That’s right, Bumbershoot is back!
The legendary Seattle Arts and Music Festival, with non-profit Third Stone, announced its return after the pandemic and high ticket prices kept it from happening.
The festival is also celebrating its 50th anniversary of bringing entertainment to the Seattle area, cementing its legacy as one of the oldest festivals in the U.S., it said in a release.
Bumbershoot will take place Labor Day weekend, September 2-3, 2023, at the Seattle Center.
The festival released a sneak peek on Tuesday of some of its arts programs. The music lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.
This year curator and producer New Rising Sun will bring their immersive programming to the festival. The experience will amplify Seattle’s art, music, food, technology, and culture.
“We are thrilled to be back and leading with an arts program that reflects the founding principles of Bumbershoot,” said Steven Severin, co-president & Director of Music Programming. “We heard from our community and took action, fulfilling our promise of affordability and inclusivity. When re-imagining our festival for this return, we examined everything through an arts lens and expanded upon what art is and can be. We look forward to sharing our vision this Labor Day weekend.”
The festival will feature contemporary visual arts from the Pacific Northwest. The Art Not Terminal will feature ‘Bumbershooot 50th Anniversary Retrospective,’ a visual and atmospheric reflection on Bumbershoot’s half-century of history.
There will also be a Fashion District focusing on the Pacific Northwest’s design community. It will feature creators in beauty, apparel, and body art. Designers like Fuchsia Lin and Janelle Abbott will be there. There will also be a Nail Art Dome, runway programs, and Burleskaraoke.
The festival will also have SOS Professional Wrestling and Roll Around Seatown performances, along with pole dancing classes. Also a witch temple with tarot, past-life, astrology, and palm readers.
To celebrate the anniversary Bumbershoot has teamed up with Amazon to offer special $50 early bird tickets and $85 two-day general admission tickets, half the price of 2019 tickets.
They will also be distributing 5,000 free tickets directly to nonprofits and communities that have been underserved to give more opportunity for the Pacific Northwest community to enjoy the festival, Bumbershoot said.
“The Bumbershoot Festival is a legendary cultural institution in the Pacific Northwest, and we’re proud to support its 50th anniversary as the festival returns to its roots, creating an inclusive celebration of Seattle’s artist community,” said David Zapolsky, Amazon Senior Vice President and long-time Bumbershoot fan. “As ticket prices steadily climb for concerts and events around the globe, we’re excited to support reduced and free ticket prices, creating opportunity for more of our community to enjoy the diversity of Seattle’s creative ecosystem, participate in Bumbershoot’s exciting education programs, and immerse themselves in the arts.”
Early bird tickets will go on sale on February 24 at 10 a.m.
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