Seattle is the birthplace of Jimi Hendrix and home of bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Foo Fighters. Clearly, there must be something in the water that fosters this love of music. To help you navigate some of the city’s vibrant music scene, we’ve rounded up our favorite things to do for music lovers in Seattle that encompass a bit of everything for every taste, from music festivals and classical concerts to iconic music spots.
Table Of Contents
Modern music concerts
The Who at Climate Pledge Arena
Daltrey and Townshend are still kicking and on their “The Song Is Over” North American farewell tour, marking a big finale to their six-decade career. If you’re an avid rock or Who fan, this is your last chance to see them live.
📆 September 25
Samara Joy at the Moore Theatre
The 25-year-old jazz sensation from the Bronx represents the future of the genre and the tickets to this highly anticipated concert are almost sold out. You won’t want to miss her soulful melodies echoing through the city’s oldest active theater.
📆 September 29
Dua Lipa at Climate Pledge Arena
Her Radical Optimism Tour started last year in Singapore and now, the three-time Grammy winning English singer is dazzling Emerald City with a carefully curated set of her most beloved songs from her last album as well as some of her biggest hits.
📆 October 15 and 16
Arturo Sandoval at Jazz Alley
At age 72, Arturo Sandoval will perform at Jazz Alley for four nights and six shows. Starting off as protégé of Dizzy Gillespie, the master of both bebop and Latin jazz is a 2024 Kennedy Center Honoree and 10-time Grammy-winning jazz trumpet master you have to see live at least once in your life.
📆October 23 – 26
Classical music concerts
Seattle Symphony concerts
With newly appointed Music Director and GRAMMY™ and Emmy-winning conductor Xian Zhang, the symphony is looking at a whole host of performances at Benaroya Hall this new season, alongside many international musicians like Sir András Schiff and Seong-Jin Cho.
Candlelight concerts
Candlelight also offers year-round programs that pay tribute to legendary composers like Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky, as popular venues across the city are bathed in the warm glow of candlelight. For those that can’t choose between classical and contemporary, the concert series also gives contemporary songs and compositions a classical spin, featuring tributes to the likes of Queen, Fleetwood Mac and Adele.
Live music venues
The choices are endless but for jazz aficionados, we recommend Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, an iconic spot in the jazz music scene. Then, the Moore Theatre and Paramount Theatre are bigger venues that have hosted artists galore, where you can catch a range of live performances no matter the genre. The Showbox and Neumos are popular spaces for lively gigs, whereas The Triple Door is a classy joint that usually offers dinner and a show.
Music festivals
From the historic Bumbershoot and the electronic dance music festival Beyond Wonderland to the free Seattle Center Festál and Capitol Hill Block Party, one of the bestthings to do in Seattle for music lovers is one of Seattle’s big music festivals.
Go-to spots to learn music history
Museum of Pop Culture boasts exhibits dedicated to legendary artists native to Seattle and it also has a gallery displaying guitars alone, so a visit is a must. Another fun activity is exploring The Central Saloon, known as the birthplace of grunge, or the KEXP Gathering Place at Seattle Center to connect with fellow fans and artists.
Additionally, music fans can tour London Bridge Studio, where Pearl Jam’s TEN, Alice in Chain’s Jar of Flies were recorded. And if you want to go the party route, Seattle’s nightclubs, such as Supernova and Kremwerk, offer all-nighter DJ sets, and themed evenings of dance and burlesque.
And if all that is not enough, next time you travel or pick someone up from the airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hosts live performances seven days a week. SEA will welcome up-and-coming artists as well as headlining names to designated spaces across the airport.