One805LIVE! Expands into Two-Day Event This Year

The annual benefit concert supporting Santa Barbara County first responders, One805LIVE! returns this year with a promising two-day event. On September 25 and 26, at Kevin Costner’s impressive oceanside estate in Summerland, One805LIVE! continues to expand while maintaining its original community-oriented mission. 

The first round of talent announcements include rock legends Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, and blues-rock icon George Thorogood. Additional artists remain in discussion, but the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame duo alongside Thorogood’s legacy of 8,000 live performances elicits excitement and enthusiasm from the community.

Founded after Montecito’s debris flow of 2018, One805LIVE! is a nonprofit organization built on the foundation of community unity and resilience, supporting those who serve as first responders every day with important equipment and mental health programs. 

CEO of One805LIVE! Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith explained how this mission ties into the two-day event. The first night will focus on peer support teams that act as the first line of defense for first responders, while the second evening will celebrate local department chiefs who help guide how these programs and resources are implemented. It is clear that these mission-driven evenings help strengthen the overall impact of the nonprofit.

As for why the event moved to be two days instead of one, Weston-Smith confirmed that the new format “allows [the organization] to give performances more space to really shine.” She also mentioned that the past few years gained a lot of traction and enthusiasm from both the artists and community, and thus, the two-day structure lets them welcome more artists and guests, ultimately aiding the greater call for support of the county’s first responders. 

This additional capacity for both guests and artists is especially important when considering that around 30 percent of tickets are donated directly to firefighters, law enforcement, medical personnel, and dispatchers. “Two nights allows us to honor and celebrate more of our first responders,” Weston-Smith added.

What makes this year’s talent announcement so enthralling is that no two years of One805LIVE! are ever the same. “Each year, we bring together artists from different genres and generations, which creates a lineup that feels both unexpected and special,” Weston-Smith said. “The performers who join us do so because they genuinely believe in the mission behind the event.”

This year, there is a focus on the nonprofit’s Endowment Campaign, which has the objective of building a permanent fund for first responders’ access to vital equipment and mental health support. “A fully functioning, well-supported first responder community is essential to the safety of all of us who live here, especially in a region that faces wildfires, mudslides, and other natural disasters,” Weston-Smith stated. “This is about long-term stability for the people who protect our community every day.”

Community support plays a crucial role in making the event possible. Sponsors, vendors, and more than 120 volunteers give their time and resources to help make One805LIVE! what it is. Weston-Smith also highlighted the continued support from Kevin Costner and the artists who donate their time for the nonprofit. “They understand that this cause is bigger than any one concert,” she said, “and by standing behind our first responders, they are setting an example for other communities of how important it is to take care of the people who protect us.”

Weston-Smith continued, saying, “This year, we are building on that momentum once again, with another truly stellar lineup, and with a renewed commitment to growing the endowment so that these vital programs can continue to support generations of first responders to come.”

If interested, One805LIVE! strongly recommends to join their mailing list to receive initial access to early bird prices, special packages, and upcoming artist announcements. To sign up to their mailing list and additional information, visit one805.org.