Everything You Need to Know About the ‘Shadow of the City’ Festival Next Weekend in Seaside Heights

Shadow of the City

Seaside Heights is getting ready for one of the highest-profile music events at the Shore this summer.

Shadow of the City, a music festival featuring The 1975, Carly Rae Jepsen and other artists, is set for next Saturday, June 18. The performance will be the biggest event in Seaside Heights since last year’s Gentlemen of the Road stopover tour, and the borough is working hard to prepare the beach and boardwalk for the event.

Shadow of the City is expected to bring thousands into the town, providing a boon for local business owners and high-profile exposure for the borough, which is quickly transforming into a family-oriented beach community.

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“We have slotted this event during a normally quiet weekend to help boost all of our businesses and draw many thousands of people that may not have otherwise been in Seaside,” said Mike Loundy, Director of Community Improvements for Seaside Heights.

Shadow of the City will differ from last year’s Gentlemen of the Road festival, when the borough directed beachgoers to nearby towns and closed a portion of the boardwalk.

Loundy said this week that the boardwalk will remain open during the performance, while only the beach from Grant Avenue to Sumner Avenue will be reserved for ticket holders. The rest of the borough’s beaches will be open.

The Grant Avenue beach in Seaside Heights, the location of the Grant Avenue beach stage. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

In addition to The 1975 – the band behind the current smash hit “The Sound” – and Jepsen, the festival will include performances by Borns, Steel Train, Frnkiero and The Cellabration, Bishop Briggs, Shamir and Hana. The gates to the festival, which will take place on the Grant Avenue stage, open at 12 noon. The times for each performance have not yet been released.

Parking, Rules and Info

According to Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz, Grant Avenue between the Boulevard and Ocean Terrace will be subject to a “soft closure” effective 8:00 a.m. on June 14 while the stage is being set up.  On-street parking will be unavailable, though residents and businesses in the area will be provided with parking passes.

Effective 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, this zone will be subject to a “hard closure,” Vaz said, and visitors will not have vehicular access to off-street parking and delivery areas until the “soft closure” is reinstituted on Sunday, June 19, at approximately 10 a.m.

Regular traffic will resume on Grant Avenue by Monday, June 20.

There are no age restrictions for Shadow of the City, organizers say, and the festival will be held rain or shine. No outside food or beverages will be allowed at the festival site, however vendors will be available including those selling artist and festival merchandise. No “professional” video or audio recording devices will be allowed, though mobile devices are welcome. The festival will have ADA-compliant access for disabled guests, and a medical tent will be set up in case of an emergency. Animals are not allowed at the festival site, except for service animals.

Anyone who hasn’t yet purchased a ticket can do so at the Shadow of the City website. General admission tickets are $65, premium beach tickets (which include front-of-stage seating on the sand and access to a private bar) are $85, and VIP tickets (which include access to a VIP viewing deck, access to a VIP bar, a Meet & Greet with Jack Antonoff, a commemorative poster and a pay one price wristband for Casino Pier) are $150.