2026 Oceanfront Event Season: Community Meeting Outlines Plans for Traffic, Parking and Safety

Memorial Day Weekend’s Salute to Summer,  North American Sand Soccer Championship and Point Break Music Festival are just a few of the exciting experiences brought to residents and visitors at the Oceanfront annually. Stars, Stripes & Spurs was newly introduced in April, and Super Girl will debut Labor Day Weekend. These signature gatherings make up the Oceanfront Special Event Season, the City-supported series that draws more than 10,000 people per day to the Resort Area.

The City is committed to ensuring that every attendee enjoys a seamless time at the Oceanfront by encouraging thoughtful planning for traffic, parking and overall safety. To that end, staff from the City’s Resort Management Office, Police Department and Communications Office led a community meeting on April 30 with the topics of traffic, parking, safety, crowds and communications taking center stage. 

Department officials provided valuable information and logistics to help residents and visitors navigate to these and other major events at the Oceanfront with greater ease when encountering such dense crowds brought to the area with heavy traffic and well-sought-after parking. 

The community meeting, presented before a sub-committee of the Resort Advisory Commission and widely promoted to invite the general public, covered the first half of the event season for 2026 through the Fourth of July Stars & Stripes Celebration. The next meeting on July 30 will provide logistical details for the remainder of the season. The meeting was recorded for those unable to attend and the recording is available at VirginiaBeach.gov/EventInfo.  

Meeting attendees were urged to prepare before heading to their event destination by checking out VirginiaBeach.gov/EventInfo. It’s there that residents and visitors can learn more about uses of the Waze app for real-time traffic planning and the VB Go app to explore real-time parking options.  

The City recommends that the public carpools, ride shares, bicycles and walks in after parking further out to reduce traffic and parking congestion. Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), a community partner to the City, also offers year-round and seasonal bus routes to Virginia Beach, so event attendees can leave the driving to HRT.

• Watch Meeting Presentation

Stay Informed 

VirginiaBeach.gov/EventInfo is the central communications hub for event logistics and impacts throughout the year. Prior to each event, “know before you go” information is added. The information also is shared on City social media, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, along with email channels before each event. 

• Visit VirginiaBeach.gov/EventInfo to view potential impacts to residents and visitors, such as road closures and parking restrictions, prior to each event. This page also has a “Resources" section with a downloadable event flyer.
• Enroll in VBAlert text notifications to receive updates and emergency alerts during all major events at the Oceanfront. Text VBEVENTS to 67283 to sign up. You can opt out at any time by replying LEAVE VBEVENTS. 
• Register to receive the City email newsletter at VirginiaBeach.gov/BeInTheKnow 
• Follow the event season or specific events on social media: Facebook  |  X  |  Instagram 
• Submit questions about event logistics to OceanfrontEvents@vbgov.com

Stay Safe 

Several City of Virginia Beach departments work closely each year to plan and implement safety measures and access to traffic and parking at the Resort Area, so everyone can have a safe and enjoyable experience. The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) has a zero-tolerance policy for crimes that threaten the safety of residents and visitors. 

Planning for events and activities is a large part of the process. Several departments and offices work together, along with key stakeholders – residents, business owners and civic leagues. 

VBPD has a Special Event Task Force dedicated to public safety planning throughout the year, and it plans collaboratively with Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Communications & Citizen Services (ECCS), Emergency Management, Fire, Public Works, Sheriff’s Office and partner agencies.  

Police, Fire and EMS all have response plans and staff for the entire Oceanfront area. Citywide situational awareness and monitoring occur during all of the events. For unexpected emergencies, contingencies are also in place.  

All public safety agencies are at a single command during events to ensure real-time, integrated communications. During event weekends, the agencies are staffed for the entire city, in addition to the event area. The departments review post-event reports for all events during the planning process to address issues and create future best practices. 

Any impacts for major Oceanfront events can be found at VirginiaBeach.gov/EventInfo. 

Event Schedule & Logistics 

There are major events planned from spring to winter for the 2026 Oceanfront Event Season with an anticipated attendance of 10,000 or more people per day. These events have special traffic, parking and public safety planning needs. For a full list of events, visit VisitVirginiaBeach.com. (Note: Event details are subject to change.) Below is a list of remaining events for the first half of the season. 

Virginia Beach 10 Miler & 5K, May 9 

• Start time: 7:30 a.m., 5K, 8 a.m., 10 Miler, Saturday
• Locations: Starting Line, 12th-15th streets on Pacific Avenue; Finish Line, 11th Street on the Boardwalk
• Traffic: Multiple temporary road closures from morning until about noon. Heavy crowds and traffic expected.
• Parking: The 9th Street and 25th Street parking garages are nearest to the race location with heavy use expected.

Memorial Day Weekend Salute to Summer, May 22-24 

• Start time: 7:30 p.m., Friday-Sunday
• Locations: 17th Street, 24th Street and 31st Street parks. Free and open to the public.
• Traffic: No road closures planned. Dense crowds and traffic are expected.

• Parking: Expect 9th Street, 25th Street and 31st Street parking garages to be at capacity.

Jackalope Fest, May 29-31

• Start time: 5 p.m., Friday; 9 a.m., Saturday; 9 a.m., Sunday
• Locations: 31st Street Park and on the beach and Boardwalk between 28th and 32nd streets

• Traffic: No planned road closures. Heavy crowds and traffic are expected.
• Parking: Expect 25th Street and 31st Street parking garages to be at capacity.  

North American Sand Soccer Championship, June 5-7

• Start time: 6 a.m.
• Locations: 2nd-35th streets on the beach; Vendor Village on the Boardwalk
• Traffic: No planned road closures. Heavy crowds and traffic are expected.
• Parking: Expect 9th Street, 25th Street and 31st Street parking garages to be at capacity.

Point Break Festival, June 20-21 

• Start time: Noon, Saturday-Sunday
• Locations: 2nd-8th streets on the beach and Boardwalk
• Traffic: Road closure plans are being finalized. Heavy traffic expected south of 17th Street.
• Parking: Expect 9th Street parking garages to be at capacity.  

Fourth of July Stars & Stripes Celebration, July 4 

• Start time: 7 p.m. (fireworks at 9:30 p.m.), Friday
• Locations: 17th Street, 24th Street and 31st Street parks. Fireworks at 24th Street. Free and open to the public. 
• Traffic: No planned road closures. Heavy crowds and traffic are expected.
• Parking: Expect 9th Street, 25th Street and 31st Street parking garages to be at capacity.

• Event Info