Kaaboo Del Mar

KAABOO Del Mar was a three-day music, comedy, and culinary festival held annually at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego, California. Founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Bryan E. Gordon, the festival ran for five editions through 2019, blending rock, pop, electronic, and comedy acts with upscale food, wine, and craft beer offerings. The festival has been on hiatus since 2019, and a planned 2025 comeback was cancelled after organizers failed to meet contractual obligations with the venue.

How KAABOO Del Mar Worked

KAABOO Del Mar operated as a multi-stage festival at the Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds, a 40,000-person-capacity venue in coastal North San Diego County. The festival ran Friday through Sunday in mid-September and was billed as a "mixperience" that combined music, comedy, food, and drink into a single ticketed event.

Key operational details:

1. Music Programming: The festival booked broad-appeal headliners across rock, pop, country, and electronic. Past headliners included The Killers and No Doubt (2015), Aerosmith and The Chainsmokers (2016), Tom Petty and Red Hot Chili Peppers (2017), Foo Fighters and Katy Perry (2018), and Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, and Mumford and Sons (2019).
2. Comedy Component: KAABOO was one of the few major festivals that programmed comedy as a co-equal attraction. Past performers included Lewis Black, Joel McHale, Tig Notaro, Kevin Smith, Wayne Brady, Bob Saget, and Pete Holmes.
3. Culinary and Beverage: The festival featured 18 local restaurants, 30 California wineries, 30 craft distilleries, and dozens of craft breweries. Celebrity chefs like Richard Blais and Michael Mina participated in cooking demonstrations.
4. VIP Experience: KAABOO was designed from the start as an upscale festival. VIP packages ranged up to $15,000 for the "Ultimate Hang" package, which included private dinners with headlining artists.

Real-World Example: KAABOO Del Mar 2018

The 2018 edition represents KAABOO at its peak. Foo Fighters, Katy Perry, and Imagine Dragons headlined the three nights, with support from Robert Plant, Blondie, Halsey, Post Malone, Wiz Khalifa, and Stone Temple Pilots. Three-day passes ranged from $249 for general admission to $15,000 for the Ultimate Hang VIP package. An estimated 40,000 people attended on the peak day (September 17), hitting the venue's daily legal capacity.

For an independent artist, a KAABOO slot meant exposure to a well-funded, broad-demographic audience. The festival's mix of genres meant that a rock band could play the same day as a DJ and a comedian, reaching fans who might not otherwise attend a genre-specific festival.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

KAABOO Del Mar is currently inactive, but its history offers lessons for independent artists seeking festival bookings. The festival filled the void left by San Diego's Street Scene, which ended in 2009. It demonstrated that a well-funded, multi-genre festival with strong VIP amenities could succeed in a mid-size market for five consecutive years.

For independent artists in San Diego and Southern California:

1. The void left by KAABOO means fewer major festival opportunities in San Diego. Focus on venues and smaller festivals in the region while monitoring for KAABOO's potential return.
2. The festival's comedy and food programming model shows that non-music components can drive attendance. Artists who can collaborate with comedians, chefs, or visual artists have an advantage when applying to multi-disciplinary festivals.
3. Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track your streaming performance in the San Diego market, which can support local booking pitches.
4. Follow KAABOO's official website and social media for any future comeback announcements.

The festival's Instagram posted "Stay Tuned" in 2021, but no concrete return plans have materialized. As of 2026, there are no confirmed dates for a KAABOO revival.

Related Resources

• Music Festival Strategy: Get Booked and Make It Count - How to approach festival bookers
• 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Festival performances as a revenue stream
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming growth to support booking pitches
• Music Festivals Directory - Find active festivals for booking opportunities
• Official KAABOO Website