April 15, 2026, 8:57 a.m. ET
- The annual HBCU seaside event on Tybee Island has been renamed Crush Reloaded as a result of a trademark dispute.
- Originally an unpermitted event referred to as Orange Crush, the competition first obtained a metropolis allow in 2025.
- The event will function dwell music, distributors, and actions, with tickets beginning at $18 for a one-day go.
The annual HBCU seaside bash on Tybee Island is simply across the nook below a brand new identify: Crush Reloaded. Here’s the whole lot it is advisable know in regards to the spring break event that has existed in some kind because the late Nineteen Eighties.
What is Orange Crush?
Orange Crush was Tybee Island’s largest unpermitted event, beginning in 1988 as a gathering for and sponsored by Savannah State University college students. In the early 90s, the varsity severed ties with the organizers after a dozen arrests, a stabbing and a drowning.
The gathering had been primarily marketed to college students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and saved alive via phrase of mouth. To some SSU studdents, Orange Crush has been like a second spring break.
In 2025, for the primary time ever, Orange Crush recieved a allow for an event on the seaside. The competition was thought-about successful by each Tybee Island management and Orange Crush organizers?
What is Crush Reloaded?
Crush Reloaded is a brand new identify for Orange Crush, as a result of trademark disputes between the organizer of the competition final yr, Steven Smalls, and the trademark holder, George Turner III.
The event will probably be structured the identical as final yr, and Smalls hopes the brand new identify will include a brand new popularity for the competition.
When is Crush Reloaded 2026?
Crush Reloaded will probably be held Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to eight p.m., and can function dwell DJs, performing artists, dance competitions, competition distributors, meals and drinks, video games and actions.
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How will Crush Reloaded be structured?
Crush Reloaded will probably be structured the identical means as Orange Crush final yr.
The competition may have one stage, arrange simply to the south of Burke’s Crossover on 14 1/2 Street, with seaside chairs and umbrellas obtainable for hire. There will probably be one vendor tent to promote water and event-related merchandise, comparable to T-Shirts and hats. Outside distributors should not allowed on the seaside.
There will probably be performers and DJ’s all through the day, and a VIP tent.
How can I get tickets?
Tickets can be found here, and begin at $18 for a one-day go on the seaside.
What public security measures will probably be in place?
Like the earlier two years, though the allow is issued for simply someday, the town of Tybee Island Police Department is getting ready for the total weekend to be busy. Additional legislation enforcement officers will probably be arriving on the island Thursday afternoon. Officers from a number of businesses, together with from the Georgia State Patrol Motor Compliance Division, State Arson Investigators, Chatham County Sheriff’s Department and Liberty County Sheriff’s Office will probably be on the island.
On April 16, there will probably be street security checkpoints on Highway 80 at 7 p.m. close to Lazaretto Creek.
While TIPD and different legislation enforcement businesses monitor security on the roads and the remainder of the island, the organizer for this event has employed safety for the seaside, as is required by the allow very like final yr. The organizer can also be required to: have an ambulance contract for the seaside, a sanitation contract, and a certificates of insurance coverage naming the town as an extra insured and certificates holder. All of the measures taken by Tybee in 2024 and 2025 did end in much less main incidents occurring, with simply 21 arrests, 22 visitors citations and round 184 requires service final yr. In 2024, TIPD made 54 arrests, gave out 111 visitors citations, 5 seaside citations and answered 526 requires service over the three-day weekend.
How will visitors and parking work?
The setup of the island will probably be much like final yr, with restricted parking. Both of the parking heaps close to the pier will probably be closed, in addition to on-street parking alongside components of Butler Ave. Any automobiles parked illegally on public property will probably be towed.
The middle lanes all through the island will probably be closed for an emergency lane.
Motor compliance will probably be within the emergency middle lane, conserving non-emergency automobiles out of the middle lane, so legislation enforcement and EMS will be capable to get from name to name.
Need a trip?
Lul Murshell is providing van companies to the seaside from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Saturday, April 18, in response to his Facebook web page. The companies are $40 per individual.
How many individuals got here in 2025?
Some 30,000 persons are reported to have come to the island on the day of the event final yr, the identical variety of folks that got here in 2024, in response to knowledge from Placer.AI.
What occurred throughout Orange Crush 2023?
In a press launch that yr, the town of Tybee Island stated that the excessive quantity of individuals, estimated to quantity greater than 100,000 folks over a three-day weekend, triggered visitors accidents, street rage, crowding and complaints round drug and alcohol abuse, noise, unlawful parking and litter.
Ten automotive accidents occurred between midday and 10 p.m. on the two-lane U.S. Hwy 80 East that’s the solely street onto and off of Tybee Island. In a kind of accidents, seven folks had been injured, according to previous reporting by the Savannah Morning News.
One man was arrested by Chatham County Police in a road rage shooting on April 22, 2023, and one individual of the six that had been within the automotive suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. There had been eyewitness studies of somebody flashing a gun and gunshots. Emergency automobiles had been additionally unable to get via due to the visitors jam.
