There are festivals you attend for the lineup, and then there are festivals where the lineup is only part of the reason you go.
Same Same But Different belongs firmly in the second category.
Returning to Lake Perris, California from September 25–27, 2026, with an official pre-party on Thursday, September 24, SSBD brings Of The Trees, LSDREAM, Gramatik, Tape B and a stacked collection of talent to the shores of Southern California.
But if you spend your entire weekend running from set to set, you might actually miss the point.
SSBD is a camping festival, beach trip, late-night adventure and giant playground rolled into one. There are more than 75 workshops, interactive art, activities on the lake, hidden experiences, wellness programming and even an entirely separate festival environment sitting on an island across the water.
So instead of giving you another lineup breakdown, we’re approaching this one a little differently.
Here’s how to make the most of everything happening between the sets.
FIRST: UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO
SSBD takes place at Moreno Beach inside Lake Perris State Recreation Area, and the location is a huge part of the experience.
This isn’t a parking lot festival where you arrive, watch eight hours of music and head back to a hotel. You’re spending your weekend next to an actual lake, with beaches, campgrounds and mountains surrounding the festival.
SSBD also intentionally limits attendance to 7,500 people, keeping the footprint more intimate than many multi-day festivals. Camping is included with GA and VIP admission, and the festival actively encourages attendees to stay on-site.
That changes the rhythm of the weekend.
Wake up at camp. Wander toward the water. Take a workshop. Jump in the lake. Find some music you’ve never heard before. Go back to camp. Catch a headliner. Somehow end up dancing until 5 a.m.
Trying to meticulously schedule every hour almost defeats the purpose.
Leave room to get distracted.
CAMPING IS PART OF THE FESTIVAL
Tent camping is included with GA and VIP wristbands, and there are several ways to approach it.
Up-Front Camping puts you closer to the festival and lake, but your vehicle doesn’t stay directly beside your tent and showers require a walk to another campground.
Car Camping lets you keep your vehicle at your campsite and provides access to free State Park showers, but depending on where you’re placed, you’re looking at roughly a 5–20 minute walk to the festival entrance.
There are also RV and glamping options for anyone who prefers a more comfortable setup.
If your entire group wants to camp together with multiple vehicles, arrive together. Car Camping spots are assigned first-come, first-served.
And remember: SSBD operates under a Pack It In, Pack It Out policy. You’re responsible for sorting and removing your campsite’s trash when you leave.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DRIVE IN
SSBD is an all-ages festival, with children under six admitted free and anyone under 18 required to attend with a legal guardian.
GA attendees need to enter Lake Perris through the West Entrance at 18095 Lake Perris Dr., Perris, CA 92571. VIP and Limitless attendees can also use the North Entrance via Via Del Lago. Don’t blindly follow your GPS to whichever State Park entrance looks closest; non-VIP attendees arriving at the North Entrance will be redirected.
Box office hours are currently listed as 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.–midnight Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday. If you’re camping, everyone must be out of the park by 3 p.m. Monday, September 28.
Also, don’t rely entirely on rideshare. SSBD warns that Uber and Lyft drivers can have difficulty navigating into the State Park at night and that cell service can be limited.
Download the official SSBD app and screenshot anything important before you arrive.
WHAT WE’D PACK DIFFERENTLY FOR SSBD
Beyond your normal festival and camping gear, there are a few things we’d prioritize specifically because of the environment:
- Swimsuit and quick-dry clothes
- Floatie, paddleboard or raft
- Sunscreen and something for shade
- Refillable water bottle
- Comfortable shoes plus water-friendly footwear
- Portable battery packs
- Layers for late nights by the lake
- Three trash bags/bins for sorting camp waste
- Earplugs and a sleep mask if you’re actually planning to sleep
- A downloaded or screenshotted schedule and map in case service gets spotty
Food, water, personal alcohol and coolers are permitted at your camp, but outside liquids and coolers cannot be brought into the festival grounds. Empty reusable water bottles are permitted. Glass is prohibited.
ARRIVE THURSDAY IF YOU CAN
Thursday isn’t just setup day.
The official pre-party presented by Tiger Fox features Saturna, Thought Process, Burnsun b2b KiLO, Fiendi, Furtha, Hypho, PANDO!, Shortcvke and Ursa Major.
Camping opens Thursday, giving you time to build camp, learn the layout and settle into the environment before Friday kicks into full gear.
That extra day can make a major difference at a camping festival.
Instead of spending Friday figuring out where everything is while simultaneously trying not to miss music, you’ve already established home base.
NAKey ISLAND NEEDS TO BE ON YOUR RADAR
One of the most interesting parts of SSBD doesn’t even happen on the main festival grounds.
Nakey Island is a private island sitting across the water from the festival that can only be reached by boat.
A separate Nakey Island Passport gives you unlimited ferry access throughout the weekend, while Limitless Passholders already have island access included.
And no, despite the name, SSBD confirms this is not a nudist island.
Once you’re across the water, you’re essentially stepping into another mini festival.
There are hidden beaches, cabanas, hiking trails and an open-air dance floor alongside sound healing, breathwork, guided movement, massages, chiropractic care, kayak races, treasure hunts, survival workshops and even Coconut Confessionals.
Then there’s the music.
The island has its own exclusive lineup, meaning the artists playing there aren’t simply repeating their main-festival sets.
Friday brings Curly Brown, Kridder & The Homies, Kyro and Zayda. Saturday includes Amadeezy, Badtongue b2b Kale, Boo, Dükank b2b Diandra and Machinedrum, while Sunday features AB3D, Andreasone, Cocoa Crescendo, DJ IJO, FMLY BZNS, Jungle Haüs, Max Web and One Lovell.
Machinedrum playing an island-only set accessible by boat is exactly the type of weird festival side quest we’re talking about.
Don’t treat Nakey Island like another stage you need to check off your schedule. Give yourself a few hours, take the ferry over and actually explore it.
GET IN THE WATER
You’re camping beside a lake.
Use it.
Floaties, paddleboards and rafts are allowed in the campground, and SSBD’s programming extends onto the water itself. Motorized boats aren’t permitted, but floating absolutely is.
That means your festival packing list should probably look a little different than it does for a normal camping festival.
Bring a swimsuit. Bring something to float on. Bring sunscreen. Bring shoes that can get wet.
More importantly, actually carve out time during the day to enjoy Lake Perris instead of sitting at camp waiting for the first artist you recognize.
Floatopia is part of the 2026 experience, and between that, Nakey Island, the beaches and everything else happening around the shoreline, some of the best hours of your weekend might happen nowhere near a traditional stage.
DON’T SLEEP ON THE WORKSHOPS
This is another place where SSBD separates itself, and where I spent a lot of my time last year, and what really made the festival a special experience for me.
The festival advertises 75+ workshops and experiences spanning movement, wellness, art and education. Programming includes yoga, acro-yoga, stand-up paddleboard yoga, hip-hop and ecstatic dance, meditation, Reiki, sound healing, breathwork, painting, bead-making, wire wrapping, jewelry making and educational sessions covering topics like sustainability, herbalism and health.
There is also LSDREAM’s LIGHTCODE, giving attendees a completely different way to experience an artist who will later command one of the weekend’s biggest crowds. The LIGHTCODE experience was one of the most memorable parts of the entire festival for me. When you are surrounded by so much stimuli throughout the weekend, this is such a grounding, relaxing experience. Do yourself a favor and set an alarm so you don’t miss this!
You don’t need to become a wellness influencer for the weekend.
Pick one or two things that genuinely sound interesting and go.
Worst case, you spent an hour doing something you’ve never done before. Best case, it becomes one of those random festival memories you talk about more than the headliner.
FOLLOW THE SIDE QUEST
SSBD is built for people who are willing to wander.
Beyond the scheduled workshops, there are live painters, large interactive art environments, surprise performances, pop-ups, games and installations spread around the property. The festival itself actively encourages attendees to explore artists and experiences they didn’t plan on seeing.
That’s worth taking seriously.
At a lot of large festivals, efficiency becomes the goal: bathroom, water, stage, next stage, food, stage again.
Here, wandering is part of the programming.
If something looks strange, go investigate.
If you hear music coming from somewhere you didn’t expect, follow it.
If somebody tells you there’s something ridiculous happening on the other side of the festival, maybe go find out.
You can always get back to the schedule later.
THE MUSIC DOESN’T STOP WITH THE HEADLINERS
There is one important musical detail you need to understand:
SSBD goes late.
Tikis’ Coco Cove is scheduled to run until 5 a.m. on Friday, and the festival describes its late-night stages as running beyond 4 a.m.
So pace yourself.
Of The Trees leads Friday’s Same Stage programming, while Saturday brings LSDREAM and Gramatik and Sunday closes with Tape B alongside Andy Frasco & The U.N. and TRUTH.
But SSBD’s genre diversity is arguably more interesting than any individual headliner.
Over one weekend you can bounce between experimental bass, house, funk, jam, live instrumentation and late-night electronic music.
Our recommendation: have your non-negotiable sets, but don’t build a 30-set spreadsheet.
Some of the best festival discoveries happen when you walk toward whatever sounds good.
BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE: DON’T OVERPLAN THIS ONE
There are some festivals where you can look at the lineup poster and understand exactly what you’re buying.
SSBD isn’t really one of them.
Of The Trees, LSDREAM, Gramatik and Tape B might be the names that initially get your attention. But they’re sharing your weekend with sunrise dance floors, lake days, art installations, workshops, camp neighbors, late-night Coco Cove adventures and a boat ride to a private island where you might end up racing a kayak before catching an exclusive DJ set.
That’s the part we’d lean into.
Pick the artists you absolutely refuse to miss. Save the important logistics to your phone. Build a good camp.
Then leave some blank spaces on your schedule.
Same Same But Different seems at its best when you stop asking “Who’s playing next?” and start asking “What’s over there?”
We’ll see you at the lake.
