ORANGE CRUSH 2026 WEEK 1 VS WEEK 2 Choosing Your Orange Crush Festival® Experience Every year, the same question comes up the moment dates are announced: 4/11 or 4/18 ?

ORANGE CRUSH 2026

WEEK 1 VS WEEK 2

Choosing Your Orange Crush Festival® Experience

Every year, the same question comes up the moment dates are announced:

“Which weekend is better?”

The honest answer is this:

They’re not competing. They’re designed for different experiences.

Orange Crush Festival 2026 is intentionally built as a two-weekend model, allowing guests to choose their energy level, priorities, and pace—or commit to both for the full picture.

This article exists to remove confusion, set expectations, and help you choose (or plan for) the weekend that fits how you move.

WEEK 1 —

THE HISTORIC WEEKEND

April 9–13, 2026 | Savannah & Tybee Island

Week 1 is where Orange Crush was born.

It’s compressed, intense, and tradition-heavy.

If Orange Crush has ever been described to you as “wild,” “packed,” “legendary,” or “you had to be there,” those stories almost always come from Week 1.

THE WEEK 1 VIBE

• Dense crowds

• High-energy nightlife

• Heavy alumni presence

• Tybee beach culture at full volume

• Fast-moving days, late nights

Week 1 is raw Orange Crush. It’s about proximity—being shoulder to shoulder, feeling the crowd pulse, and knowing that everyone around you came for the same moment.

WHO WEEK 1 IS FOR

✅ First-timers who want the original energy

✅ Alumni reliving classic Orange Crush

✅ Party-first attendees

✅ Nightlife-driven crowds

✅ People who thrive in peak density

If you’ve ever said, “I want the real Orange Crush,” Week 1 is usually what you mean.

WEEK 2 —

THE FINALE WEEKEND

April 16–19, 2026 | Savannah • Tybee Island • Allenhurst

Where Week 1 is compressed, Week 2 is expanded.

This weekend represents the next era of Orange Crush—more intentional scheduling, more space, more types of activation, and a true end-of-season finale.

THE WEEK 2 VIBE

• Broader age range

• More daytime programming

• Multi-city movement

• Festival-style experiences

• A defined closing moment

Week 2 feels more like a curated Spring Break circuit than a single rush. There’s room to move, time to recover, and events that speak to more than just nightlife.

WHO WEEK 2 IS FOR

✅ People who want variety (music, sports, lifestyle)

✅ Groups planning full itineraries

✅ Creators and content-focused attendees

✅ Guests who prefer balance over chaos

✅ Anyone who wants a proper finale, not just another night

If Week 2 had a keyword, it would be “intentional.”

SHOULD YOU ATTEND BOTH?

For many, both weekends together tell the full story.

Week 1 gives you:

• The legacy

• The history

• The intensity

Week 2 gives you:

• The evolution

• The scale

• The finish

People who attend both often say the same thing:

“Week 1 is the story… Week 2 is the ending.”

WHY ORANGE CRUSH SPLIT THE EXPERIENCE

This wasn’t an accident, and it wasn’t about “doing more events.”

The two-weekend model:

• Reduces overcrowding

• Improves guest experience

• Spreads economic impact

• Allows different styles of programming

• Protects the future of the festival

Instead of forcing everything into one overloaded weekend, Orange Crush 2026 gives attendees choice—and cities structure.

FINAL WORD

There is no “right” weekend—only the right fit.

Some people come once.

Some come twice.

Both leave with stories.