It’s the most magical time of the year in Seattle—and we’re not talking about Christmas. Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival returns to Seattle Center this Labor Day weekend (September 5-6), and 2026 may be the beloved festival’s most exciting year yet. One of the weekend’s biggest draws is live music, thanks to a lineup that features the “explosive energy” of GRAMMY-award winning punk band Turnstile and the nostalgia of “homegrown pillar” Death Cab for Cutie (appearing after the release of their newest album), as well as other favorites such as Lucy Dacus, Blood Orange, and Orville Peck.
But the festival is also a celebration of local art of every kind, from comedy and film to skateboarding and wrestling. And through it all, you can sample food and drinks from the best Seattle restaurants, wineries, and breweries.
Bumbershoot is one of those can’t-miss signature events here in Seattle and the broader Pacific Northwest. But there’s a lot to experience—so before you go, take a look at our thorough guide to Bumbershoot 2026.
Changes at Bumbershoot for 2026
Along with its usual eclectic mix of music, visual art, food, and performance, Bumbershoot is introducing several fan-focused changes to make the festival more accessible and flexible. Ticket prices are lowered this year, with no additional fees. Single-day tickets start at $70.50 and weekend passes at $125.50. Children 12 and under are admitted for free when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. A new General Admission + Re-Entry option will let attendees leave and return during the day, offering more flexibility to explore the neighborhood or take a break. The festival is also replacing traditional beer gardens with a campus-wide “Sip & Stroll” open-container program, allowing guests to carry purchased beverages throughout most of the grounds while enjoying music, art, and food.
Saturday music lineup
On Saturday, the doors open at 12:30 and the live music starts at 1:20 with Hard Maybe on the Fisher Stage. You’ll also find live music at the Mural all day as well as at the Upper Courtyard, featuring artists such as Bikini Kill, Chase & Status, Molchat Doma, and Peaches.
Fisher Stage headliners on Saturday:
- Lucy Dacus: 6:45 – 7:45
- Blood Orange: 8:15 – 9:30
- Turnstile: 10:15 – 11:30
Sunday music lineup
On Sunday, the doors open at 12:30 and the live music starts at 1:20 with Noire Svlan on the Fisher Stage. You’ll also find live music at the Mural all day as well as at the Upper Courtyard, featuring artists such as Yves Tumor, Sudan Archives, and Tokimonsta.
Fisher Stage headliners on Sunday:
- De La Soul: 6:45 – 7:45
- Orville Peck: 8:15 – 9:30
- Death Cab for Cutie: 10:15 – 11:30
For the full live music lineup and artist’s time slots at all three stages on both days, you can visit the festival’s schedule page.
Visual arts lineup
Bumbershoot’s 2026 Visual Arts & Cultural Programming will bring fashion, comedy, film, dance, action sports, performance, and immersive art across the festival’s 74-acre campus. The Fashion District returns with local designers, regional vendors, and evening performances, while the expanded Recess District will feature skateboarding, BMX, and new nighttime programming. Bumbermania! also returns with SOS Wrestling, roaming performers, sideshows, and new attractions including a Euro Bungee Trampoline and two interactive Geodesic Domes.
New and returning programming includes an interdisciplinary dance and composition series on Fisher Rooftop, where you can gather in a piazza and enjoy wines at Vineshoot; Motley Zoo’s Cat Circus, which will have adoptable cats; and an expanded Comedy Coop at Seattle Children’s Theatre. Bumbershoot will also launch the Laughs Comedy Club x Bumbershoot Comedy Showdown, highlighting emerging regional comedians, and VIDEORAMA: Northwest Shorts, a new all-day film program celebrating independent Northwest filmmakers.
Throughout the campus, festivalgoers will encounter large-scale installations, roaming performances, and interactive experiences, including UNA THE MERMAID, Heather Dawn Sparks’ monumental Nautilus, and Aglosata the Kaleidopillar. At ANT Gallery, PROTEST! will explore more than a century of Seattle activism and civil disobedience, connecting the festival’s creative programming with the city’s history of public expression and collective action.
Read more about this year’s visual arts programming—there will be a lot to see, from puppets to large-scale sculpture and illuminated art installations!
Food & drink options
Bumbershoot’s 2026 Culinary Arts Programming is designed to showcase the chefs, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and cocktail bars that define the Pacific Northwest’s food and beverage culture. Festival attendees can choose from everything between James Beard-recognized restaurants to beloved local breweries. Over 90% of the festival’s food vendors are based in Seattle and every food vendor and brewery is from Western Washington, reflecting Bumbershoot’s commitment to championing the region’s independent food and beverage community.
This year’s food lineup features acclaimed restaurants including Restaurant Homer, Communion R&B, Local Tide, Mamnoon Fine Foods, and Gold Coast!, alongside Lenox, Spice Waala, Driftwood, and The Chicken Supply. Together, these vendors showcase the diverse flavors of the Pacific Northwest, from seasonal Mediterranean-inspired cooking and Northwest seafood to Levantine, Persian, West African, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Indian, and Filipino influences.
You’ll also be able to indulge in dessert and sweet treats from Indigo Cow, Shug’s Soda Fountain & Ice Cream, American Donut Makers, and Ma & Pops.
New this year is bumBEERshoot! Instead of the traditional closed-off beer garden, attendees can grab a beer from Fountain Lawn and take it with them across the festival grounds. This way, you can grab a beer and a bite at the same time—and enjoy them without having to miss out on any of the musical or visual arts lineup.
This year’s beer lineup showcases many local breweries that are part of the Pacific Northwest’s craft beer scene. Some favorites that will be present include Métier Brewing Company, Urban Family Brewing, Fair Isle Brewing, Fremont Brewing, and Stoup Brewing. Festivalgoers can also enjoy Bumberbrew, Bumbershoot’s returning co-branded non-alcoholic beer created with Three Magnets Self Care, alongside a new collaboration with Urban Family Brewing. Both will be available throughout the festival (and at select locations across Seattle leading into Labor Day weekend).
Wine lovers can experience VineShoot, Bumbershoot’s curated wine experience highlighting natural, low-intervention wines from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Attendees will also have the new option this year to explore curated food-and-wine pairings. Finally, the festival’s Cocktail Corner will feature favorites such as Rob Roy, Screwdriver Bar, Bar Bayonne, and Montana Badlands.
Non-drinkers will also be able to find an expanded selection of non-alcoholic beer, NA wine, and spirit-free cocktails throughout the grounds this year.
What to know before you go
Doors open daily at 12:30 p.m., so arrive early—entry lines tend to move more slowly between 3 and 7 p.m. Bumbershoot takes place rain or shine. With limited parking and busy traffic around Seattle Center, public transit is your best bet. Multiple bus routes, bicycle racks, rideshare drop-off and pickup zones, and the Seattle Center Monorail provide easy ways to get to and from the festival. The Monorail runs about every 10 minutes between Westlake Center and Seattle Center.
Bring an empty non-glass water bottle; water fountains and bottle-filling stations are available throughout the campus. Clear bags up to 18″ x 18″ x 6″ are encouraged, while non-transparent backpacks, shoulder bags, and small handbags are allowed but subject to additional security screening and potentially longer entry waits. Strollers with children are permitted but no wagons. Be sure to bring valid ID for alcohol purchases.
Expect security screening at entry and re-entry, including metal detectors and bag checks. The festival has a secured perimeter and overnight security, with Seattle Police Department officers and Emergency Medical Services on site to help keep attendees safe.
Bumbershoot 2026 Map
Below, you can check out the full map for this year’s festival:
Make sure to screenshot it so you can easily find restrooms, food, performances, and more while you’re there.
For tickets and more info, visit the festival website!
