are amongst airports currently seeing disruptions.
Earlier this morning, it was reported that an issue with National Air Traffic Services (NATS) was affecting airspace in the north of England and Scotland.
NATS has stressed that the issue is unrelated to the major air traffic control outage that saw over 500,000 passengers stranded.
Belfast International Airport has confirmed on its website that it is experiencing NATS-related delays, saying: “We are currently experiencing some delays to flights due to a NATS air traffic control issue.”
Passengers who do not have a confirmed flight have been instructed to not travel to the airport.
Glasgow Airport has also issued a statement on its website about the delays, saying: “A technical issue affecting NATS air traffic control services at the Prestwick Centre is causing disruption to some flight departures and arrivals.
“As a result, some services operating to and from our airports are experiencing delays, primarily at Glasgow Airport, and further disruption is expected due to the knock-on impact across the network.”
London City Airport said on X: “We are experiencing some disruption due to an issue at @NATS Prestwick.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and working with NATS as they resolve the issue.“
It also told passengers to check with their airline to find out the latest flight information.
Both London Gatwick and Stansted are “operating as normal”, the airports have confirmed, but a handful of departing flights may be delayed.
After over an hour of fixing delays, NATS has now confirmed the issue at its Prestwick centre in Scotland is now fixed.
The air traffic control firm has apologised for today’s flight disruption and said it is working with airports and airlines to “minimise any further disruption”.
Transport Secretary also commented on the incident, calling the disruptions “deeply frustrating” and warning passengers of “some delays”.
A WOMAN from the UK was stopped at the border abroad after she was told she had overstayed in Europe – despite her not.
Paula Pugh was going on holiday to Italy but was taken back to the UK after systems showed she had overstayed her limit of 90 days in a 180-day period in the Schengen Area.
EES has been causing chaos for lots of Brits since it was first introduced earlier this year including airport delays and missed flights,
But now, it is also causing problems for passengers by incorrectly claiming they are staying too long in Europe.
Talking to The Telegraph, Paula Pugh, 60, explained how she was escorted out of Italy and taken back to the UK because of the error.
Travelling with her husband and cousin for a five-day trip to southern Italy, Paula was flagged at border control shortly after landing.
She was accused of overstaying her 90 limit in the Schengen Area despite taking just three short visits to Spain and one to France – which totted up to 22 days.
Talking to the publication Paula explained she “wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without a police presence.”
Paula was put on a flight home on the same day from another airport with Ryanair along with her family.
Her passport was given to the captain for the duration of their flight.
She added: “My husband then asked the cabin crew where I would get my passport, and we had to walk to the front of the plane.
“Somebody came onto the plane, took me off the plane, had a look, gave me my passport, and said ‘There you go.’ As though it was all over and all forgotten.
“I’m still very upset when I think about it.”
The cancelled trip and return flights home cost the family around £2,000.
Now, Paula is trying to get her record corrected.
Previously, Brits were manually stamped in and out of a country at border control. EES has replaced that with the taking of biometrics and fingerprints.
However, in some cases where EES has been turned off at airports due to faults, or delays, the exit for Brits has not been recorded and the days spent in the Schengen Area continues without them knowing.
A UK Government spokesman told The Telegraph: “While EES is an EU scheme, we recognise this is a significant change for British travellers, and advise that they read the latest Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Travel Advice about the scheme before travelling.“
In August, the UK Foreign Office altered its advice to Brits asking them to carry evidence of when they last left the EU, to avoid being wrongly refused entry.
Brits travelling from the UK to Europe can spend 90 days out of every 180 in the EU – staying over this limit will mean both refusal of entry and a fine.
In some cases a fine can be as much as £8,550.
Advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) reads: “If you believe you have been incorrectly entered into EES or your record of time spent in the Schengen area is incorrect, approach border officials when you next cross the Schengen border and request a correction.
“If you are exempt, carry documentation confirming your status. If you believe your time spent in the Schengen area has been recorded incorrectly, raise this with border officials and be prepared to provide supporting evidence if requested.”
If you want to check the days left on your record before travelling, the The European Commission has an EES online tool.
MORE flights are being cancelled at a major airport in Europe due to continued strike action.
Charleroi Airport in Brussels is expecting to cancel around 34 flights today with a further 21 flights set to be rescheduled.
So far, 16 departures have already been cancelled including one to the UK.
Around 20 arrivals have also been cancelled including one from the UK.
It comes as the air traffic controllers have been carrying out strike action since September 16 regarding the management of night-shift bonuses.
The unions for the air traffic controllers have warned that strike action could continue until October 10.
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Strike action takes place during every night shift from 10pm to 8am the following morning.
Since the strike began, around 160 flights have been cancelled.
Last week, Ryanair confirmed that it had cancelled at least 30 flights so far.
The budget airline flies to the airport from Newcastle, Manchester and Edinburgh.
So far one flight to the UK has been cancelled today, which is to Manchester with Ryanair at 7:40pm.
The airport said in a statement: “We are monitoring the situation very closely and sharing verified general information through our official channels.
“For information regarding your specific flight, we encourage you to regularly check the communications from your airline.
“We share our passengers’ frustration and hope that the social conflict at Skeyes will be resolved quickly.”
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte is expected to appear in public for the first time on Wednesday since being transferred to the International Criminal Court 18 months ago to face murder charges related to his war on drugs.
Duterte, 81, served as president from 2016 to 2022, before being charged with crimes against humanity for creating, funding and arming death squads that targeted narcotics peddlers and users. He was arrested and taken to The Hague in March 2025.
On Wednesday, judges will hear arguments about his health and ability to stand trial, which is scheduled to begin in November. His lawyers have argued that he suffers from cognitive decline and is not well enough.
Duterte’s lawyer and family did not respond to requests for comment.
ICC judges said in January that Duterte’s health was good enough for him to follow proceedings and requested his presence in court, rather than by video link from the detention unit.
Duterte’s warrant says he was responsible for a widespread and systematic campaign that led to thousands of killings between 2011 and 2019, including when he served as mayor of the southern Davao city.
ICC prosecutors have said as many as 30,000 people may have been killed in the crackdown, the details of which were reported in a Reuters investigation.
According to police, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations. Duterte said he instructed police to act in self-defense and told supporters he was ready to “rot in jail” if it meant ridding the Philippines of illicit drugs.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs.
Published On 14 Sep 202614 Sep 2026
Iran says a planned meeting with officials from Gulf states to discuss the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed due to “events unfolding in Yemen”.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, addressing a news conference on Monday, said Oman and Iran “have taken a joint decision aimed at arriving at a responsible” approach to the management of the strait.
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He said the meeting, scheduled to take place in Oman, would have been an “opportunity to demonstrate the significance of these decisions”.
“Had this meeting took place, it would have been a very suitable opportunity [to discuss the new policy]. I do not believe any responsible country would accept in any shape, way, or form to be dictated to or be subjected to pressure from any outside forces,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz, which falls in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters, has been effectively blocked by Tehran amid the US-Israel war on the country.
Baghaei said Iran has “no relations whatsoever with what is unfolding in Yemen”, adding Tehran does not interfere in its affairs. He added that Saudi Arabia requested the postponement of the meeting.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen have escalated since July, when Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, declared a naval blockade on their northwestern neighbour. Clashes escalated last week as Houthis seized the port of Mocha, tightening their control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that its forces had intercepted and destroyed an advanced MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC said it intercepted the drone using a new aerospace defence system.
Regarding an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel on Sunday that killed one person, Baghaei said two Pakistani citizens working on board were also injured.
The United States and Israel “continue to target security” in the Gulf, he added.
POWER banks are an essential when it comes to travel – but there are strict rules in place for them.
Most know the main ones – like it cannot be used inflight – but here’s one some of you might not know about which could see it taken off you before boarding.
Most airlines allow power banks up to 100Wh without special approval onboard.
But anything over that, without the say-so from the airline, and they could be confiscated for being too big and some countries being particularly strict.
The Wh – which translates to watt-hours – should be printed on the label of your power bank and if travelling on most planes it needs to be under 100Wh or less.
In places like China and Japan, some passengers have had their large power banks taken off them.
Someone on Reddit explained: “Accidentally brought a power bank that was larger than 100 watt-hour on my international trip.
“It passed US TSA as under 100, clocked 106 and 136 watt-hour in two airports in China and refused on board as over 180Wh at Guangzhou International Airport.”
Rules are strict in Japan too with Japan Airlines currently allowing two power banks with 160Wh or less in hand luggage – but that is going down to 100Wh from January 2027.
A lot have warned that the label with the Wh must be clear or risk it being taken off you as well.
Someone else said: “It is the label that matters and if you have old ones that is too faint, it is almost foregone conclusion that it will be taken.
“Friends encountered in Korea and China recently where their older power banks were taken as it wasn’t clear enough.”
For those travelling to China, there is another requirement and this is that all power banks must be marked clearly with the mark ‘CCC’.
The 3C mark is a China Compulsory Certification and the power banks must also be 100Wh or under for all flights.
Any power banks over 160Wh require airline approval – and anything over that is banned.
Most airlines will also only allow one power bank onboard – but check prior to flying as some do allow two.
Power banks must be stored in hand luggage during a flight but not used while in the air as the lithium battery inside is a fire risk – and storing them in the wrong way can cause huge disruption.
In May of this year, an easyJet flight travelling from Egypt to the UK was forced to divert to Rome after a passenger revealed they had left a phone connected and charging via a power bank in their checked luggage
In July last year, a power bank caught fire on a Bangkok Airways flight from Samui to Hong Kong.
The beach has claimed another first-time music festival this year.
Ocean Way, the beachfront Santa Monica music fest, has been canceled just two weeks before debuting. The two-day event was set for Sept. 26-27.
Goldenvoice, the promoter behind Ocean Way as well as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, announced the news Friday in an email from its ticketing platform AXS.
“Due to the impacts of Hurricane Marie, the City of Santa Monica has canceled the inaugural Ocean Way festival,” organizers said in a statement. “Storm surf and runoff [have] caused significant beach erosion and the festival can no longer be safely held as planned. Plans are already underway to bring the festival back to Santa Monica in 2027.”
Tickets, which ran from $249 to $2,250, will be refunded within five to seven business days, the promoter said.
Hurricane Marie, spurred by the “Super El Niño” weather pattern resulting from warming waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean, severely damaged coastal areas from Malibu to Long Beach and Dana Point
“I am deeply saddened that severe weather and beach conditions have forced the City and Goldenvoice to make this difficult decision. However, the safety of festival-goers, our residents and the Pier must remain our priority,” Santa Monica City Council member Dan Hall said in a statement to The Times. “With Hurricane Marie also causing sinkholes in Malibu and triggering home evacuations in Long Beach due to rising surf, the rapid erosion of the beach near the Sandbox event space over the past few days is deeply concerning. The City is working rapidly to keep the Pico storm drain and shoreline repaired and ready for upcoming weather.”
“While we are all disappointed,” Hall said, “I remain optimistic about bringing Ocean Way back next summer.”
The fest was slated to have headline sets by the Killers and Olivia Dean, along with Khruangbin, Sublime, Jack White and many others.
Goldenvoice announced the festival in July, with high hopes that it would open up the waterfront to more public events and concerts in Santa Monica and establish a new marquee festival on the west side of Los Angeles. Santa Monica’s retail and nightlife scenes have struggled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the festival, which promoters touted as car-free, would have set a precedent for transit-oriented concertgoing.
“We’ve got to take a chance on new things,” Goldenvoice concert producer Nic Adler told The Times in August. ”There is pressure. I think the city wants it, but that takes a little bit of risk and trying something new.”
“We really cannot keep doing the same things that we’ve always done and expect for Santa Monica to shine,” Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis said in an earlier interview. “We have to invite people back to our city. We have been yearning to get back a big music festival on our beach to showcase the city, because the beach is our best asset.”
The festival is the second major beachside concert to go down this year. The inaugural LA Jazz Festival on Dockweiler Beach was canceled on what would have been its opening day, after its finances and permitting fell through.
Climate change and weather damage have become a major concern for festivals. Bonnaroo, in Tennessee, announced last month that the festival would take 2027 off to repair the grounds, after heavy storms canceled sets and prompted evacuations this year. Stagecoach, the country music festival on the same site as Coachella, also temporarily shut down this year due to strong winds.
