Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival—one of the oldest art and music festivals in the country—returned to Seattle for its 50th anniversary this past Labor Day weekend. The event, designed to foster community around arts and education, showcases dozens of multidisciplinary artists and features programming developed in tandem with local nonprofits and public schools. To celebrate its golden anniversary, Amazon teamed up with organizers to increase its accessibility and inclusivity.
This year was the first production by New Rising Sun and nonprofit Third Stone who sought to bring Pacific Northwest flavor back into the experience. Approximately 40,000 people attended the two-day event to experience music artists across five main stages and take in a long list of fashion, food, and eclectic local entertainers across the Seattle Center event footprint.
In February, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the event, Amazon and Bumbershoot teamed up to offer a limited early bird special: $50 for a single day and $85 for a two-day general admission ticket, essentially turning back the clock on ticket prices 10 years, to make the festival more accessible to the Puget Sound community. Amazon also partnered with Third Stone to distribute 5,000 free festival tickets to nonprofits and under-served communities.
Bumbershoot is “a uniquely Pacific Northwest gem,” said David Zapolsky, Amazon Senior Vice President, in a press release. “We’re excited to support their 50th anniversary as the festival returns to its roots, creating an inclusive space for locals and visitors to celebrate our region.”
“As ticket prices steadily climb for concerts and events around the globe, we’re thrilled to be able to support offering reduced and free ticket prices to our community, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to access exciting education programs, tap into Seattle’s creative ecosystem, and immerse themselves in art.”
This year, Amazon provided Bumbershoot guests relief from the summer heat by offering complimentary Seattle Pop or Shugs ice cream from a roaming Amazon treat cart throughout the event, which ran September 2-3. Amazon is thankful to Bumbershoot and its Puget Sound neighbors who were all smiles at the festival this year.
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The two-day festival took place across the city’s 74-acre Seattle Center. Against the backdrop of the Space Needle, musicians ranging from The Revivalists to Fatboy Slim to Matt and Kim played on multiple stages.
Visitors found artistic works that ranged from a Nail Art Dome curated by Peka Grayson in the festival’s Fashion District zone to a witch temple curated by Ylva Mara Radziszewski and Kiki Robinson of The Living Altar that features tarot, past-life, astrology, and palmist readings. Other highlights included a large-scale group exhibition of contemporary regional visual artists, named Out of Sight, and a Bumbershoot 50th Anniversary Retrospective composed of crowdsourced photography, posters, and memorabilia.
Food options ranged from local favorites like Dirty Dog hot dogs to Candela Wood Fired Pizza.
Check out more highlights from the event below and learn more about how Amazon is giving back to the Puget Sound region.
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