Pearl Jam’s Ohana festival set marks first show after Matt Cameron exit

Pearl Jam’s Ohana headliner is no ordinary festival stop. It will be the band’s first announced concert since Matt Cameron stepped away after 27 years, and that makes the biggest question at Doheny State Beach simple: who is on the kit, and how does Pearl Jam handle the transition live?

Cameron announced on July 7, 2025 that he had left the band after nearly three decades behind the drums, writing, “After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam.” Pearl Jam responded that Cameron had propelled its live shows and studio recordings for 27 years and would be deeply missed. Since then, the band has not publicly named a replacement, and Eddie Vedder only sharpened the mystery in a February 11, 2026 interview when he said Pearl Jam was “between eras,” “in the lab,” and “woodshedding,” while declining to confirm whether a new drummer had already been found.

That uncertainty is what gives the 2026 Ohana Festival date its weight. Pearl Jam is set to close the final day of the festival, which runs September 25-27, 2026 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California. Presale begins Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 10 a.m. PT, and the bill stretches beyond Pearl Jam with more than 35 performances across three stages, plus panels and exhibits. Tyler Childers, Maná, Billy Idol, Bad Religion, Sugar, Alabama Shakes, Jon Batiste, Fontaines D.C., Pixies, and Rilo Kiley are all part of the lineup, but for drumming fans the real draw is watching how Pearl Jam frames its post-Cameron first act.

The band’s history suggests there are several possible answers. When Cameron missed shows in 2022 after testing positive for COVID-19, Pearl Jam rotated in Dave Krusen, Josh Klinghoffer, and Richard Stuverud rather than locking immediately onto one visible long-term sub. That precedent matters now, because Ohana could signal a temporary solution, a permanent hire, or a more fluid live setup that Pearl Jam keeps close to the vest.

Cameron said his exit was amicable and that he had given the band “a lot of notice.” He also pointed to Pearl Jam’s “constant touring” and marathon three-hour shows as part of what pushed him to step back, while noting that he wanted to focus on other projects, including Is This Real? and 3rd Secret. Dave Abbruzzese, Pearl Jam’s drummer from 1991 to 1994, also dismissed the idea of a reunion, saying it is very unlikely and that he has had no real contact with the band in 30 years.

So when Pearl Jam walks onto the Ohana stage, the spotlight will not just be on Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Mike McCready. It will be on the drum stool itself, because this show is where the next Pearl Jam chapter begins to take shape in public.