Moonlight Beach Summer Concerts 2026: The Full Encinitas Lineup

There are a handful of moments each summer that remind you why life on this coast is worth every bit of what it costs — and the Moonlight Beach Concerts are near the top of my list. This year the series is a little more personal: my brother plays in Mitchum Yacoub and the Brass Empire, the headlining band opening the whole run on July 12. So consider this your insider's guide to the full 2026 lineup, the set times, and how to claim the best patch of sand.

— Nikol Klein, Compass Luxury | Coastal North County Specialist

Every July and August, the City of Encinitas turns Moonlight Beach into one of the best free stages in Southern California. Four Sunday afternoons, a professional stage set against the Pacific, and a wide-open stretch of sand with room to dance — this is the kind of unhurried, walkable, salt-air ritual that defines living along this coast. For anyone weighing what it means to plant roots in Encinitas, Leucadia, or Cardiff-by-the-Sea, an afternoon at Moonlight tells you more than any listing sheet ever could.

Here's the complete 2026 schedule, along with the local youth acts opening each show.

The 2026 Moonlight Beach Concerts Lineup

Every concert is free, held at Moonlight Beach, 400 B Street, Encinitas. Opening acts play from 1:00–2:00 p.m. and the featured artist takes the stage from 3:00–5:00 p.m. Each opener spotlights a rising local youth band, several of them winners of the 91X Loudspeaker and Leucadia Battle of the Bands competitions — a nice reminder that this coast grows its own talent.

Sunday, July 12 — Mitchum Yacoub

The series opens with Mitchum Yacoub, a San Diego-based multi-instrumentalist and producer whose sound collides Afrobeat, soul, funk, and dance music into something impossible to sit still through. Drawing on legends like Fela Kuti, James Brown, and Dr. Dre, Yacoub builds powerful grooves out of Afro-Latin percussion, explosive horn arrangements, and deep rhythmic energy. Since launching the live project in 2019, the band has shared stages with The Wailers, Antibalas, Jungle Fire, and Seun Kuti's Egypt 80, and its debut album Living High in the Brass Empire plays like a festival set in album form. Expect a genuine dance floor of a beach.

Opening act: Los Paisanos, the 91X Loudspeaker Competition winner — a supersonic quintet worth arriving early for.

Sunday, July 26 — Slack Key ʻOhana

The mood shifts to the islands with Slack Key ʻOhana, an award-winning group founded by guitarist and vocalist Brian Witkin alongside his parents Carol and Joe Witkin. Their music blends Hawaiian slack key guitar, harmony-rich vocals, ukulele, and Americana into an uplifting, aloha-soaked experience — performances that range from intimate acoustic moments to full-band celebrations with hula and fire dancers. With multiple San Diego Music Awards, recognition from Hawaiʻi's Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, and more than 100 shows a year, this is the perfect soundtrack for a sunset by the water.

Opening act: Uncle Tims, a rising garage-rock duo of high school best friends channeling the '90s underground.

Sunday, August 9 — ZB Savoy

California singer-songwriter ZB Savoy brings modern Americana and classic country storytelling to the sand, with a sound in the lineage of Willie Nelson, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, and Sturgill Simpson. Savoy has opened for Charley Crockett, Ryan Bingham, Elle King, and Cody Jinks, and backed by a band of some of San Diego's finest musicians, he delivers heartfelt originals and crowd-favorite classics with laid-back California charm.

Opening act: Gate 5, one of North County's standout young bands, blending jazz, rock, and funk with a full horn-and-keys lineup drawn from Encinitas and Del Mar.

Sunday, August 23 — Sabrosas Latin Orchestra

The series closes with a celebration. Sabrosas Latin Orchestra — San Diego's first all-female salsa band — brings an explosion of salsa, cumbia, cha cha, and Latin jazz to send summer out dancing. Founded in 2019, the group has energized audiences at the Belly Up, NAMM, San Diego Pride, and the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, and their vibrant, inclusive stage presence turns the entire beach into a dance party. Bring your dancing shoes for this one.

Opening act: Steal Euphoria, a high-energy young San Diego rock band quickly becoming one of the area's most exciting emerging acts.

How to Make the Most of It

A few things I've learned from years of Sundays at Moonlight. Arrive by noon if you want a prime spot — the lifeguard-tower side of the sand fills first, and the opening sets at 1:00 are genuinely worth catching. Bring low beach chairs, a blanket, sunscreen, and a picnic; the concerts are family-friendly and the sand is wide enough to actually move. Parking along the coast goes quickly, so consider walking or biking down Coast Highway 101 if you're staying nearby. And stay through the closing notes — the light on the water between 4:00 and 5:00 is the whole point.

For those considering this stretch of coast as home, this is Encinitas at its most essential: refined without being precious, world-class culture served with your toes in the sand. Moonlight sits within an easy walk of some of Coastal North County's most sought-after neighborhoods, and afternoons like these are exactly why demand here holds the way it does.

I'll be at the July 12 show cheering on my brother — if you're there, come find me on the sand. And if these afternoons have you dreaming about calling this coast home, I'd love to show you what living steps from Moonlight really looks like.

→ Explore current luxury listings across Coastal North County at soldbynikol.com → Get your free home valuation at soldbynikol.com/home-valuation → Or reach out directly: [email protected] | (858) 336-9816

— Nikol Klein | Top 1% Luxury Agent | Nominated Best Real Estate Agent in Encinitas | CA DRE #01982201