The party is most definitely over!
Santa Barbara County officials voted unanimously this week to shut down the street party “Deltopia” because police and other emergency services cannot cope with the raucous crowds who flock to the three-day event.
The new ordinance to come into force before the January 27th event now prohibits unsanctioned gatherings during the first weekend of the University of California, Santa Barbara’s spring quarter.
The right-of-passage celebration in the Isla Vista neighborhood of SB routinely draws thousands of scantily clad twenty-somethings, leading to public safety concerns, strained emergency resources and a plethora of arrests and citations.
Officials say EMS call volume has increased as much as 60 times during Deltopia weekends, compared to a typical weekend.
Sheriff and fire officials estimate the Coachella-style bash has cost the county more than $465,000 in overtime expenses since 2023.
The ordinance will still allow sanctioned events if organized through a government entity like the Isla Vista Community Services District.
Students spoke out opposing the ban, arguing it would not stop the party animals, but instead push the blowouts underground, further increasing safety risks.
Student groups said they have stepped in to blunt the risks, distributing Narcan and pushing for organized medical coverage during the weekend.
Deltopia started nearly two decades ago in Isla Vista as “Floatopia,” where partygoers would gather on the beach in rafts and inner tubes off the coast. But it has grown substantially over the years, turning into a weekend-long street party with an estimated 25,000 SoCal attendees at last year’s event.
The gathering hit a major low point in 2014 when riots broke out and dozens of attendees were arrested or cited.
Iterations of Deltopia even spread to universities in San Diego, Miami Beach, and other locations across the world.
A second and final vote is scheduled for Jan. 27, after which the festival ban would take effect ahead of this year’s Deltopia weekend.
