What the Birthday Bash is
Sammy Hagar opened Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990, and every October he comes back to celebrate his birthday with a run of loud, sweaty club shows billed as Sammy Hagar & Friends. The friends change every year and are usually announced late or not at all, which is half the fun. The room is a cantina, not an arena, so you are close to the stage and packed in tight.
2026 is his 79th birthday, and the price matches: $79 per ticket. Next year is the big one, his 80th, and we would expect demand for October 2027 to be even heavier. No 2027 dates have been announced yet.
How Birthday Bash tickets work
This is not a walk-up gig. For 2026, fans registered online between July 20 and July 31, a separate random drawing was held for each night on August 3, and winners had until August 9 to buy. Anything left went on sale first come, first served on August 13. The limit is 2 tickets per night per household, tickets are not transferable, and you need photo ID at the door.
There is one more route. A limited number of dinner-show tickets are sold in person only at Cabo Wabo Cantina on the day before each show (October 8, 10 and 12), starting around 9 AM, with a maximum of two per person. Expect a line. If you are in town those days and don't have a ticket, this is your best shot.
- Shows start at 9:30 PM; doors open around 7 PM
- 2 tickets per night per household, no transfers
- Bring photo ID matching the ticket
- Dinner-show tickets: in person only, the day before each show
Who it suits, and what to expect
Come if you're a rock fan who doesn't mind standing for hours in a hot, crowded room. It's loud and late, and the downtown streets around the cantina are busy all night during Bash week. Leave the kids at the villa. If you just want the atmosphere without a ticket, the bars along the marina fill with Red Rocker fans all week, and that can be a good night out in its own right.
Getting to Cabo Wabo
Cabo Wabo is on Vicente Guerrero in downtown Cabo San Lucas, roughly a 15 minute walk from Hacienda Beach Club around the Cabo San Lucas marina. Walk there and take a taxi home, since the show ends late. Don't bother driving; downtown parking during Bash week is hopeless. Our Cabo nightlife guide covers where to go before and after.
For an early dinner before doors, eat at the cantina itself or grab tacos nearby at Tacos Gardenias.