OCEAN CITY, Md. - The stages are coming down at the Inlet, but town leaders say the economic effect of back-to-back music weekends is still being counted.
After Oceans Calling and Country Calling filled the beach and boardwalk, officials pointed to busy hotels, steady restaurant traffic and packed parking lots that extended the season well into October.
“The last two weekends have been phenomenal. It’s a great event for the town of Ocean City,” Town Manager Terry McGean said. “Brings a ton of people to town in our shoulder season… Just really a fantastic event for us.”
Tourism and Business Development Director Tom Perlozzo said a third-party analysis will guide the final numbers, but the early read is significant.
“Yeah, absolutely. It’s around $300 million for the economic impact,” Perlozzo said. “We have a third party consultant come in here and take a look at all the economics associated with hosting those events and what it means to our city. And it’s huge for the community.”
Perlozzo added that the festivals build visibility far beyond the beach. He said headliners from Country Calling posted about Ocean City to followers that number in the tens of millions, which the town hopes will translate into future trips.
City operations leaders said transportation moved more smoothly this year. McGean credited adjustments to bus driver scheduling for quicker exits after the final sets each night.
“Every year we learn something new,” McGean said. “That helped us a lot with getting people home after the event.”
Public safety costs were limited, McGean said, because the promoter staffed on-site medical teams and security, allowing city responders to focus on traffic control and emergency access outside the gates. He noted one serious injury from a fall that required a medical flight, but said it was the only major incident reported over the two weekends.
The weather mostly cooperated, officials said. Crowds stayed through a rainy day during Oceans Calling and enjoyed clear skies for Country Calling.
Both officials framed the festivals as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the shoulder season and support year-round business.
“We’re a year round community,” Perlozzo said. “This late season boost keeps people at their jobs… The businesses stay open. We can support the workforce.”
Looking ahead, McGean said the town and promoter will review what worked and what can improve, but he is not expecting big structural changes after several years of learning.
“We think it’s working out really well,” McGean said, noting the town has a five-year contract with the promoter. “Our goal is to maintain the momentum.”
Teardown at the Inlet continued Monday as crews cleared fencing and staging. Town leaders said they will release more detailed figures after final room tax, parking, transportation and other revenue data are processed, along with overtime and cleanup costs.
For now, the focus shifts to the next events on the calendar and the hope that first-time festivalgoers will come back in prime season.