Ohana Festival 2026 takes place Sept. 25-27 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, Calif.
The lineup includes Pearl Jam, Tyler Childers, Eddie Vedder & Friends, Fontaines D.C., Pixies, Billy Idol, Bad Religion, Alabama Shakes, Jon Batiste, Sugar, Rilo Kiley and others.
In addition to the music, the event - celebrating its 10th Anniversary - has a Storytellers area devoted to moderated conversations and interactive panels with environmentalists, artists, musicians, scientists, activists, surfers, photographers, filmmakers, and Indigenous voices.
Hosted by Rosy Hodge and held on a stage within The Cove, Storytellers honors Ohana’s philanthropic pillars of ocean health, activism, environmental justice, art, community, Indigenous voices, and more.
Some of the Ohana’s 2026 Storytellers include:
ADELIA SANDOVAL, Ceremonial Healer
Adelia Sandoval is a lineal descendant of the Acjachemen people and serves as Spiritual Overseer and Cultural Director for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians/Acjachemen Nation. She shares her culture through storytelling, art, music, ceremony, and traditional healing practices. An ordained minister, she founded Song of the Earth, a Native American healing ministry rooted in outdoor sanctuaries. Adelia also served on the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative and is Village Elder for The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano.
AMBER CARTER, PHD, Social-Ecological Marine Scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Dr. Amber Carter is a marine scientist whose research explores the intersection of ocean conservation and coastal communities. She combines science, filmmaking, and storytelling to make research more inclusive and accessible while amplifying local voices. Her work focuses on small-scale fisheries and the social dimensions of environmental change. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.
BARRY AMENT, Co-Founder, Ames Bros
Barry Ament co-founded Seattle design studio Ames Bros and has spent more than 30 years creating work for brands including Pearl Jam, Nike, the Seattle Seahawks, and TOPPS. As Pearl Jam's longtime designer, he has created hundreds of concert posters, album artwork, and merchandise designs. His lifelong creative partnership with his brother Jeff Ament continues to inspire collaborative projects today.
CAPTAIN PAUL WATSON
Marine Wildlife Conservationist
Captain Paul Watson is a marine wildlife conservationist, environmental activist, master mariner, acclaimed author, and renowned public speaker whose life has been dedicated to defending the world’s oceans. He was one of the founding members and directors of Greenpeace before leaving the organization in 1977 to establish the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an organization he led for decades before resigning in 2022 to co-found the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. Throughout his lifelong commitment to marine conservation, Captain Watson has become one of the most recognized figures in environmental activism, earning numerous international honors and awards. In 1998, he received the Genesis Award for Lifetime Achievement.
In 2000, Time Magazine named him one of the Top 20 Environmental Heroes of the 20th Century, and in 2002 he was inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. In 2007, he was awarded the Amazon Peace Prize by the President of Ecuador. In 2012, Captain Watson became only the second person, after Captain Jacques Cousteau, to receive the prestigious Jules Verne Award, honoring environmentalists and adventurers. Today, through the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Captain Watson continues his unwavering fight to protect marine wildlife and defend the oceans for future generations.
CHRIS BURKARD, Photographer & Director
Chris Burkard is an internationally recognized photographer, filmmaker, author, and explorer whose work celebrates wild landscapes and humanity's connection to nature. His storytelling has earned him millions of followers, TED appearances, bestselling books, and collaborations with major global brands. Based on California's Central Coast, he continues to produce award-winning creative work that promotes conservation and adventure.
CHRIS BENCHETLER, Artist & Professional Skier
Chris Benchetler is a professional skier and multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, film, music, design, and outdoor adventure. His creative vision is deeply inspired by nature, blending art and movement into a unique form of expression. Beyond his artistic pursuits, he is committed to family, community, and environmental stewardship. His work continues to influence both the outdoor and creative worlds.
CLIFF KAPONO, PHD. Professional Surfer & Co-Founder, MEGA Lab
Dr. Cliff Kapono is a professional surfer, scientist, professor, and filmmaker whose career bridges surfing, molecular bioscience, and Indigenous storytelling. His work explores ocean conservation, food security, and environmental justice through both research and award-winning films. Based in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, he balances laboratory research with a lifelong pursuit of waves.
DARREN CROFT, PHD, Executive Director, Centre for Whale Research
Dr. Darren Croft is Executive Director of the Center for Whale Research and Professor of Animal Behavior at the University of Exeter. His research has transformed our understanding of killer whale societies through more than 150 scientific publications. He now leads the world's longest-running study of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales while advancing marine conservation through science and public engagement.
EVAN MARKS, Co-Founder, The Ecology Center
Evan Marks founded The Ecology Center in 2008 after studying agroecology and working alongside Indigenous farming communities around the world. His work focuses on rebuilding healthy food systems through regenerative agriculture and education. He continues to lead innovative solutions that reconnect people with food, farming, and the natural world.
FORREST SHEARER, Professional Snowboarder, Filmmaker & Environmental Advocate Forrest Shearer is a professional snowboarder and filmmaker known for first descents, expeditions, and environmental storytelling. His career has taken him from Denali to the Andes, while his work now focuses on conservation, creative filmmaking, and outdoor advocacy. Based between Ojai and California's Eastern Sierra, he also hosts the On Knowing On Going podcast.
GREG LONG, Professional Surfer & Activist
Greg Long is one of the most accomplished big-wave surfers of his generation, earning multiple World Surf League titles and Global Big Wave Awards. Beyond competition, he is a respected ocean safety educator and environmental advocate. Through his work with conservation organizations and the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group, he promotes both ocean protection and surf rescue training worldwide.
HUGO TAGHOLM, Executive Director, Oceana UK
Hugo Tagholm is a surfer, environmental campaigner, and Executive Director of Oceana UK. He previously led Surfers Against Sewage, helping launch major campaigns addressing plastic pollution, sewage contamination, and ocean health. An award-winning environmental leader, he regularly speaks internationally on marine conservation and climate action.
JEFF AMENT, Bass Guitarist & Founding Member of Pearl Jam
Jeff Ament is a founding member of Pearl Jam and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee whose career spans music, visual art, and design. Beyond his work with Pearl Jam and numerous side projects, he has earned two GRAMMY Awards for album packaging. Through Montana Pool Service, he has helped build more than forty skateparks across the American West, creating opportunities for young people in underserved communities.
KAHI PACARRO, Environmental Leader
Kahi Pacarro co-founded Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi before leading Parley for the Oceans' Hawaiʻi initiatives focused on ending plastic pollution. His work has taken him around the world collaborating with governments and the United Nations on environmental solutions. He is currently bringing that experience into public service as a candidate for the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives.
KATIE MCCONNELL, Big-Wave Surfer, Marine Biologist & Activist
Katie McConnell is an award-winning big-wave surfer and marine biologist whose career combines elite performance with ocean conservation. A National Geographic Explorer, her scientific work has taken her from Patagonia to Antarctica while her surfing has earned international recognition. She actively supports marine protected areas and conservation organizations around the world.
KEITH MALLOY, Filmmaker & Surfer
Keith Malloy is a filmmaker and lifelong surfer whose award-winning documentaries explore humanity's relationship with the ocean. His films, including Come Hell or High Water, Fishpeople, and First In, Last Out, celebrate adventure, conservation, and meaningful human stories. Through Bimarian Films, he continues to produce projects that inspire deeper connections with the natural world.
KIMI WERNER, Freediver, Ocean Conservationist & Author
Raised off the grid on Maui, Kimi Werner developed a lifelong relationship with the ocean through subsistence fishing and freediving. She went on to become the U.S. National Spearfishing Champion while building a career centered on conservation, sustainability, writing, and public speaking. Her work encourages a respectful, balanced relationship between people and the sea.
KIMMY FASANI, Professional Snowboarder, Entrepreneur & Advocate
Kimmy Fasani is one of snowboarding's most influential athletes, known for becoming the first woman to land a double backflip in a terrain park. She has championed greater opportunities for women and mothers in action sports while continuing to push creative and athletic boundaries. Following her recovery from breast cancer, she co-founded the Benchetler Fasani Foundation to help people reconnect with nature through healing and resilience.
MAGGIE BAIRD, Founder & President, Support+Feed. Climate Kitchen Creator, Producer and Host. Music Industry Sustainability Advocate
Maggie Baird is an actor, teacher, climate activist, and mother of multiple Grammy and
Academy Award-winning artists Billie Eilish and FINNEAS. A lifelong vegetarian turned vegan,
she has emerged as a thought leader around the environmental impacts of our global food
system, and is a frequent speaker and panelist on food and sustainability within music, catering, and climate spaces. In 2020, Baird founded Support+Feed, a nonprofit focused on increasing access to nourishing plant-based food while driving systemic change toward a more sustainable global food system; since launch, Support+Feed has provided over 2.2M plant-based meals and pantry items and related education. In 2024, Baird was featured in Forbes’ 50 Over 50 list, and was honored as one of Glamour’s Women of the Year. In 2025, she received the Superhero for Earth award from the Captain Planet Foundation, and in 2026, she received the inaugural MSA Bobby Weir Sustainability Award for an individual. Baird’s series, Climate Kitchen , is premiering on public media nationwide in 2027
MARK CUNNINGHAM, Waterman
Mark Cunningham has spent more than six decades in the ocean as a lifeguard, bodysurfer, ocean safety pioneer, and artist. He helped shape modern surf rescue techniques while mentoring generations of Hawaiian lifeguards and founding Hawaiʻi's first Junior Lifeguard program. A member of multiple halls of fame, he continues to share his deep knowledge of the ocean through art, storytelling, and conservation.
MAX LOWE, Director & Photographer
Max Lowe is a filmmaker and photographer known for emotionally powerful documentaries exploring family, adventure, and resilience. His acclaimed films include Torn, Camp Courage, and Learning to Fly, with his latest feature Kind Ones currently in production. His work has been recognized by Telluride, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and the Academy Awards shortlist.
MIKE LEVIN, U.S. Representative, California's 49th District
Congressman Mike Levin has built his career around climate action, environmental protection, and clean energy policy. Before entering Congress, he worked as an environmental attorney and co-founded Sustain OC. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, he continues to advance legislation supporting a sustainable future.
SERGE DEDINA, PHD, Executive Director, WILDCOAST
Dr. Serge Dedina co-founded WILDCOAST and has led landmark conservation efforts across California and Mexico for more than two decades. His work has helped protect gray whales, sea turtles, marine protected areas, and vulnerable coastlines while earning numerous national conservation honors. A former ocean lifeguard and mayor of Imperial Beach, he is also an accomplished author and internationally recognized environmental leader.
STATE OF LOVE & TRUST PODCAST, Paul Ghiglieri & Jason Kerepesi
Hosted by Paul Ghiglieri and Jason Kerepesi, the State of Love & Trust podcast explores the lasting cultural impact of Pearl Jam and the music that shapes our lives. Each episode connects music with larger conversations about activism, identity, resilience, and community. At its core, the podcast asks what music can teach us about being human.
TODD GLASER, Photographer
Todd Glaser is an internationally respected surf photographer whose career has documented the world's greatest surfers and waves for more than two decades. His work has appeared in leading publications including SURFER, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and GQ, and is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's permanent collection. He is also the author of Proximity and Kelly Slater: A Life of Waves.
Read the full list of speakers at ohanafest.com.
Additionally, fans help make a difference with a portion of proceeds from Ohana also going to Vitalogy Foundation for Doheny State Beach Foundation and the San Onofre Parks Foundation, in addition to participating charities like Unidos South OC, Inc. Life Rolls On Foundation, Surfer's Healing Foundation Inc., Surfrider, and more.
ABOUT OHANA:
Founded by Eddie Vedder in 2016, and a four-time Music Festival of the Year (Global, under 30K attendance) recipient by Pollstar, awarded most recently in 2026, Ohana Festival is a leader in sustainability and conservation by combining the power of music and activism. The Cove, a one-of-a-kind area within the grounds, brings the festival’s core pillars to life: Oceans, Activism, Conservation, Indigenous Voices, Art, and Community Action. Leading the charge, the Storytellers Stage shines a light through its thought-provoking panels led by renowned environmentalists, researchers, activists, professional surfers, and more. The Cove Gallery, curated by Charles R. Adler, showcases hundreds of works celebrating the intersection of music, surf, skate, street culture, and environmental activism. Artwork is available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting Ohana's nonprofit partners through the Vitalogy Foundation.
