Tiki Oasis, the world’s largest and longest-running festival for lovers of island lifestyle, returns to Mission Valley’s Town and Country Resort for five nights and four days of tropical hijinks, Aug. 2-6.
Under the theme “The Enchanted Sea,” this year’s event features live exotica music, pool parties, fashion shows, art exhibits, educational seminars, and more.
The party kicks off on Wednesday with an opening night Meet ‘n Mingle starting at 5 p.m. and concludes Sunday with a performance by Mediterranean psych rock band Mohama Saz, beginning at 9 p.m.
Between these bookends you’ll find everything from a Polynesian marketplace with Tiki wares for sale and tropical cocktail tastings curated by mixologists to the 2023 Mx Tiki Oasis contest (the event is proudly all-inclusive) and poolside DJ sets.
With a full schedule of activities, here are some highlights to help you plan your visit:
- Boasting 25-plus artists/bands, music options at Tiki Oasis abound. Jason Hanna and The Swingin’ Bananas take the Martini stage on Thursday, modern exotica band Tikiyaki Orchestra plays on Friday, and Man or Astroman?, an Alabama-bred surf rock group, headlines Saturday night.
- If art is your thing, be sure to check out the pop-up exhibit featuring more than 50 artists’ work 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily in the foyer area. Like the Tiki Marketplace, the art show is free and open to the public.
- Looking to learn something? The lineup of diverse seminars, located throughout the hotel’s various ballrooms, includes “The Evolution of Surfing Movie Music 1958-1972,” “Dances from the Caribbean Islands” and “The Secret Life of Vincent Price.”
- As eclectic as ever, this year’s event truly has something for everyone. Costume contests? Check. Magicians? Check. Belly dancers? Check. There’s even a Pooch Parade, featuring dapper doggies, and Beauty BouTIKI, offering hair, make up and massage services in the Palm Room.
- For late-night lovers, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday attendees can experience live music in the hotel’s Pacific Ballroom, suite soirees in the Palm Tower (21-and-up), midnight burlesque shows, and after-hours celebrations (18-plus).
Launching in 2001, originally in Palm Springs, Tiki Oasis migrated to San Diego in 2006. Now celebrating its 22nd anniversary, the event has found a good home in Town and Country hotel, which completed a $70 million renovation in 2020.
For available ticket packages to Tiki Oasis 2023, go here.
Donovan Roche has covered the world of music and entertainment for more than 30 years.