DEL MAR — In a year that silenced stages across the country, the Del Mar Fairgrounds found a way to bring live music back to North County San Diego — from the front seat of your car. The fairgrounds' drive-in concert series, which launched in late 2020 and continued into 2021, has become one of the most creative adaptations to the pandemic's restrictions on live entertainment, offering socially distanced shows in the venue's sprawling parking lots.
Attendees pull into designated parking spots spaced six feet apart, tune their car radios to a dedicated FM frequency, and watch artists perform on a large stage with concert-quality sound and lighting. Between sets, food trucks serve meals that are delivered directly to car windows. It's not the mosh pit at SOMA, but for music-starved San Diegans, it's been a lifeline.
Fairgrounds leadership described the drive-in format as born out of desperation to safely bring people together again. The format, they explained, allows compliance with county health orders while still giving artists a stage and fans a show. The response, they said, has been overwhelming.
Artists Embrace the Format
The series has attracted a diverse lineup, from tribute bands and local acts to nationally touring artists looking for any opportunity to perform. Reggae nights, country evenings, and rock showcases have all drawn capacity crowds of several hundred vehicles. Fans honk their horns instead of clapping, creating a surreal but joyful new concert experience.
Performers admitted the experience was strange at first — playing to a sea of headlights instead of faces. But when the horns started honking after each song, they said, it hit them: people were out there, feeling the music, and needing it just as much as the musicians did.
For Encinitas residents accustomed to catching shows at the Belly Up or Music Box, the drive-in series has been a welcome substitute during the long months of shuttered venues. As vaccination rates climb and restrictions begin to ease, the fairgrounds plans to continue the series through spring before transitioning back to traditional events.