Twilight Concerts returns to the Santa Monica Pier


It is almost officially summertime and the living should be easy, but sometimes (for some of us) money can be tight. Luckily for those in Southern California this summer, Santa Monica’s annual “Twilight Concerts” will return and will be free to the public. Santa Monica’s annual summer concerts tradition first started in 1983 to bring awareness to the pier’s reconstruction after one-third of it was destroyed by winter storms. The city has kept the tradition ever since, making it a prominent part of the culture of Southern California.

The concert series is hosted by the nonprofit Santa Monica Pier Corporation and sponsored by the popular mobile application company Snapchat. If Snapchat replicates the activities they had at the concerts last year, expect free giveaways and fun-filled interactive Snapchat events during the concert.

Each concert will run on a Thursday night from June 20 to Aug. 17 (except for July 6), with the concert going from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Some concert-goers prefer to get there well before the concert begins to enjoy quality time at the beach and set up a picnic with friends before the show starts.

Each week will celebrate a different popular music genre and will be hosted by media partners KCRW’s disc jockeys. The impressive lineup ranges from up-and-coming artists with recent commercial success, like Khalid and Coast Modern, to seasoned artists including Irma Thomas and Eric Burdon & The Animals.

The impressive, diverse lineup is guaranteed to bring in large crowds from different walks of life. The series kicks off with Khalid and Bibi Bourelly. Khalid is a rising, contemporary R&B and soul artist whose hit single “Location” has already reached over 60 million views on YouTube since it was released in Aug. 2016. Grammy Award-winning singer Irma Thomas (also known as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans”) and the harmonic, all-girl indie rock band Warpaint are sure to provide an outstanding, soulful experience for the attendees. 

Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, with an impressive resume including singing with Bob Marley and the Wailers for seven years, Marcia Griffiths is an electrifying performer. Veteran British rock group Eric Burdon & The Animals’ version of American folk song, “House of the Rising Sun,” is a classic and if they choose to perform it, you’ll want to be there. Other buzzy acts will include local indie-pop duo Coast Modern, LeMaitre and Australia’s own Miami Horror.

Since a big crowd is expected, early arrival is suggested for each of the concerts. The Twilight Concerts is located at 200 Santa Monica Pier. More suggestions and transit information can be found on Santa Monica Pier’s website.

1 reply
  1. Mark Mallarde
    Mark Mallarde says:

    Thanks, Snapchat. Please ruin the Westside more with more intoxicated crowds milling around downtown Santa Monica. How about some more annoying Millennial tech workers on motorscooters?

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