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Festival roundup 2021: Which festivals are off, which festivals are on, and which festivals are online

In 2021, there seems to be hope for festival season. Maybe not giant, body-smushing festivals, but lower-capacity, masked and socially distanced festivals.

Dan Ray May 13, 2021
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Festival roundup 2021: Which festivals are off, which festivals are on, and which festivals are online May 13, 2021

Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).

Photo by Danny Ngan

There was nothing like the spring of 2020: I remember sending in applications to cover music festivals while sitting in my windowless office, dreaming of being outside, smushed in a crowd of bodies in front of a stage, a tall dude behind me dripping sweat onto the (inevitable) sunburn on my back. (Writing it, it sounds terrible, but I know never to take that for granted again.) I had just been approved to cover Treefort Music Fest and was excitedly putting in for my time off (this was before I was running DT full time — can’t say nothing good came out this pandemic) when my coworkers started buzzing about this thing called the coronavirus and their own potentially cancelled travel plans. 

I held out false hope for about a week, until I got the email: Treefort has been postponed until September. Okay, not too bad! It was about a month after that I got the real “the email:” Treefort was cancelled. Y’all know the rest.

Now, in 2021, there seems to be hope for festival season. Maybe not giant, body-smushing festivals, but lower-capacity, masked and socially distanced festivals? (That’s probably better for my sunburn, anyway.) Festival organizers, including those behind Treefort, seem to agree. I’m still deciding on how I feel about gathering in crowds (I’ll be fully vaccinated a week from tomorrow!), but I’m leaning toward a hard “fuck yes,” at least for live music.

Whether you’re also rearing for (moderately sized) crowds, would rather stick to livestreams, or want to wait until next year, there’s a festival for you. In all seriousness, please support local artists and festivals if you can — it’s been a very difficult year. Find your favorite(s) in the chronologically organized list below.

Sound Off!: Online

Mirabai Kukathas performs at 2020’s Sound Off! semifinals. // Photo by Dan Ray

The Museum of Pop Culture’s under-21 battle of the bands never finished its 2020 season, as the final show, scheduled for March 7, was cancelled. This year, the festival will host a livestream featuring pre-recorded sets from eight acts on May 15 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Each act will perform two songs and be briefly interviewed. While the event normally features young artists from the entire PNW, all eight acts this year are from the Seattle area. Catch rapper Aurelio Valdez, dream pop singer-songwriter Lexi Lalauni, folk artist Brenna Bruce, and more. Pay what you can.

Northwest Folklife Festival: Online

Now in its 50th iteration, NW Folklife will take place online over Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-31. The festival, which is known for being a gathering space of the different cultures found across the PNW, is breaking down its usual lineup into several channels: “50 Years of Folklife” will host music, interviews, and community discussions; “The Roadhouse” will feature participatory dance workshops; and “Family Fun” will stream educational music content for all ages. Free; donations accepted.

Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP): Off

Archie performs at CHBP 2019. // Photo by Trey Marez

According to talent buyer Evan Johnson, CHBP is planning for 2022. The festival normally shuts down six square blocks in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood — from Broadway to 12th and Union to Pine — for a pop-oriented shindig in the middle of July. It usually features a range of talent, from local artists just getting their start to Lizzo.

Timber! Outdoor Music Festival: Off

All Star Opera performs at Timber! 2019. // Photo by Peter Cozens

The three-day, family-friendly camping festival put on by Artist Home will return in 2022. “The decision to cancel Timber! Outdoor Music Festival this summer was an easy, albeit sad one for us to make,” said Artist Home’s Kevin Sur. “We want to do what’s safest and healthiest for our community and business and look forward to the day that our whole community can take part safely.” The festival is normally held in Carnation, WA.

Summer Meltdown: On?

Cytrus performs at Summer Meltdown 2019. // Photo by Jenny Caywood

According to their website, Summer Meltdown is tentatively scheduled for August 5-8 in Darrington, WA, depending on capacity limits and the festival’s ability to secure grant funding. Featuring a much different vibe than fellow camping fest Timber! Outdoor Music Festival, Summer Meltdown hosts DJs until the wee hours of the morning and focuses on a hippie-centric ideal of communal love. Catch local electronic acts like Chong the Nomad and funk groups like Flowmotion, True Loves, High Pulp, and Cytrus for the festival’s delayed 20th anniversary. $120-$270.

Thing: Off

The successor to Sasquatch! Festival, Thing debuted at Port Townsend’s Fort Worden in 2019 to a sold-out audience. The 5,000-capacity event was founded to combat mainstream fests, instead opting for intimate performances from mid-size acts. In February 2021, the organizers decided to postpone this year’s festival to promote the health and safety of concertgoers, artists, and the region as a whole. 

Bumbershoot: Off

The festival that takes over Seattle Center every Labor Day weekend will return in 2022. According to The Seattle Times, Bumbershoot is going back to its roots as an affordable, multi-disciplinary arts festival for all ages rather than an expensive, majority-music festival geared toward young people — more of an actual arts bumbershoot, if you will. The festival began in 1971 as a free event subsidized by the city.

Fisherman’s Village Music Festival: On

The crowd at Fisherman’s Village 2019. // Photo by Danny Ngan

A multi-day fest put on by the Everett Music Initiative and hosted in the city’s downtown, Fisherman’s Village moved online in 2020. In 2021, the festival will take place in person from September 9-11. Festival founder Ryan Crowther said that while it’s difficult to determine what will change about the event at this point, they’ll be following all state and county mandates and putting the safety of staff and attendees at the forefront of planning. He said he’s optimistic about the state’s progress out of the pandemic and that the artists are excited to get back on stage. Pricing TBD.

Look Up: Off

Baja Boy performs at Look Up Fest in September 2019. // Photo by Will Abzu

A production of dream-pop/shoegaze record label Look Up Records, Look Up Fest has had several space-themed iterations over the past few years, all organized by Look Up Founder Bill Darksoft. Darksoft, who moved to Maine at the end of 2020, said he wouldn’t host a festival even if he was in town as he considers it too risky. He said he hasn’t ruled out a festival in 2022.

Treefort Music Fest: On

This one isn’t in Washington, but a ton of local artists play. The downtown Boise festival is back on for September 22-26, having resurrected much of it’s lineup from the cancelled 2020 festival. Ticket holders from 2020 who chose to rollover their tickets are guaranteed entry, and the festival may release more tickets depending on COVID-19 restrictions. Catch a variety of local acts like The Black Tones, Jango, Smokey Brights, Wild Powwers, Biddadat, Tres Leches, and more. Treefort is also planning a spring festival during its usual season, March 23-27. See their website for more details. $150-$250.

Freakout Festival: On

Porter Ray performs at Freakout Fest 2018. // Photo by Doug Indrick

Put on by local record label Freakout Records, Freakout Fest will return November 11-14, 2021. The festival takes place across several venues in Ballard, such as The Sunset Tavern, Tractor Tavern, and the C.C. Filson store. The lineup has not yet been announced, but according to The Stranger, the festival plans to bring in Mexican and South American acts as they have in years past, provided travel restrictions allow. They are unsure about Canadian and European acts. $65-$175.

Splash Fest: On

Marshall Law Band performs at Splash Fest 2019. // Photo by James Gerde

This fest is a celebration of local BIPOC musicians founded by Seattle funk-hop group Marshall Law Band (MLB) that hosted its inaugural lineup across several venues in Fremont in 2019. Of the festival, MLB frontman Marshall Hugh said, “Music is powerful, smooth, and unpredictable just like water! Be on the lookout for a Splash happening near you, and when the time comes, don’t be afraid to ride the new wave of Seattle’s creative energy.” Dates and pricing TBD.

Know of another festival we should add to this list? Email danray@danstunesseattle.com.

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Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).