I have nothing negative to say about it. Fun times! Good variety of artists. Loved the NJ Lotto truck. read more

Sea Hear Now - Sand stage - Festivals Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Good job improving the event again. Sure there will be complaining but I see some positive changes with the entry... sound... food... and rest rooms. Today will be legendary and looking forward to 2025 PS; Security and Safety doing a great job read more

Sea Hear Now - Sea Hear Now - Festivals Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

They've improved A LOT since the last time I came. No more blankets laid out right in front of the stage, I truly HATED that. The hydration stations are always a lifesaver, literally. Plenty of restrooms and the food stands are awesome!--So much more variety. I'm glad they were able to make the right tweaks because Bruce is headlining and after Kool and the Gang performing the whole festival is MOBBED. This year is incredible, Bruce in Asbury is incredible, the energy is incredible, and I'm in a euphoric daze. You still have to deal with the other personalities that are coming to enjoy the festival. People of all ages are acting a fool and one drunk kid didn't want to lose his spot for the Bruce show so he used the beach as a litter box, definitely not the festival's fault and for some it might be too much but I had a blast--all 13 hours in the hot sun listening to music, dancing, eating, and tons of walking. Tip: rent a locker so you can store your valuables and merch, it's absolutely worth it. Also, set up your wristband so you can scan it to make purchases. This makes your life easier, I promise. I don't know how SHN is gonna top this one but looking forward to the next! BRUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!!!! read more

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This is a review of Sea Hear Now 2023. Easily one of the best music festivals I've attended. Cost: It's expensive. With secondary markets buying up tickets I paid double face value for 2 day GA . Merchandise starts at $40. Food is easily $20 each item like sandwiches and plates/bowls. Cocktails were $15 but get to $20 easy. This doesn't include travel or hotel or upgraded experiences like VIP or Platinum which will run this up way more. You can't look at cost alone, but if you did, this review wouldn't be 5 stars. Music: Amazing. There were 30 musicians over the course of the two days of well distributed across the three stages. While you can't go to everything in full you can listen to a portion of a show and go to another stage to check the second half of another set. Getting to experience a ton of bands is the point and none of the acts disappointed. The headliners were the Killers on Day 1 and the Foo Fighters on Day 2. Greta Van Fleet, Weezer, Sheryl Crow, The Beach Boys, The Breeders, Rebelution, Nathaniel Rateliff, Tash Sultana as well. The audio and visual were excellent. Organization & Setup: This festival is well managed: from the setup two weeks in advance to the organization during and breakdown after. Asbury Park is a beach front city not a field. They build the venue with the stages nicely spread out but not far from each other. The food is situated on either end. Bars are scattered throughout with speciality bars from Tito's, Hendricks, Sierra Nevada etc, in the middle . There are lots of porta-potties and hydration stations with filtered water. Entry is located on either end of the venue with a relatively streamlined process. Tickets are provided in the form of wristbands and are even more convenient work if set up for payment. Additional pluses include Tag a Kid (get wristbands for kids if they get lost), free ear plugs, text message alerts for schedule changes and announcements. Food: Great! I've recently started eating plant based. The festival offered amazing options. If you love your meat and dairy it's phenomenal. There were 26 food vendors. I loved Island Noodles (stir fried buckwheat soba noodles with crisp vegetables), Roti Roll (flaky whole wheat roti with curried vegetables), No Good Burger (best veggie burger I've ever had and they make it themselves - no Impossible bs), Try Vegan (excellent chickpea salad) and Betty's Icebox (vegan ice cream sandwich, fresh fruit ice pops, vegan popcorn including vegan butter topping). Drinks: I liked how the drinks were organized. Every bar offered cocktails from each event brand. Each brand then had their own bar to serve the signature cocktail or beer or wine that was available at the standard bars as well as other drinks only available at that the speciality bar. For example, Sierra Nevada offered a 19 ounce Hazy IPA that was available everywhere. You could get a Tropical IPA, regular Sierra Nevada IPA and an Octoberfest. My favorite cocktail was the Hendricks Cucumber Lemonade which was Hendricks, cucumber, simple syrup and soda. Not everything was perfect: - Bathroom Cleanliness: There are 35,000 attendees and while the staff sweep around the bathrooms trying to keep them neat it they don't empty them until the concert is completed. - Urinals: One of the porta potty areas had a urinal trough and another didn't. The trough kept the men out of the porta potty traffic but in the area without the lines were much longer. Hopefully that can be corrected next year. - Drink Ingredients Ran Out: As mentioned I really liked the Hendricks Cucumber Lemonade however many of the standard bars ran out of ingredients but kept making the drink and it was definitely not the same. The experience wasn't consistent: but the cost still was. - Verizon Tent: The tent was actually a nice place to chill under a roof. There's a small bar there , some simple giveaways and a fun photobooth. To get in you have to validate you're a Verizon customer with an online form. Regardless if you fill this out day 1 you have to do it day 2 and then once in the tent you have to do it again for the free stuff. This would be fine if the internet service wasn't brutally slow. The line becomes long. It's frustrating since Verizon is likely the internet provider. I Internet Access: access at the show was poor. Next year a concert network should be established. Texting was severely limited Surf Stage People Flow: for the big shows there were thousands of people. This is ok. However there was no security or semblance of direction for people to get in and out. If there was any type of panic this would have been terrible. The venue has to figure out managing this traffic or making the entry and exits with less bottle necks. I would skip the beach for the headliners sans major improvements. read more

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I wanted so badly to give this 5 stars! The performances were great, stellar lineups always, but the crowds, especially with the timing of bands and having to walk far to get to each stage, just doesn't work. If you don't get to your spot near the stage and stay all day ( defeating the point of a festival) you can't sea or hear anything. And forget about leaving one of the beach stages to go to the bathroom. You can't fight through the angry crowd to get back. I think it's really hard, but they can do better. read more

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I've been to only a few music festivals so far, but fortunately enough that this experience didn't turn me off of future festivals. First, the good. Most of the day was wonderful. The three huge stages were spaced out well - far enough apart that the sound didn't overlap but not too far to move easily between. The setting was pretty, from the beach to the boardwalk to the park. There were many food and merch areas, and the staff was friendly and helpful everywhere. Prices weren't too bad - what I'd expect at a big music festival. There were SOOOOO many porta potties, and at least when I went they were kept clean. It might've been nice to have more seating [When did I become Old?] in the in-between areas - mainly on the boardwalk, where it's awkward to settle down on the ground - but there were a few benches and otherwise plenty of space on the grass or sand. The crowd was large and lively. Even parking wasn't bad - it was convenient in the blocks around the festival if you arrived early, and there were many lots within 10-20 minute walks from the festival as well. The pain kicked in later in the day. The main stage was located _on_ the beach (as was one of the other stages), with limited access points. Between the fences, the huge a/v area, and the boardwalk, the area was narrow for the crowds that grew as the bands advanced toward the headliner. (I don't know the details, but I heard that half the space was reserved for higher-end tickets, which further squeezed the area for general admission ticketholders.) 1) We arrived at this stage around 2pm, thinking we _might_ be able to settle into a space, watch bands, and take turns going out for food or the bathroom as the day went on. The crowd was large, but there was room. 2) After the first band, there was a battle starting to rage between the people who sought to move around - in and out of the area - and those who had settled into their spots for the afternoon/evening; plus, there was frustration between those who'd spread out blankets, those who were moving around and saw blankets as obstructions, and those who were trying to stay out of either's way. (Yours truly fell into the latter group.) 3) After a while, the 'joy' of standing and sitting in significant sand started to wane, especially while trying to hold ground while being pushed, pulled, tripped on, etc. by everyone around you. 4) Those battles that had started to rage reached a breaking point after the second band that we saw at this stage, as people began arriving in earnest for the final two bands. The pushing and shoving moved from incidental to intentional and even fist fighting. Security tried to break up fistfights if they were near the a/v area, but otherwise the crowd was too thick...and only grew thicker. There was little way to move in and out of the area at this point, especially if you hoped to return to your group, and it became nearly dangerous to be sitting in the sand unless you were surrounded by well-meaning people who took the hits - literally and figuratively - for you while trying to protect you from the people pushing through who didn't understand why there seemed to be an unfilled hole in the crowd. (We were some of those who were trying to protect sitting strangers. It wasn't joyous.) 5) The situation grew worse during the next few hours, easing slightly when the headliner finally kicked in. HOWEVER... 6) while we were in a good spot in front of the a/v area, the three-quarters (at least) of the crowd that was behind the a/v area realized that the massive speakers on the back of the a/v area had failed so the headliners couldn't be heard in the way that they should. For a while, this resulted in more rushes as people tried to squeeze into any available space ahead of them that would get them closer to the sound. Those speakers weren't fixed for the rest of the night, and at least the last time we looked the festival had basically said "Too bad" to all those who sought compensation for not being able to hear the headliner as they'd paid to do. 7) At the end of the concert, the masses - having calmed down some after partying with the headliner - now tried to get off the beach...discovering how few access points there were, each of which was zealously guarded by festival security and staff to funnel thousands of people through 2-3 narrow points (with the people from the 'high-rent district' getting their own points, I assume). Once _finally_ off the beach, the crowd opened up again, staff members were friendly again, and there were even free water stations available. To sum up, most of the festival was very well done, while the headliner stage's audience area was a cluster that became increasingly worse as the afternoon/evening went on. And the problems were mostly preventable because you expect some crowd chaos but the configuration of the space and the speaker issues, as well as the number of access points, were all manageable issues. read more

Bottom line: Sea.Hear.Now is a phenomenal musical and artistic event for people to attend in Asbury Park. Great performers come that are not only fan favorites but diverse new discoveries to enjoy as well. Very large turnout noted. The energy that is produced is contagious and I was happy I got to experience this year's event...looking forward to more in the future! The Deets: For my special review number 500, it's Sea.Hear.Now in Asbury Park. I did not get to go to the inaugural year of Sea.Hear.Now in 2018 but I am glad I got to attend this year in 2019. Tremendous turnout this year! What a huge lineup of performers for three stages, with a large venue setup along Asbury Park's north end of the boardwalk area/Convention Hall/Grand Arcade as well as including Bradley Park/grassy area next to the Asbury Hotel. The poster displaying the long list of performers for 2019 has been included on this Yelp page's pics. They did not disappoint, with Joan Jett and B52s being among my faves there, along with finding new performers (new to me) to enjoy such as Cat Power as well as St. Paul and the Broken Bones. The performer sets were great! The main headliners for this year were Dave Matthews Band as well as The Lumineers. The setup itself and event planning was great in my opinion, well organized and pretty professional. Secure entry points were made where entry and exiting both were scanned/maintained. How you may ask? Tickets were actually wristbands (we had purchased the 2 day general admission ones)...you scan in and out with them during the whole weekend. You can also make them connected via a unique code for your wristband to your credit card if desired to have a cashless way to purchase items in the event area. It was all coordinated using the official event phone app, and nicely done. The phone app also gave the event schedule, FAQs, etc. and helped tremendously. I understand there was a convenience fee added on for buying certain items by wristband and I am pretty OK with that...40 cent fee for a 10 dollar beverage for example is good with me for the convenience that the wrist band gave on purchases. Also in the event area were art showings, surfer related events, food/beverage options, and vendor areas. Shout out to Aperol Spritz and Red Stripe for great vendor area experiences! In all, with the great performances with the wonderful lineup, tremendous energy made by everyone attending and performing, and the venue setup/events, Sea.Hear.Now is a stellar musical lover experience for Asbury Park! read more

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Just went 2023 and will NEVER go again. Tiny tiny section for non vip tickets to see the stage. Old people literally put blankets in the sand and some lady grabbed my ankle bc i tried walking by. Laying on the floor at a concert? Wth! Worst crowd at a concert I've ever seen. Very rude angry people. Bathrooms, food, and bars so far from stages. Had to walk across sand with blistered ankles all day fighting people to get to slightly see a performance. Other stage was so far. Nearly impossible to see each band you want to see. Ended up behind a huge black vip wall for all the main shows. Spent thousands between tickets hotel ubers etc. Had the most fun on a scooter when we left the festival. Way oversold festival. Ridiculous. If an emergency happened we would have been done for. No ways to get out of the massive crowds. Unsafe. Not worth it. What a scam! read more

Thee best festival. Green Day was unbelievable and they alone were worth the price. It was run so In credibly well, the staff, etc could not have been nicer or more helpful. Every group deserves praise OMG my morning jacket, Little Mermen who rocked it, and cage the elephant. Cant even describe how wonderful Stevie Nicks was. So much energy, fun, good will and music beyond my expectation. Danny Clinch - we all thank you for an amazing job well done 2023!! read more

Fun Festival, Great acts. VIP tickets very expensive and did not include what was advertised. Plus of course were better views, bathrooms, private bars but also advertised food included. There was no food and no one knew what we were talking about at VIP section. So ended up in the long lines to get food and missing some bands. Contacted Sea Hear Now and asked what happen to food and they ignored our emails. read more

the sales for this festival are ridiculous. we jump through hoops, set up an account, update information, get a presale code (which everyone has so is it really a presale?) and tickets go onsale in my cart then unable to complete purchase. this is the worst I have seen in a long time. THEN the site has a waitlist available however every time I enter information it gives me a problem message but does not indicate what the problem actually is. And of course tickets are on sale on resale sites at $1000 per ticket. this is 2024. why can't we do better? it was easier to get tickets when we waited online overnight. read more

Probably one of the best run overall festivals I've ever attended. The grounds are kept extremely clean throughout the whole time. lines for beer and food were long but that's to be expected with the volume of people a small deterrent Highly anticipate a return of this event in 2019! read more

4% fee on alcohol when you use a credit card or the RFID on your wrist band. So much for convenience. This was never disclosed when signing up to link your credit card to your wrist band. They also charged you sales tax. Started paying cash instead and literally half of the bar tenders tried to short me on my change. What a joke. read more

Way to crowded. I've attended many festivals but this one have very little food. You couldn't see the main bands. Won't spend my money on this one again. read more

Had VIP tickets that was supposed to include beer but wasn't. It was the only reason I went for the VIP tickets was because of the inclusion of beer. Then the lines for beer in VIP were longer than regular beer lines outside of VIP. Sight lines were horrible been to other festivals where the VIP has access to one side of the stage but not here. Other festivals have real food for VIP not bags of snacks that were horrible. A total rip-off!!!! False advertising!!! Not saying anymore because of litigation. read more

The first year was so amazing that my fiancé and I decided to buy tickets for this year. Big mistake. It was incredibly overcrowded. It was difficult to see any of the bands after spending all of that money on tickets. The lines were ridiculous. It took us over an hour to get food. Even to leave we had to wait in line to get out, and that was during the middle of the day. I would NEVER pay money to attend this again. It's unfortunate because this is where my fiancé and I fell in love last year but it was not worth the hassle. The only thing that saved it this year was The Lumineers being the headliners. To me it seems as though they were a little too focused on making money and not on the experience. What a shame. I rarely leave reviews, but I thought it was worth saving someone money if they are on the fence about deciding whether or not to buy tickets for the next year. Not worth it. read more