Pearl Jam have confirmed their first concert since drummer Matt Cameron left the band in July 2025. The show will take place on the third and final night of the 2026 Ohana Festival, which runs from September 25 to September 27, 2026, in Dana Point, California. It marks Pearl Jam’s first announced live date since Cameron’s exit after 27 years behind the kit.
The announcement is notable not just because Pearl Jam are returning to the stage, but because the band still has not publicly named a replacement drummer. Ultimate Classic Rock reports that it is still unclear who will sit behind the drum kit for the performance. In April, guitarist Mike McCready said the band had not yet found a new drummer.
The Ohana Festival itself is a major event in Pearl Jam’s world. It was launched in 2016 as a partnership involving Eddie Vedder, band manager Mark Smith, and Live Nation, and 2026 will mark its 10th year. Alongside Pearl Jam, the festival will feature Vedder’s Eddie Vedder & Friends set on the first night and country star Tyler Childers as the headliner on the second night. Other acts announced for the weekend include Maná, Billy Idol, Bad Religion, Sugar, Alabama Shakes, Jon Batiste, Fontaines D.C., Pixies, and more.
Cameron’s departure was announced in July 2025 and ended a 27-year run with the band. In his farewell statement, he thanked Pearl Jam for “the opportunity of a lifetime,” describing his time with the band as a journey filled with “friendships, artistry, challenges and laughter.” Pearl Jam responded with a statement calling him “a singular and true powerhouse of a musician and drummer,” and said he “will be deeply missed.”
The timing of Pearl Jam’s next show also comes after a relatively quiet stretch for the band on the live front. Their last major touring cycle wrapped before Cameron’s departure, and the absence of a named replacement has kept fans guessing about how the band will present itself in 2026. For now, the Ohana booking suggests Pearl Jam are moving forward while leaving the drummer question open.
The festival appearance will likely be one of the band’s most closely watched performances in years, not only because it is their first show without Cameron, but because it places Pearl Jam back in front of a crowd on one of the biggest dates of the year for Vedder’s own festival.
