Last Updated on March 16, 2024
For over 50 years, Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival has brought the Pacific Northwest’s best artists, creators, and festivalgoers to Seattle. The iconic arts and music event has announced its 2024 return to Seattle Center over Labor Day Weekend (August 31-September 1), with a preview of its ambitious and inventive arts programming.
Producers at New Rising Sun, in collaboration with their non-profit partner Third Stone, embarked on a Bumbershoot revival fueled by fresh ambition, optimism, and a mission to uplift and honor the diverse community of artists, creators, and performers who proudly call the Pacific Northwest home.
“Last summer, 40,000 people took the leap with us to usher in a new generation of Bumbershoot,” New Rising Sun principal, artist, and producer Greg Lundgren, said. “Built on a promise to return to the original mission of the festival, we broke the stereotypes around who we celebrate, assembling a wide cast of the artists, makers and performers who call the Pacific Northwest home. Bumbershoot is our moss-covered Mardi Gras, and we are thrilled to create a festival lineup that is a vibrant and diverse celebration of our region’s robust arts community.”
Tickets art on sale now via bumbershoot.com. Pricing starts at $70 for a day pass and $125 for a two-day pass. Fans are encouraged to purchase in advance and stay tuned for exciting announcements in the upcoming months, which include large-scale installations, culinary arts, and a comprehensive music lineup.
This year, Bumbershoot is reinforcing its commitment to the regional community with the return of fan favorites like the Fashion District, Out of Sight exhibit, and film program while also introducing new programming like a unique partnership with NASA, a Bigfoot deepfake animation competition, and a Comedy Dome curated by Seattle comedian, writer, and disability rights activist Dan Hurwitz.
Bumbershoot’s 2024 arts lineup includes
Century 21 District
The Century 21 District is located at the Pacific Science Center. In the iconic mid-century designed courtyard, a “Sculpture Parking Lot” will populate the outdoor space with large-scale contemporary sculpture.
“Songs for Space,” in partnership with NASA, will project James Webb Space Telescope images in the PACCAR IMAX theater alongside a range of different vocal groups, including gospel, opera and Gregorian chanting. Inspired by The Golden Record which NASA placed on the Voyager 1 and 2 launched in 1977 – “Songs for Space” creates the immersive environment of deep space paired with live vocalists meant to convey the depth and diversity of Earth’s many cultures and our relationship to the heavens.
Animation District
The newly launched Animation District will introduce a Bigfoot Deepfake Competition. This creative, international competition welcomes people to submit their best deepfakes of Bigfoot, as a comedic and harrowing portrait of current deepfake technology.
Also in the Animation District, experimental animator and artist Stefan Gruber directs Rock, Paper, Scissors – a material-based group film program. Other programs in this district include virtual and augmented reality, gaming, contemporary art animations and film screenings.
Recess District
The Recess District presents the art of performance, featuring roller-skating, gymnastics, breakdancing, double-dutch jump rope, and cheerleading. Seattle Skate Shop 35th North leads a skateboard competition on a newly commissioned half pipe by Dope Planet.
Bumbermania! wrestling showcase returns to the festival under the curation of Grit City Wrestling School.
Fashion District
Despite outdated stereotypes, the Pacific Northwest is brimming with apparel designers and bold fashion talent. The Fashion District returns to Bumbershoot with a wide range of performances, vendors and runway shows. Expect vintage to the avant-garde, hair and nail art, jewelry and a slew of choices to inspire and transform you.
Out Of Sight
Out Of Sight is a large-scale group exhibition of contemporary art in the Pacific Northwest. Located in the Fisher Pavilion and throughout the Seattle Center, the group show represents an annual survey of contemporary visual arts from throughout the Pacific Northwest that blends commercial and non-commercial art, installation and new media presented by a team of regional curators.
Geodesic Domes
This constellation of micro-environments includes a new Comedy Dome curated by Seattle comedian, writer and disability rights activist Dan Hurwitz.
Back by popular demand, the Cat Circus will return with new death-defying stunts and the Pole Pavilion celebrates the art of pole dancing throughout the region. Those seeking an immediate transformation can head to the surreal Wig Farm and pick a new head of hair from a garden of wigs.
If You Know You Know
Art Not Terminal Gallery presents “If You Know You Know” – a group photography exhibit documenting three underground music communities from the Pacific Northwest.
Exceptionally Underrated
Bumbershoot TV (BTV) invites regional musicians to submit original music videos as part of the Exceptionally Underrated film series at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).
There is a $5,000 cash prize for best in show.
Free-Range Artists
Artists will be roaming the grounds of Bumbershoot. From traditional Lion Dancing to contemporary performance, you’ll discover a variety of performances and installations woven into the fabric of the audience. “Kind of Important Seating” and a Kissing Booth round out this spontaneous and interactive program.
About Bumbershoot
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. Celebrating creators and innovators of all kinds, Bumbershoot breaks stereotypes, champions a more inclusive art community, and bets on the dreamers, makers, and performers who call the Pacific Northwest home.
First produced at Seattle Center in 1971, Bumbershoot is Washington’s legacy arts and music festival, made for community by community. Organizers believe everyone in the region—from individuals to corporations—has a role to play in supporting the power and vitality of the arts. That’s why they amplify the Pacific Northwest creative community, cultivating professional opportunities for artists, welcoming diverse crowds by the hundreds of thousands, and training the next generation of event producers.
The festival strives to be as accessible as possible—whether in programming, the physical footprint, subsidized ticket prices, or otherwise.
Bumbershoot is produced by New Rising Sun, a seasoned team of concert promoters and visual arts producers dedicated to supercharging the iconic Bumbershoot brand. New Rising Sun manages and operates Bumbershoot on behalf of Third Stone, a nonprofit that houses the annual Bumbershoot Festival and its workforce development program for underserved young people.
