From July 25 through August 2, 2026, the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier hosts the US Open of Surfing — the world's largest surf competition, and the week Surf City earns its name in front of hundreds of thousands of visitors. It's free, it's open to the public, and approached like a local, it's one of the best free spectator events in California.
Bookmark this page — the dates are set: the Open runs July 25 through August 2, with finals on the closing weekend, all mapped out just below. If your crew is picking a day to go, this link is where the plan starts.
The essentials, verified
- Dates: daily, Saturday, July 25 – Sunday, August 2, 2026.
- Where: south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
- Cost: free and open to the public — no tickets needed for the surfing.
- Schedule: daily from Saturday, July 25 through Sunday, August 2, with finals on the closing weekend. Heats are called the morning of based on the surf — the live draw posts at worldsurfleague.com.
The dates and finals
The Open runs Saturday, July 25 through Sunday, August 2 — nine days across two weekends — with the finals on the closing weekend (August 1–2). Surfing runs on the ocean's clock, so exact heats are called the morning of; the live daily draw posts at worldsurfleague.com.
After the surf: the Music Stage nights
The surfing is free, but three nights add a ticketed concert on the Music Stage — worth knowing if you want to turn a day at the Open into a full evening. As it stands:
- Sat, July 25 — G. Love & Special Sauce with Matt Costa. Opening night, with Huntington Beach's own Matt Costa on the bill.
- Fri, July 31 — Real Estate with Allah-Las.
- Sat, August 1 — Local Natives with Arcy Drive. Closing weekend.
The Music Stage shows are 21+ and ticketed separately — $69 general admission or $119 VIP per show, with a three-show festival pass at $199 (GA) or $349 (VIP). Grab tickets through Ticketmaster. The daytime surfing stays free, all ages.
Where to eat and drink near the pier
Make an afternoon of it. A few local favorites within a short walk or quick drive of the pier:
- Duke's Huntington Beach — the oceanfront institution right at the base of the pier; book ahead for a sunset table.
- HQ Gastropub — screens everywhere, so you can catch heat replays over a burger and a beer.
- The Belle Rooftop Lounge at Jolie — cocktails with a pier view.
- Treehouse on PCH — the airy rooftop above the Paséa.
- HB House — fire pits and easy beachfront bites.
- Normita's Surf City Taco — a cash-only counter for Baja-style fish tacos.
How locals do the Open
Come early or come late. Mornings bring the best conditions and the thinnest crowds; late afternoons empty out while the beach energy stays. Mid-day on the weekends is for people who enjoy standing.
Skip the pier lots entirely. Locals park inland and walk, or — the real move — ride PCH by bike and glide past the entire parking economy. Downtown Main Street during the Open becomes a festival of its own; budget an extra hour and let it happen rather than fighting it.
And a local secret: the north side of the pier still surfs, still swims, and still has open sand all week. The Open takes one side of the beach; residents keep the other.
What the Open says about living in Huntington Beach
One week a year, the world shows up for the beach that residents get the other fifty-one. That's the honest pitch for Huntington Beach: the culture on display during the Open — surf checks before work, Main Street evenings, a town organized around its pier — is just Tuesday here. Every summer, some fraction of those hundreds of thousands of visitors starts quietly browsing listings on the drive home.
Browse every active home for sale in Huntington Beach right now. Create a free account to save the ones you love and get an alert the moment a new listing hits the market — then reach out anytime you'd like to see one in person.
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FAQ
When is the US Open of Surfing 2026? Daily from Saturday, July 25 through Sunday, August 2, 2026.
Where is it held? On the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
Does it cost anything? No — the US Open of Surfing is free and open to the public.
Where's the daily schedule? It posts at usopenofsurfing.com closer to the event; heats shift with conditions, so check the morning you plan to go.
Where should I park? Locals avoid the pier lots — park inland and walk, or bike PCH. Downtown will be at festival capacity all nine days.
Event details from usopenofsurfing.com and surfcityusa.com as of July 6, 2026 — confirm the daily schedule on the official site.
If a week at the pier has you wondering what living here actually looks like, browse current listings, start with the buyer's guide, or tell me what you're looking for.
This guide is part of my Local's Guide series — see the OC Fair 2026 guide and the Newport Beach 4th of July Guide, with the Pacific Airshow guide coming in August.
