Seattle’s legendary Bumbershoot Music & Art Festival takes place every Labor Day weekend in the heart of the city on the 74-acre Seattle Center campus. Each year, thousands of people from across the country flock to Seattle Center to attend this acclaimed festival, which has become one of the biggest and most-loved contemporary festivals in North America yet maintains its Northwest spirit and innovative roots.
Discount advance tickets and weekend passes go on sale well in advance. The price for tickets goes up the closer we get to the festival dates. So, the sooner you purchase your ticket, the more you will save.
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About Bumbershoot
The name Bumbershoot (meaning “an umbrella”) was chosen both as a nod to the Emerald city’s most famous weather pattern (rain!), as well as a symbol of the overarching mission of this festival: to be an umbrella for all of the arts. From the beginning, Bumbershoot was a multi-disciplinary arts festival showcasing the best of comedy, dance, film, literary arts, music, performing arts, theatre, and visual arts. Since it’s beginning in 1971, Bumbershoot has become one of Seattle’s largest cultural touchstones.
After a few years on hiatus, Third Stone and New Rising Sun re-launched the Pacific Northwest’s iconic arts and music festival. A dual organization model allows the best of both worlds: non-profit Third Stone will engage the community and for-profit New Rising Sun will produce the next generation of Bumbershoot, starting with the 50th Anniversary festival in 2023. The partnership is arranged to assure financial stability and growth for Bumbershoot’s next 50 years, celebrating what it means to be an ARTIST*.
- At the heart of Bumbershoot is Third Stone, with a mission to foster an inclusive, energized, and sustainable arts economy in the Pacific Northwest through youth education, festival, spectacle, and community driven programming. Third Stone is supported by major donors and grassroots giving that makes the festival affordable again.
- New Rising Sun (NRS) is a seasoned team of concert promoters and visual arts producers. NRS’s will expand Bumbershoot programming on and off the Seattle Center campus throughout the year.
- Seattle Center is the steward of Bumbershoot’s licensing rights in perpetuity and home of the festival event for 50 years.
The festival will continue to honor the characteristics of the festival’s legacy by recognizing the great diversity in our creativity community. Bumbershoot serves to amplify and honor the artists that call the Pacific Northwest home. Artists shift perspectives, awaken curiosity and, help us realize we are all under the same umbrella, while sharing a passion for visual arts, performance, and music.
More info: Bumbershoot (seattlecenter.com)
2024 Bumbershoot Festival information
A celebration of the Pacific Northwest’s unique culture, Bumbershoot is a full-spectrum arts and music experience—from punk to performance art, ballet to wrestling, pole dancing to roller skating, food to fashion, and all manner of ingenuity in between.
Seattle’s Arts & Music Festival takes place over Labor Day weekend across the 74-acre Seattle Center Campus. Bumbershoot remains a celebration of the diverse art, music, food, technology, and culture that permeates the Pacific Northwest.
- When: Saturday-Sunday over Labor Day Weekend, August 31 – September 1, 2024.
- Where: Seattle Center Campus. NORTH entry gate at 2nd Avenue and Mercer Streets and WEST entry gate at Harrison St. and 4th Ave N.
- Tickets: Single Day Ticket $99 GA. Two-Day Pass $175 GA, $350 VIP. Children under 10 free with accompanied adults (2 free children’s tickets per order). Bumbershoot is all ages (no babes in arms please due to high decibel environments).
- Discounts: Early bird tickets go on sale in spring (March); prices rise the closer we get to Laor Day and reach maximum pricing (above) at the door. Volunteers can earn a free ticket (apply online).
More info: Bumbershoot (bumbershoot.com)
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