Can you feel that? It’s the sound of ocean waves, a local atmosphere, and three stages full of artists across genres and decades. Sea.Hear.Now music festival is coming back to the beaches of Asbury Park on Sept. 19 and 20 with some massive and talented names who are (hopefully) more than ready to knock our sandals off.
This year’s headliners are folk rock band Mumford & Sons on Saturday and American rock band The Strokes on Sunday. While it’s not the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon, or The Cure which were all artist rumors that circulated, these headliners are sure to bring that nostalgic vibe locals hope for.
Mumford & Sons are likely to play their hits from their 2012 album, “Babel” such as “I Will Wait,” “Lover of the Light,” and “Hopeless Wanderer.” Hopefully they’ll take us back to 2009 with their album “Sigh No More” and sing “The Cave,” “Little Lion Man,” and “White Blank Page” which has recently become a trending song on social media.
Other artists slotted for Saturday’s performances are punk rock band The Offspring, the queen of funk Chaka Khan, The All-American Rejects, Shaggy, Susanna Hoffs, Fitz and the Tantrums, Tom Odell, Men At Work, and more. Only Sea.Hear.Now to bring together the artists known for “Eternal Flame,” “It Wasn’t Me,” and “Out Of My League.” If you need a little refresher as to who some of these artists are here is your rapid fire.
Khan, known as the “Queen of Funk” gained her fame in the 80s during the era of disco with her songs, “I’m Every Woman” and “Ain’t Nobody.” The All-American Rejects are sure to get the party going with their songs, “Gives You Hell” and “Dirty Little Secret.” Hoffs, former lead singer of the 80s girl band The Bangles, will hopefully teach us to “Walk Like an Egyptian” and sing “Manic Monday.” For those who aren’t fans of “The Vampire Diaries,” Odell is known for his song “Another Love” which is featured in season six during the epic rain kiss.
The Strokes, who are Sunday’s headliner, are most likely going to perform songs from their albums “The New Abnormal,” “Comedown Machine,” and “Room on Fire.” Those hits include, “The Adults Are Talking,” “Last Nite,” “Reptilia” and “Call It Fate, Call It Karma.” While the band is from New York City there’s no denying that Jersey being so close to the big apple will warrant a once and a lifetime performance.
Other artists performing on the ticket for Sunday include, Goo Goo Dolls, Fontaines D.C., Moby, Ziggy Marley, Flipturn, Ben Howard, Pixies, and more. Marley, son of reggae pioneer Bob Marley, is one of those artists that feel like an extension of their family legacy. Hearing both Goo Goo Dolls and Fontaines D.C. on the beaches of Asbury Park will bring to life songs like “Iris” and “Favourite.” Flipturn is no stranger to this area having just performed at the Stone Pony in July 2025. And the acoustic sound of indie folk artist Howard is likely to serenade us with “Only Love” and “Keep Your Head Up.”
Despite the massive names, people took to the comments to voice their concerns before the presale like, “All the hype for this?” and “SHN falloff needs to be studied.” While there’s been much online discord about the lineup with this slew of negative comments, in theory it isn’t that different from years past in terms of genres and artists. There’s folk, indie, rock, punk, funk, reggae, and even alternative artists.
My only critique is that there isn’t a true pop artist this time around which is disappointing compared to Maryland’s Oceans Calling which features Gwen Stefani, Gavin Degraw, and Matchbox Twenty. But, because of this the two day passes haven’t sold out. The only sold out passes are one day and two day VIP. So if you’re still looking to experience this festival, it’s not too late! Be sure to listen to my official Sea.Hear.Now playlist by scanning above.
