ABOUT US
Independently Produced
Bumbershoot has always belonged to the city of Seattle. We’re New Rising Sun, the local production company taking care of it. We brought it back in 2023 after its pandemic hiatus because we love this city and weren’t ready to lose its iconic arts and music festival. Now it’s our privilege to make it worth returning to, for the people who grew up with it and those coming for the first time.
A Seattle Original
Bumbershoot began at Seattle Center in 1971, and generations of Seattleites have made it the iconic festival it is today. We work to honor what they built while bringing fresh ideas and unexpected experiences to the festival. Seattle artists help shape what comes next, carrying forward the curiosity that’s always made Bumbershoot worth showing up for.
Arts + Music
We care about what happens between the sets as much as what happens on the main stage. Pro-wrestling deserves a crowd. A local artist deserves space to be discovered. Someone should be able to spend the afternoon exploring and forget to check the schedule. Arts in the name because it belongs at the center of Bumbershoot, and we build the weekend that way.
Labor Day & Beyond
We wanted more than two days a year to do this. So we turned a former downtown Bed Bath & Beyond into a year-round arts + music venue. Upstairs, Pacific Northwest artists have space to show their work and try something ambitious. Downstairs, Level 1 gives electronic music its own home, with a state-of-the-art sound system and a dance floor worth staying out for.
BUMBERWORKS
You shouldn’t need a family connection to learn how to run a show. BumberWorks gives young adults ages 17–25 a way into the business through a free, nine-month program with mentorship and paid internships. Participants learn alongside working crews at Bumbershoot and local venues. Someday, we want to hand them the keys.
Looking Forward
We love this city too much to spend all our time talking about what it used to be. There are artists here doing work that deserves an audience right now. We can give them a stage, pay them for their work, and invite people to come see it. That’s how we want to help keep Seattle a place worth making things in.