Deltopia comes back for a fourth year in a row with more arrests and record crowds

This past weekend, Isla Vista welcomed back its favorite unsanctioned street party: Deltopia. What began in 2004 as a beachside float party known as “Floatopia” has evolved into a massive annual street celebration on Del Playa Drive, causing an increase in crowd sizes, arrests and emergency medical calls, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

The event draws in college students from across Southern California, including both USC and UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) students, for a weekend of festivities. Deltopia is held on the first weekend after UCSB’s spring break.

Hayes Philip, a sophomore at UCSB, noticed an increase in crowds this year. He said, “There were a lot of visitors, which I thought was cool since it’s basically a block party. But it also made the parties fill up way faster, and once they hit their limit, there wasn’t really anywhere to go besides walking around the streets”.

In a statement released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s office, Lieutenant Joe Schmidt, the manager of the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Station, mentioned that officials deployed 300 officers to ensure safety during the festivities.

USC student Hazel Sepenuk attended Deltopia for her second time. One of the first things she noticed was an increase in security.

“From the moment you walked outside, you had to be careful about sitting down or acting wrongfully because there were authorities everywhere, and they’re super strict there,” she said.

The Sheriff’s Office reported that a total of 84 people were arrested and 485 people were given citations. This is over double the number of people arrested and given citations in 2024.

But this didn’t stop many students from having a good time. Xander Singson, a junior studying Business Administration at USC, drove up to Deltopia from Los Angeles. This was his third time at Deltopia. Singson mentioned he kept returning because of the memorable festivities.

“This year was another solid Deltopia. Weather was near perfect, streets were beyond packed, and music was blasting as soon as it hit 7 AM on Saturday…going with my UCSB friends definitely made for a more memorable weekend,” he said.

Philip echoed this positive sentiment and shared his favorite moments,

“The highlight of my Deltopia was going around to different house parties at my friends’ places in Isla Vista. It felt way more relaxed, and it was nice having spots to go back to when the streets started feeling too packed,” he said.

Sepenuk, on the other hand, felt a change of energy from the previous year she attended.

“I noticed an increase of people, but that didn’t necessarily mean a better energy. The music wasn’t as good this year, and it felt as though a lot of people were there just to say they were there, as opposed to really enjoying it,” she said.

Deltopia is sure to stick around for the next few years and has become a tradition for many. But there are ways to make it a safer experience for everyone.

“Deltopia is a really fun experience in college, and everyone should go once,” said Sepenuk. “You just need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, staying sun screened and drinking water.”