Going small pays off big for Bumbershoot 2026

The saying goes the future is female, and if that’s truly the case then Bumbershoot 2026 may as well have taken place in 3027.

This year the festival pledged to include more women which resulted in 37.6 percent of the lineup containing artists that featured female artists. That’s a big number compared to the national average of 18.2% for all music festivals in 2025. It was a noticeable change that made the event feel more inclusive and welcoming.

But that’s not the main headline here. The main headline is the decision to downsize Bumbershoot. This year’s festival had fewer stages, fewer artists and lower ticket prices than the most recent Bumbershoots, and making those changes was the right call despite a few minor hiccups.

The 54th edition of the festival proved to be an excellent showcase for some of the city’s most impressive young artists, positioning them alongside equally impressive national and international talents. Every one of the nine local acts I saw during the two-day event rose to the occasion of being at Bumbershoot and delivered sets that were highlights of my weekend.

I started my Bumbershoot weekend by catching hometown boy Travis Thompson who commanded the mainstage like a seasoned performer early in the afternoon. Watching a local tear it up onstage at the beginning of the day set the tone for my entire Bumbershoot experience, which was filled with spectacular sets by local artists. Thompson ended his set in spectacular and unexpected fashion with a cover of Green Days “Jaded.” It was a nice surprise from one of the brightest rising stars in the city’s hip-hop scene.

Another local-ish artists who impressed me was Bikini Kill (Olympia is local, right?). The legendary riot grrrl group tore through an hour-long set filled with songs from throughout their career. At one point vocalist Kathleen Hannah told the crowd how important it was for the band to play Bumbershoot and that it was a goal of theirs to perform at the festival when they first started as a band in the late 1980s. The highlight of their set came at the end with the one-two punch of “Suck My Left One” and the anthemic “Rebel Girl,” both of which sounded great in the shadow of the Space Needle on a bright, sunny afternoon.

I was able to get a good spot to watch Lucy Dacus on the main stage and her voice is beautiful. Unfortunately, her songs didn’t really do much for me. Of course, as a middle-aged dad they aren’t supposed to do anything for me. I’m not her demographic, so my lukewarm reception to her songs doesn’t matter. What mattered was the hundreds of Gen Zers and younger who were singing along to every word she sang.

After taking in Lucy Ducas’ set I went from enjoying one beautiful voice to another in Sera Cahoone. She was accompanied by a stellar band, which featured the always great Jeff Fielder on guitar, and played older material and new songs from her excellent new album “I’ve Missed You All These Years.”

The best thing I saw during the first day was one of the last things I saw, which was the set by local rapper Oblé Reed (pictured right). His stage presence was magnetic. His charisma and kinetic energy practically jumped off stage. But all of that would not have mattered if his music was not good, and dear reader I am here to tell you that his songs are indeed good. I predict big things for Mr. Reed’s future.

As previously mentioned, Bumbershoot was downsized this year going from four stages to three, with the Vera Project not being used as a venue. This made the crowds for each stage massive. It was great for performers, but bad for anyone who actually wanted to see the artists.

All three stages had poor sight lines, making it difficult to see the performers unless you secured a spot close to the stage. Thankfully, there were video screens on the main stage, slightly making up for this. But the video screens weren’t of much help during the headlining sets when the main stage was overcrowded.

So while I can definitely say I heard Day 1 headliners Turnstile’s set, I can’t necessarily say I saw it. But I didn’t need to see anything at all to know that Turnstile’s intense set pummeled the crowd with blasts of guitar, drum and bass that made my rock ‘n’ roll heart smile. Seriously, Turnstile is really good at what they do and they were more than deserving of a headlining slot.

Of course Bumbershoot is more than music. Earlier in the day I watched the athletes of local wrestling company SOS Pro Wrestling battle one another. My favorite was Handyman Hank, whose gimmick is being a handyman who uses tools from his toolbelt to help him throughout his matches. I also caught some excellent halfpipe shredding at the Gravity Park area courtesy Skate Like A Girl, checked out some amazing artwork in the ~~Center House~~ Armory as part of Flatstock, took in a runway show at the festival’s Fashion Runway and checked out some adorable kittens up for adotion at the Cat Circus.

Highlights from the second day included an exciting set from local rising star Hannah Duckworth, a ridiculously fun performance by J-Pop stars Atarashii Gakko!, hip-hop legends De La Soul giving Seattle lots of love and Suzzallo’s blast of emotionally fueled rock.

I went into Hannah Duckworth‘s set expecting to get a good show and she more than delivered. I had read good things about the local pop starlet’s shows but written words can’t do her Bumbershoot performance justice. And speaking of words not doing justice, there’s almost no words that can express how much fun Atarashii Gakko! was having onstage.

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There was very little hip-hop at Bumbershoot this year, but the hip-hop that was there was quality. De La Soul acted as both the festival’s big-name hip-hop act and one of the few legacy artists performing at the fest. Throughout their set, which was peppered with classic jams and new material from the group’s 2025 album “Cabin in the Sky,” the duo shared its appreciation and love for the local hip-hop scene. They shouted out Vitamin D and J Moore and brought out Jake One to take a bow to the crowd in between songs. It was great to have such legends validate what’s happening in the local scene.

I ended my Bumbershoot by camping out on the rail for Suzzallo‘s late-night set. The band’s debut album, “The Quiet Year,” was my favorite record of 2025 and they were the artists I was most excited to see at the festival and my excitement was very much merited. The local three-piece tore through their set with each song sounding more fierce and powerful than the last.

The band closed their set with “River,” which was by far their most animated performance of the night. At the end of the song the band’s bassist Steve Bonnell took off his bass, reached over the rail, handed it to me and proceeded to walk off the stage. I was in a bit of shock, but my rock ‘n’ roll instincts kicked in and I strapped on the bass. I struck a few rock star poses for the crowd and a few minutes later Bonnell came back for his instrument. It was a total boss move and a baller way to end a set.

I would have stuck around for Death Cab For Cutie’s headlining performance, but there was no way Nick Harmer was handing me his bass. So I left the Seattle Center grounds on a high note with the meandering bassline of “I Will Posses Your Heart” soundtracking my exit, a perfect ending to a sublime weekend.

Top photo credit Christine Mitchell