Pearl Jam headline Ohana Festival 2026 in their first show since Matt Cameron’s departure, with no drummer named yet. Tyler Childers and Alabama Shakes also set
The last time Pearl Jam played a show, Matt Cameron was behind the drums. That was Pittsburgh, May 18, 2025, the final night of their Dark Matter Tour and, as it turned out, the last time their longest-tenured drummer would sit behind the kit for the band. Two months later, Cameron announced he was stepping away after 27 years. Since then, Pearl Jam have been silent.
No concerts, no confirmed replacement, and, as of mid-April, no clear timeline. Now they have a gig. The band will headline the final night of the 2026 Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California, on September 27, their first confirmed performance of the year and their first show in more than 16 months. The 10th anniversary edition of Ohana, the festival founded by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder in 2016, runs September 25 through 27 and carries the most consequential lineup in its history.
Vedder will open the weekend headlining night one with his Eddie Vedder and Friends configuration alongside co-headliners Maná. Tyler Childers tops night two. The full lineup also includes Alabama Shakes, Fontaines D.C., Pixies, Billy Idol, Rilo Kiley, Jon Batiste, Bad Religion, Courtney Barnett, the reunited Sugar, Men I Trust, The Format, The Front Bottoms, Horsegirl, Otoboke Beaver, and more. Ten Club presales are open now, with a general presale beginning May 14 at 12 p.m. local time.
The Drummer Question Nobody Can Answer Yet
The announcement that Pearl Jam are returning to the stage is significant. The fact that their new drummer still has not been named is the story inside the story. In April, guitarist Mike McCready was candid with American Songwriter about where things stood: “We’ve just got to find a new drummer, you know? We don’t have one.” He elaborated with characteristic Pearl Jam patience: “We’re in the process of just talking about it, and figuring out what our next move is.
We move very, very slowly, and then when something happens, we move quickly. So, right now, we’re kind of in our slow phase, like our Jurassic.” That the band would announce a September headlining performance without confirming a drummer suggests either a new member is nearly in place but not yet officially signed, or September could mark a more unconventional approach, a rotating fill-in, a surprise announcement on the night, or something else entirely.
When Cameron contracted Covid in 2022, the band cycled through original drummer Dave Krusen, multi-instrumentalist John Klinghoffer, and veteran Seattle musician Richard Stuverud across shows. Former member Dave Abbruzzese has publicly expressed interest in returning, though insiders consider that unlikely. Fan speculation since the announcement has centered on Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins and Krusen as the most probable options, though Pearl Jam have offered nothing to confirm or deny either.
Cameron, for his part, was unambiguous about why he left. Speaking to The Seattle Times ahead of Soundgarden’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, he said: “I was at a stage in my life and career where I just wanted to make some changes and redirect my energy and focus elsewhere. I’m going to definitely refocus back in on the Soundgarden family. I’ve got a bunch of really fun projects I’m working on.” Since the split, he has been gigging around Washington with his Wipers cover band Is This Real?
Ohana at Ten: The Festival That Built Itself Around Community
For ten years, Ohana has operated as an extension of Vedder’s aesthetic values. The lineups skew toward artists with genuine roots and a point of view: Green Day, Foo Fighters, Stevie Nicks, Jack White, the Strokes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Killers. The 2026 edition is the most eclectic yet. Tyler Childers headlining the middle night alongside a bill that includes Fontaines D.C. and Horsegirl is a festival programming decision that most events would not have the taste or the confidence to make. The Alabama Shakes return after years away from the live circuit adds another dimension of genuine anticipation to the weekend.
But Pearl Jam closing Sunday night is the reason thousands will make the pilgrimage to Doheny State Beach. Whatever they bring to that stage, whoever is sitting behind the drums, September 27 will be watched closely by rock fans who have been waiting more than a year for the answer to a question Pearl Jam themselves have not yet announced.
