Celebrating its 43rd year, Bumbershoot is a unique music, art, comedy, and film festival filled with a diversity of entertainment for all ages. Located in the heart of Seattle, the city itself is a desirable destination spot, filled with culture, a passion for arts, and an appreciation for nature, which is reflected throughout the festival. Add a music festival into the mix and prepare for a unique festival experience. The cleanliness and organization of this festival are key features, which definitely stood out. There was never a line to enter the festival as there were multiple entrances, and the venue was open all day for festival attendees to come and go as they please. The ability to re-enter the festival was a highly appreciated and comforting feeling. The festival opened at 12:00 pm each day and close after the last performance of the evening. The staff was incredibly welcoming and friendly as they checked our bags and scanned our tickets. This festival welcomes all ages, as there is even a dedicated kid stage referred to as “Youngershoot.”
The Stages
Bumbershoot Mainstage- The biggest names in music play on the Mainstage, the largest venue on Festival grounds. Located inside Memorial Stadium, the Mainstage hosts 3 headlining artists each day, each with a different style and music genre.
Starbucks Stage- This stage had an eclectic vibe with an artsy background and a variety of artists from indie, folk, jazz and soul.
Fisher Green Stage–The Fisher Green Stage is the heartbeat of the Festival, and features major names in rock, soul, hip-hop, and world music. The central location of the stage, adjacent to the International Fountain Lawn and Fisher Terrace, makes this one of the most popular stages on Festival grounds. There were on average six shows per day on this stage.
Fountain Lawn Stage- One of Bumbershoot’s most popular and music stages featuring indie pop, reggae, alternative and new wave. The fountain located next to the stage made it easy to find along with the Beer Garden, which made it a great place to enjoy a nice cold beer, the view and feel-good sounds from talented artists.
Pavilion Stage- This stage had local bands during the day and EDM artists at night. The electronic artists provided by USC Events consisted of a variety of local upcoming artists and worldwide EDM producers.
FestPop Artist Highlights
Panic! At the Disco- Playing classics such as “Nine in the Afternoon” Panic! At the Disco was great to dance to and had the crowd singing along to their catchy tunes.
Wu Tang Clan- Making a huge impact on the hip-hop scene, Wu Tang had their dedicated fans who were there to enjoy the music and support everything that Wu Tang represents. Wu Tang truly has created an incredible movement in the hip-hop scene and it was amazing to experience what they have started.
Big Freedia- Talk about a party on stage. This artist isn’t afraid to bust out the twerking on stage and to bring people up to the stage to join her.
Danny Brown- Danny’s hype man/DJ started to mood off with “I go hard in the paint.” bringing the energy of the crowd up immediately before Danny entered the stage.
Yuna- Yuna’s soothing voice made my heart melt as I felt the passion in her lyrics as she sang. The song “Rescue” was one for the ladies and Yuna’s lyrics inspire girls to move on from broken relationships.
Mac DeMarco- Mac is a singer, songwriter, producer and plays multiple interested. His talent radiated on stage as he performed while singing and playing instruments along with his music.
Hook N Sling- Australian producer, Hook N Sling radiated the room while playing his catchy remixes and tracks. Hook N Sling had the crowd dancing and getting down to his mixing, track selection and high-energy performance.
The stages were easily accessible and thoroughly planned out based on the genres of music. With the location of the festival being in Seattle, known for the world’s best coffee, it only made sense to have a Starbucks stage. Starbucks had a gold member tent with Wifi and free coffee for their members. Starbucks coffee was dispersed at various locations across the festival, so getting a coffee fix was easily obtainable. The art exhibit consisted of posters and artwork from various artworks of different bands and festivals. Booths were set up throughout the festival with clothing, artwork, and food. There was food ranging from burgers to Thai food. There are designated 21 and up drinking sections called “beer gardens” which prevented drunkenness and underage drinking throughout the festival. There was also a theater with films and a stage for comedians.
Bringing together music, art, comedy, food and culture, Bumbershoot Music Festival is an eco-friendly, eclectic, fun-filled festival with something for everyone to enjoy!
By Elmer Dulla & Suzanne Ledford , FestPop Staff Writers Email Comments to: [email protected]
