Late summer in San Diego County is already shaping up nicely: Passes have gone on sale and the lineup has been announced for KAABOO Del Mar (September 14–16), the three-day music, food, and comedy festival that has quickly become a mainstay event in Del Mar, famed as the place “where the turf meets the surf.”
KAABOO Del Mar’s main stage at the Del Mar Fairgrounds indeed looks out over both turf and surf, and its headliners this year are Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, and Katy Perry, along with Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters.
The rest of the lineup shows the festival’s knack for appealing to music fans spanning different genres and decades—from Halsey, Post Malone and Wiz Khalifa to Melissa Etheridge, Blondie, Incubus, and Earth Wind & Fire. Some acts, too, have their own San Diego connections: Jewel started her career busking in San Diego, and Spotify star Raelee Nikole is one of the city’s best up-and-comers.
The comedy lineup features Craig Ferguson, Iliza Shlesinger, and Craig Robinson (aka Darryl from The Office); the culinary lineup has not yet been announced, but it’s a reliable bet that it will be a good blend of local chefs, craft beer, and wine tasting. Since its inception, KAABOO Del Mar has prided itself on being a fairly mellow and foodie-friendly music fest, with plenty of couches scattered around the culinary and art areas, a tent that offers spa treatments, and a commitment to clean, pleasant facilities (read: real bathrooms). September in San Diego, meanwhile, brings some of the best sunny-and-warm days of the year.
The selection of passes that have gone on sale are all three-day passes: Hang Loose passes are general admission, while Hang Five, Hang Ten, and Ultimate Hang passes offer added tastings, dining perks, or VIP access. In the coming months, after the festival announces which performers will play on which days, one-day passes will go on sale.