Soak in the sun and sounds of live music at these ten events around Washington
written by Ben Salmon | illustration by Ellen Surrey
There’s no shortage of fun things to do in Washington during the summer, and that includes music festivals, which give folks from Seattle to Spokane and points in between a chance to gather under the sun and enjoy a whole bunch of live music. Here are ten fests happening across the state that deserve a spot on your calendar of things to do this summer.
GONE COUNTRY
Watershed
Central Washington is home to the world-renowned concert venue The Gorge Amphitheatre, where you can camp under the stars at night and spend your days watching your favorite musicians perform against the gorgeous backdrop of the Columbia River. On the first weekend of August, mainstream country will fill the air as the Watershed festival returns for its twelfth year.
Dates: August 2–4
Location: The Gorge Amphitheatre, George
Lineup highlights: Old Dominion, Luke Bryan, Hardy, Maddie & Tae, Riley Green, Terri Clark
More info:
www.watershedfest.com
Chinook Fest
Tucked into a park in tiny Naches, near Yakima, is a music festival with a big heart. Since launching in 2012, Chinook Fest has grown from a small, one-day gathering to a multiday festival featuring big names from the world of folk-rock and Americana. In addition to the music, there’s camping and RV parking, outdoor fun and a meadow for sound baths and yoga.
Dates: June 6–9
Location: Jim Sprick Community Park, Naches
Lineup highlights: The White Buffalo, Blitzen Trapper, James Otto, Rob Leines, Hillstomp
More info:
www.chinookfest.com
INDIE VIBES
Timber!
Now in its tenth year, Timber! is an Indigenous-owned, three-day music festival nestled into densely forested land at the confluence of the Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers. Besides taking in the lineup of excellent indie acts, you can sign up for activities organized around bat sighting, birding, painting, hiking, biking and more. Special shows and a barn for kids make it family-friendly!
Photo by Timber!
Date: July 25–27
Location: Tolt-MacDonald Park, Carnation
Lineup highlights: Ty Segall, Deer Tick, Y La Bamba, Margo Cilker, Kimya Dawson
More info:
www.timbermusicfest.com
Thing
There’s something for everyone at Thing, where your festival pass includes admission to an on-site amusement park, petting zoos and a brewery. But the main draw is the eclectic lineup, which features both established and up-and-coming artists from the worlds of indie rock, hip-hop, electronic music, folk, funk, rock ‘n’ roll and more. Plus a lantern parade each night!
Date: August 9–11
Location: Remlinger Farms, Carnation
Lineup highlights: St. Vincent, Spoon, Killer Mike, Ethel Cain, Black Pumas, Shakey Graves
More info:
www.thingnw.org
BIG CITY FUN
Capitol Hill Block Party
Set in the busy Pike/Pine corridor at the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Block Party seems to get cooler every year. The headliners here aren’t necessarily household names, but fast-rising pop, hip-hop and EDM artists who could be exactly that in a few years. Founded in 1997, CHBP has grown into a major street party befitting the Northwest’s biggest city.
Dates: July 19-21
Location: Capitol Hill, Seattle
Lineup highlights: Remi Wolf, Chappel Roan, Still Woozy, Girl Talk, Kaytranada
More info:
www.capitolhillblockparty.com
Day In Day Out
Photo by Eric Tra/Day In Day Out
Held at Fisher Green Pavilion in the shadow of the Space Needle, Day In Day Out has its finger on the pulse of pop music, with a lineup that showcases big stars, critical faves, DJ sets and a bunch of Next Big Things ready to rise from the underground. The festival sold out last year, so this year organizers are adding a third day of fun to be had smack dab in the heart of Seattle.
Dates: July 12-14
Location: Seattle Center, Seattle
Lineup highlights: Carly Rae Jepsen, Bleachers, The Head and the Heart, Suki Waterhouse
More info:
www.dayindayoutfest.com
BEATS ‘N’ BASS
Beyond Wonderland
At Beyond Wonderland, they say, you are the headliner. That means you say hello to fellow fest-goers. You respect the space and spread love. And you dance, dance, dance amid a fantastical setting inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. What’s that sound you hear? It’s three days of eclectic electronic music echoing through the canyons under stunning sunsets.
Dates: June 22–23
Location: The Gorge Amphitheatre, George
Lineup highlights: Zedd, Rezz, Alison Wonderland, Dillon Francis, Mellodeath, Adventure Club
More info:
www.pnw.beyondwonderland.com
Blastfest
Here’s a cool thing: Blastfest is an event focused on Afrobeats, which isn’t really one distinct style, but an umbrella term for the fusion of sounds in popular music coming out of West Africa. Afrobeats is massively popular worldwide, and Seattle yet again finds itself on the cutting edge of pop music with this dedicated festival, headlined by Davido, one of the giants of the genre.
Photo by Blastfest
Dates: July 27
Location: Seattle Center, Seattle
Lineup highlights: Davido, Ayra Starr, Shallipopi, Musa Keys, Sarz
More info:
www.blastmusicfest.com
FUN FESTS OUT EAST
Tri Town Get Down
Why should the I-5 corridor and The Gorge have all the fun? In the Tri-Cities, they’re throwing the Tri Town Get Down, a three-day gathering of more than 100 musical acts, plus “fusions,” or mini-festivals themed around Latin culture, science, food, agriculture, the music industry and beer, wine and spirits. They say it’s Eastern Washington’s largest music festival, and it looks like it!
Photo by Tri Town Get Down
Dates: June 7–9
Location: John Dam Plaza, Richland
Lineup highlights: Paul Russell, Kyle, Hobo Johnson, Sam Lachow, Scott Pemberton
More info:
www.tritowngetdown.com
Outlaw Music Festival
This is technically a tour that is stopping in Spokane (and at The Gorge the next day), but the lineup is too stacked to ignore: two of the finest songwriters of the past century—Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson—plus John Mellencamp, who is no slouch himself. It’s all going down at Spokane’s new downtown multisport stadium, home to the city’s two pro soccer teams.
Dates: August 9
Location: One Spokane Stadium, Spokane
Lineup highlights: Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Brittney Spencer
More info:
www.blackbirdpresents.com
