Virginia Beach, Va. – Just as waves continue to lap at the Virginia Beach shoreline, visitors return again and again to the “world's largest beach” and popular coastal getaway to escape, renew and celebrate. This year, the seaside city's premier entertainment lineup includes several new festivals and events that add more reasons to visit and put the destination on repeat for a quick, fun-filled vacation. Let the calendar below be your guide to planning your next memorable vacation to Virginia Beach in 2024:

JANUARY

Connect with and learn about the “locals” during the annual Winter Wildlife Festival (Jan. 27 – Feb. 4) across two weekends of a special presentations, workshops and exhibits plus a photography contest and series of ticketed excursions on land and sea.

Migrating shorebirds and whales spend the mild winter season in Virginia Beach, and striped bass and rockfish coastal fishing seasons are open through March 31st. Make the most of this special season aboard a charter fishing excursion, a humpback and fin whale-watching boat trip or paddle out on a SUP for an unforgettable ocean experience.

FEBRUARY

An expansive selection of the commonwealth's best wines, ciders, beer and more are featured at the annual Coastal Virginia Magazine WineFest (Feb. 10 & 11). Sip and swirl inside the Virginia Beach Convention Center with table packages available for groups of 10, and a trio of hotel packages to make it a weekend getaway.

The Black Opry Revue showcases the country, blues, folk and Americana music of talented Black artists often overlooked in the genres. Performing live at Sandler Center for the Arts (Feb. 16), five musicians elevate awareness and appreciation for the diversity of their art. Complement the experience with a self-guided tour of the city's African-American cultural sites which includes historically-significant churches, schools and local points of interest.

MARCH

Irish eyes smile on Virginia Beach during the 52nd Annual Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend (Mar. 15 – 17). From the 26.2-yard Leprechaun Dash to the 26.2-mile Shamrock Marathon, every participant feels lucky to cross the finish line on an epic weekend that provides a sneak peek to all the city's early-season charms.

APRIL

The only rodeo held on sand, Bulls & Barrels Beach Rodeo (April 13 – 14) is an official SEBRA rodeo circuit stop and entertains with bull riding, barrel racing and award-winning rodeo clowns against an oceanfront backdrop.

Sample the rich and delicate flavors of a Virginia Beach culinary staple at the East Coast She-Crab Soup Classic (April 20). Dozens of restaurants compete for the coveted Critic's and People's Choice awards in an outdoor tasting event that showcases one of the coastal city's most beloved menu items.

Three stages of performance art are spotlighted during The Z Fringe Festival (Apr. 5 & 6) at Zeiders American Dream Theater. Unique creative works fill the weekend with adventurous self-produced theater and theater-adjacent art by local artists who push the envelope.

Historic Garden Week in Virginia showcases a collection of notable Virginia Beach North End neighborhood homes and gardens (April 24) via a convenient trolley tour. The nation's only statewide home and garden tour, it offers nearly 30 unique tours of private landscapes, public gardens and historic sites during a weeklong celebration of spring.

A brand-new music festival (April 26 – 28) will offer a mix of national recording artists performing contemporary, pop, rap and R&B sounds to inspire and entertain audiences this spring by the shore. Stay tuned for more details on the performance lineup and ticketing.

MAY

It's been 50 years since two brothers placed a bet that would test their sailing skills and relationship. The Worrell 1000 challenges sailors to an intense two-week, offshore catamaran race from South Florida to Virginia Beach held May 12 - 25. With 15 teams representing six countries, the competition is fierce, the sea conditions grueling and the bragging rights legendary.

The Atlantic Coast Kite Festival (May 4 & 5) brightens the shore and skyline with colorful, high-flying displays while Monsters on the Beach (May 17 - 19) celebrates 25 years of off-road trucks competing on beach race and obstacle courses in the region's largest gathering of the sport. The 21st Annual Coastal Edge Steel Beach Classic & Surf Art Expo showcases the power of the ocean (May 25 – 27) with in-water competitions and shoreline displays.

Nostalgic '60s tunes, shag dancing on the sand and classic car displays are the highlights of Beach Music Weekend (May 10 & 11), and the Salute to Summer (May 24 – 26) celebrates the start of the season with three oceanfront stages of non-stop music all weekend long.

As part of the 27th Annual Virginia Arts Festival lineup, Virginia Beach venues hosts a number of top performing artists at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates its 100th anniversary by performing “Appalachian Spring” with the Virginia Symphony (May 11), while jazz vocalist Samara Joy swoons (June 8) and acclaimed Chris Thile masters the mandolin (June 14). The popular Virginia International PANFest (May 10 & 11) rounds out the Virginia Beach performance schedule on the 24th Street Stage.

American pride and U.S. armed services recognition are on full display during the USO Experience (May 30 – June 2). Stroll through the military village display to learn more about each branch of service and enjoy free, nightly concerts on oceanfront stages along the Boardwalk.

Jackalope Fest (May 31 - June 2) rolls back into Virginia Beach for a sizzling summer showdown. Last year's debut of high adrenaline sports fueled an action-packed weekend of skateboarding, BASE jumping, bouldering and beach volleyball that kept fans on their feet and cheering on daring performances.

JUNE

Virginia Beach will be jammin' as a new, two-stage Point Break Reggae Festival (June 1 - 2) spotlights Jamaican music, food and culture on the oceanfront with more than 20 live concerts. National headline artists include Sublime, Rebelution, Wiz Khalifa, Steven Marley and Steel Pulse.

Action sports return to their summer home as the 30th Annual North American Sand Soccer Championship (June 7 – 9) converts a mile and a half of pristine beach to oceanfront courts for more than 11,000 players of all ages from around the globe.

Celebrate love, unity and diversity at the Pride at the Beach (June 23). The weekend celebration welcomes all for live music and festival fun at the oceanfront's 31st Street Park.

It's not unusual to see U.S. Navy jets overhead, but The Flying Proms Symphonic Airshow (June 15) is a special sight to behold. The Military Aviation Museum combines history and family fun at this outdoor concert, air show and patriotic celebration featuring WWII-era planes.

Juneteenth at the Beach (June 19) celebrates unity in the community with an outdoor showcase of 30 original works of art along more than a mile of the Boardwalk. Hosted by the Virginia African American Cultural Center, the selected Virginia artists' works are displayed through the summer to promote positive public dialogue about important social issues.

All summer long, Live! on Atlantic's free, pop-up entertainment adds whimsy and fun to any visit! Weekly, the Oceanfront Concert Series (Wednesdays, June 5 – Sept. 18) features regional and national talent on oceanfront stages, and the weekly Beach Blanket Outdoor Movie Series and week-long “Jurassic Experience” themed Film Festival show free family movies by the sea for summer.

The Boardwalk brightens when professional, amateur and youth artists Chalk the Walk (June 15) in a public art event, and La Fiesta Virginia Beach (June 28 & 29) turns up the heat with an outdoor festival to celebrate Latin culture with music, dancing, food and crafters.

JULY

A sparkling pair of fireworks displays complemented by live music performances set the stage for memorable Independence Day festivities! The Stars & Stripes Celebration illuminates the entire oceanfront, and the July 4th Celebration at Mount Trashmore also includes food trucks at the outdoor landmark.

Dance with the crowds to all your favorite songs at the Totally Tribute Music Fest (July 5 -7) when musical tribute artists rock the scene performing top hits from several generations on dueling oceanfront stages.

Surround yourself with the art of master Claude Monet at the Beyond Monet touring exhibit at the Virginia Beach Convention Center this summer (July 5 – Sept. 5). More than 400 of his Impressionist era works, including the famed Water Lilies series, are projected across 50,000 s.f. of exhibit space in the nation's largest immersive experience.

AUGUST

Feelings of hope and joy brighten the mood and waters of Mount Trashmore when the Virginia Beach Water Lantern Festival lights the night (Aug. 3), and the annual Funk Fest Beach Party (Aug. 23 & 24) helps visitors get their groove on during live beachfront concerts and dance contests.

The world's longest-running surf competition carves up the Virginia Beach coastline from 1st to 11th Streets during the 62nd Annual East Coast Surfing Championship (Aug. 18 – 25). The eight-day, international surf carnival welcomes more than 850 surfers each year competing for titles, prizes, history and the love of surfing. The celebration of beach culture also includes volleyball, a Boardwalk 5K, street skate and ramp contests, swimsuit contests, and a live concert series on the beach. 

SEPTEMBER

Keep the summer vibes alive through Labor Day weekend at the Live the Life Festival (Aug. 30 - Sept. 1). National recording acts perform on oceanfront stages to cap the summer travel season and elevate the laid back Virginia Beach lifestyle.

Still going strong at 50, King Neptune reigns over the Annual Virginia Beach Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1) as the beloved fall festival and Virginia Beach marquee event celebrates its golden anniversary in 2024! While a full calendar of fun welcomes visitors to the city's shores all year long, Boardwalk Weekend is the highlight of the annual schedule. A 32-block stretch of the oceanfront Boardwalk is filled with daily concerts on festival stages, a nationally-ranked Art & Craft Show, Grand Parade and athletic competitions from surfing and volleyball to a regatta and 8K race. Not to be missed is the signature International Sand Sculpting Championship where 32 of the world's most-talented sculptors turn nearly 500 tons of sand into works of art in three days.

OCTOBER

Warbirds Over the Beach (Oct. 5 & 6) returns to the skies over Virginia Beach with flight demonstrations by one of the largest collections of WWII Warbirds airplanes. Stroll the living history encampment and be transported back in time from the Military Aviation Museum's 130-acre campus.

Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams brings his Something In The Water music festival back to the shoreline with a new fall date in development for a star-studded weekend of live music on oceanfront stages. The event also highlights arts and culture through a series of performances, capsule events and community activities designed to highlight unity, celebrate diversity and empower all.

Ranked as a top 15 Fine Art Show of the Decade by Sunshine Artist magazine, the 68th Annual Virginia MOCA Boardwalk Art Show (Oct. 18 - 20) is one of the only outdoor art shows produced by an accredited museum. The three-day festival is one of the city's oldest events and welcomes nearly 200 juried artists from around the country featuring fine art across several mediums set against Mother Nature's beach background on the city's famed Boardwalk.

New season for 2024: Re-aligned to complement the Boardwalk Art Festival, the 7th Annual Mural Festival (Oct. TBA) puts on a show of its own as artists live-paint 10 new outdoor scenes throughout the city's walkable ViBe Creative District. Situated among eclectic working artisans and crafters, the ten-day celebration also includes a golf cart parade and community mural for all to contribute.

Bring the whole family to Wicked Weekend (Oct. 25 & 26) for a scary good time! The region's largest Halloween race and party, the Wicked 10K, 5K and Monster Mile fill the oceanfront with more costumes than you can count and prizes awarded in several categories. Later, bring the kids to Pumpkins & Pirates Family Fest (Oct. 26) where scallywags enjoy games, contests and more. The Virginia Aquarium is hauntingly decked for the season and offers a pair of Fins & Frights family nights (Oct. 18 & 19) that include Halloween-themed activities and games plus candy stations.

NOVEMBER

The 6th Annual Virginia Bourbon Invitational (Nov. 2) celebrates Virginia spirits on the grand lawn of the historic Cavalier Resort Hotel, home to the nation's first in-hotel distillery, Tarnished Truth. Tapas, cigars, Adirondack chairs and live music complement nearly two dozen tasting stations, making for a perfect fall fête.

The commonwealth's only Jeep Fest (Nov. 8 - 11) unites drivers of the cult favorite vehicle over four fun days. Sign up for sunrise cruises, show and shine displays, and a custom sand course that rivals an oceanfront roller coaster. A new Night Crawl series plus social events and specialty vendors fill the long weekend schedule.

DECEMBER

The Boardwalk is transformed into a sparkling, merry mile during Holiday Lights at the Beach (Nov. 15 – Dec. 31), a drive-through light display stretching 21 blocks and featuring the nation's longest curved light tunnel. It's the only time of year vehicles can travel the oceanfront promenade, but a free Family Bicycle Night (Nov. 14) opens the festive show and thousands of costumed runners traverse the display during the Surf-n-Santa Five Miler race (Dec. 13 & 14). A complimentary First Night Holiday Hike event, new for this year, wraps access to the outdoor installation on January 1, 2025.

Kick off the festive holiday season at the Town Center Snow Globe Spectacular (Nov. 29 – Dec. 21) and Last Night on the Town (Dec. 31). Shop for all your holiday gifts amid lifesize snow globes filled with magical Christmas scenes, live entertainers plus Santa and Mrs. Claus, and ring in the new year in a spectacular outdoor party on the plaza hi a dazzling ball drop.

About Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, one of Virginia's most populous cities, resides where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city is home to 35 miles of sandy beaches, a flourishing culinary and craft beer scene, rich history, a variety of arts and entertainment and family-friendly attractions that keep visitors entertained year-round. For more Virginia Beach information, including new attractions and experiences, or to plan your next trip, visit www.visitvirginiabeach.com.