The Doheny Blues Festival has been featuring music on the beach since 1998. Attendees visit the festival annually from all around the world, and the layout includes three stages of alternating music, a diverse food court, a marketplace, a beer tent and kids activities. Past performers at the Doheny music festival include many famous names from blues, rock and soul, including The Black Crows, B.B. King, Bonnie Rait, Crosby, Stills and Nash, John Fogerty, Etta James, Al Green, Brian Setzer and Los Lobos, among others.
Doheny Beach, a popular place for Orange County surfers, was referenced in the Beach Boys' songs "Surfin Safari" and "Surfin' U.S.A." The beach, now heavily polluted, is protected by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Doheny Beach is on the Pacific Coast of Orange County, in Dana Point, Southern California, with the beach located at the entrance of San Juan Creek, flowing from the Santa Ana Mountains to Doheny Beach, where it forms a freshwater lagoon. Covering 62 acres, the beach is expansive. Campgrounds sit on one end, with surfing available on the other. A tide pool and visitors center, with several aquariums, provide educational activities.
There are three classifications for tickets to the Doheny Blues Festival: general admission, VIP and Gold. General admission tickets are broken up into single tickets or a two-day ticket that allows admission for the entire duration of the festival. Children's general admission tickets are also offered. VIP tickets are available for a higher price but offer access to a special VIP area and better seating in front of the main stage. Often, VIP access may also include discounted beverages, upgraded restrooms, access to the beach and picnic tables and early entrance to the festival. Gold tickets include a preferred-viewing section in front of the main stage and exclusive access to Gold Lounge, which includes tables with umbrellas, bench seating, a bar and a Doheny State Beach view. Gold tickets may also include complimentary beverages, catered lunch and a T-shirt, in addition to the same perks that come with the VIP tickets.
Doheny Beach offers on-site beach camping in addition to cliff-side hotel rooms. Conveniently located within walking distance of the Doheny Blues Festival grounds, the Doheny Beach campground is an inexpensive option that allows for a beach view. The campground has 121 family campsites; however, reservations may go quickly for the weekend of the Doheny Music Festival. There are also surrounding hotels that feature cliff-side ocean views, award-winning restaurants and hosted events after the music festival.