Coast Film & Music Festival

The Coast Film & Music Festival is an annual showcase of adventure and non-fiction films, with stories from the mountains to the sea. The organizer says it launched in 2019. The 2026 festival was its eighth. It uses several venues around town, including the Irvine Bowl, rather than one site, and its programs include talks, workshops, a daylong summit and live music.

When it runs

The dates change from year to year. The 2024 festival ran November 9 to 17, and the 2025 festival ran November 1 to 9. The 2026 festival ran October 16 to 25, ten days, and ended two days before this page was reviewed. The organizer announced the 2025 dates on August 14, 2025, and the 2026 dates on August 19, 2026. It had not posted 2027 dates as of October 27, 2026, so this page gives the fall pattern and does not name a day.

What the 2026 festival included

The 2026 schedule shows the shape of a typical year:

• Films. The organizer’s home page cites more than 80 documentary films. Passholders register ahead for screenings, and individual tickets went on sale September 28.
• Coast Summit. A daytime gathering on Thursday, October 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., presented by A New Earth Project, with the theme “The Intelligence of Nature.”
• Concerts in the Canyon. A music series that debuted in 2026, with three nights at the Irvine Bowl on October 23, 24 and 25. Festival of Arts doors opened at 3 p.m., Irvine Bowl doors at 5:30 p.m. and the show at 6:30 p.m. A concert ticket also admitted you to the Festival of Arts grounds for the day.
• Community events. The organizer also lists free outdoor adventure events and special gatherings across town.

Passes and tickets

The festival sells passes and single tickets through its own ticketing site, linked from the organizer’s pages. Several pass types cover films, the opening or closing weekend, or all three concert nights. The organizer’s pages that this review read did not show prices, so check the ticketing site.

Rules from the organizer’s FAQ:

• Orders are final. There are no refunds, exchanges or substitutions, except that you can ask the box office for a refund if a screening lacks accessibility features you need.
• Passes are not transferable.
• Passholders reserve seats in advance and should arrive 15 minutes before a program. Standby seating is allowed, with no guarantee.
• If you are unsure of a film’s rating, the organizer asks you to contact the festival before the screening.

For the 2026 Concerts in the Canyon, Laguna Beach residents had a 48-hour presale before the general sale on August 29. The organizer did not say whether that will repeat.

Venues

The 2026 program used these venues, with the addresses the organizer gives:

• Festival of Arts grounds, including the Irvine Bowl, the Forum Theater and the Main Stage: 650 Laguna Canyon Road
• Rivian South Coast Theater: 162 South Coast Highway
• Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center: 235 Forest Avenue
• Hobie Surf Shop: 294 Forest Avenue
• Surfing Heritage & Culture Center: 232 Ocean Avenue

The organizer marks the Festival of Arts, Hobie Surf Shop, the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center and the Rivian South Coast Theater as ADA compliant. See the Festival of Arts page for the grounds.

Parking and food

The organizer’s FAQ says downtown Laguna Beach has paid parking and lists Lots 1, 3, 4, 10 and 11 as nearby. The parking guide explains the city’s lots and meters, and getting around covers the trolley. Food and drinks are sold inside each venue. The organizer does not allow outside alcohol in any venue, including the Festival of Arts.

Nearby

Laguna Beach in October covers the month’s weather and calendar. The Laguna Beach Music Festival is the winter music event, and the free concerts page lists the city’s outdoor series.