Santa Barbara County supervisors recently approved a 72-hour festival ban, effectively shutting down the annual Deltopia street party in Isla Vista.
County officials said the event draws thousands of people each year, leading to sharp increases in arrests, emergency medical calls and public safety costs. They pointed to these concerns as a key reason for the ban.
Some local students said they are disappointed by the decision.
“It’s kind of upsetting because Deltopia… there’s this big misconception about partying and all this stuff, but that’s not what it is,” said Omar Bouiey, a U.C. Santa Barbara student. “It’s about making new friends, meeting new people, including everyone that goes to UCSB.”
Other students, like sophomore Michael Menu, said the community has bigger issues to address.
“I went last year, it was my first time going. I didn’t even know if I was planning on going again, but honestly, I feel like there are other things the community could worry about, like the housing crisis or increasing rent costs,” Menu said.
Vince Pierucci, director of the Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services Agency, said emergency calls in Isla Vista have increased sharply in recent years.
“Last year, for example, we had 122 calls for the Isla Vista area,” Pierucci said. “Compare that to an average Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., when we usually see two to four calls in that same area.”
He added that if the trend continues, it could severely impact local hospitals and emergency response times. EMS reported a 22% increase in calls from 2024 to 2025.
The 72-hour ban will take effect during the first weekend of UCSB’s spring quarter.
