Seattle area's outdoor summer concert season has arrived
Staff Picks
A true Pacific Northwest summer is likely still a Juneuary away, but that hasn't stopped us from looking ahead to Washington's outdoor concert season, which technically kicked off last week.
We've already learned that one high-profile concert series will not return to Seattle's Pier 62, as the Waterfront Park stewards are preoccupied with World Cup events this year. But here's when the Seattle area's outdoor concert venues open their gates.
Griztronics
The Gorge Amphitheatre already got off to an early, bass-thumping start with EDM star Martin Garrix last week. But Memorial Day weekend typically marks the landmark venue's opening weekend, and this year is a big one for local raver crews as dubstep heavyweight Subtronics and sax-wielding producer/DJ Griz join forces for a two-night mini-fest playing joint and solo sets both days.
May 23-24; Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Road N.W., George; sold out
Yellowcard
Opening night at Chateau Ste. Michelle courts millennial pop punks with a triple nostalgia shot of punchy, coming-of-age anthems with mall-cruising choruses courtesy of Yellowcard, New Found Glory and Plain White T's. Only spendy VIP tickets remain.
6 p.m. May 24; Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville; $426 soundcheck package; chateauconcerts.com
Claypool Gold
Virtuosic oddball bassist Les Claypool combines the forces of his three signature bands for one triple threat of a tour kicking off Marymoor Park's concert season. The funky alt-rock jammer is set to perform with Primus, Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and The Claypool Lennon Delirium - his team-up with Sean Lennon.
6 p.m. May 23; Marymoor Park, 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Parkway N.E., Redmond; $92; marymoorlive.com
The Black Keys
After a bumpy yet prolific stretch that saw the Ohio garage-blues duo release two albums in as many years - and publicly scrap an undersold arena tour that proved too big for their britches - The Black Keys got back to basics on this spring's "Peaches!" The can't-miss covers album of hill country blues artists like Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside follows 2021's similarly solid "Delta Kream," which ought to factor into a turn-back-the-clock set list on their Peaches ‘n Kream tour, kicking off Remlinger Farms' summer with a two-nighter.
6:30 p.m. May 29-30; Remlinger Farms, 32610 N.E. 32nd St., Carnation; $97.60; stgpresents.org
Yacht Rock Revue
A serviceably breezy way of easing into summer, this popular yacht rock cover band christens ZooTunes 2026 with soft-rocking hits from the '70s and '80s. Other highlights of the zoo's annual concert series (that aren't yet sold out) include pop/country star Maren Morris (July 23) - who hits the Gorge Amphitheatre with Brandi Carlile and The Highwomen this month - a solo date with Americana great Jason Isbell (Aug. 13) and New Zealand rockers The Beths (Aug. 16).
6 p.m. June 4; Woodland Park Zoo, 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle; tickets start at $65; zootunes.org
Kid Cudi
After headlining Climate Pledge Arena his last time through, Kid Cudi heads south to open White River Amphitheatre in Auburn. Still sailing on last year's "Free" - a joyful, pop/rock pivot that finds Cudi overcoming mental health issues - the "Mr. Rager" rapper recently booted fellow late '00s/early 2010s star M.I.A. off the tour over comments the British/Sri Lankan rapper made about immigrants on stage.Cudi'sWhite River date features support from Outkast's Big Boi, who was enshrined into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last fall.
6:30 p.m. June 16; White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Road S.E., Auburn; tickets start at $35; whiteriveramphitheatre.com
Max McNown
Tacoma's scenic new waterfront venue at Dune Peninsula made quite the splash (or was that the orcas?) in its inaugural season last year. Produced by the Showbox/AEG, the South Sound series returns with another rootsy lineup led by Oregon-raised breakout Max McNown - a rising folk-pop/country star slotting somewhere between Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan. Managed by his uncle Brandon Ebel, founder of Seattle's renowned Christian alt-rock label Tooth & Nail Records, McNown released his breakthrough single, "A Lot More Free," in 2023 and hasn't slowed down since. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter scored another hit with "Better Me for You (Brown Eyes)," a countrified clap-along off his highly polished sophomore album, "Night Diving."
6:30 p.m. July 9; Dune Peninsula, 5361 Yacht Club Road, Tacoma; showboxpresents.com
Legends of the West Part II
Seattle's throwback hip-hop station Hot 103.7 has the first show on the books at Tulalip Resort Casino's amphitheater, bringing together old-school all stars The Game, Luniz and Cleveland's melodic rap pioneers Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
7 p.m. July 18; Tulalip Amphitheatre, 10400 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip; 21-and-older; tickets start at $95; audacy.com
Boy George and Culture Club
Just as most outdoor venues start winding down, the Washington State Fair grandstand gets rolling Labor Day weekend with '80s favorite Boy George (Sept. 4), "Weird Al" Yankovic (Sept. 5) and country vets Little Big Town (Sept. 6).
7:30 p.m. Sept. 4; Washington State Fair, 110 Ninth Ave. S.W., Puyallup; tickets start at $46.50; thefair.com
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