Beginning September 5, 2026, the Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival returns to the Seattle Center under the iconic Space Needle. For two days, the site in Lower Queen Anne comes alive with music and art. This year’s edition features musical performances by Turnstile, Death Cab for Cutie (a local band), Japanese Breakfast, Orville Peck, Peaches, and much more. While the music is a draw, Bumbershoot also boasts a bevy of visual arts and cultural programs spanning comedy, film, dance, fashion, and more.
The massive programming unfolds over a 74-acre campus as a multidisciplinary celebration of creative expression. It’s divided into sections corresponding to different art disciplines, along with some events held off-site. The Fashion District, for instance, will feature original runway presentations from more than five local clothing designers, alongside a merchant marketplace that’ll spotlight 15 regional vendors.
Those who love action sports will want to traverse the Recess District. It’s planning BMX programming, with a “participatory spectacle” aspect to its entertainment that includes the Dope Planet Evening Spectacular. And while not extreme sports, Bumbermania! offers another form of sports spectacle, this time in high-energy wrestling showcases. It also features roaming performers, carnival-style slideshows, and other interactive elements alongside a puppet playhouse in a geodesic dome.
The Fisher Rooftop is where attendees can enjoy Bumbershoot’s interdisciplinary dance and composition program. There will be live performances featuring dance groups and composers, as well as Motley Zoo, with its popular Cat Circus returning for the fourth year, featuring a troop of felines—all up for adoption. Watch even more performances with VIDEORAMA: Northwest Shorts, a new program in 2026. It’s hosted at the nearby Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and features all-day screenings celebrating indie Northwest filmmaking.
Also off-site is PROTEST! at A/NT Gallery. Presented in collaboration with History Link and Cannonball Arts, it spans more than a century of activism and civil disobedience in Seattle from 1919 to 2026. The show explores Seattle’s evolving history of protest movements and the collective action taken by its residents.
Tickets for the event are still available. Learn more about the festival and get your passes on Bumbershoot’s website.
The Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival returns to the Seattle Center from September 5 to September 6, 2026.
Photo: Lance Mercer
Photo: McKill
While the music is a draw, Bumbershoot also boasts a bevy of visual arts and cultural programs spanning comedy, film, dance, fashion, and more.
Photo: Michael Jacobson
Photo: Eric Tra
Wrestling, circus performers, and fashion shows are just some of what’s planned for 2026.
Photo: Eric Tra
Photo: Travis Trautt
Photo: Murphy Gilson
