Now in its fifth year, Waterfront Block Party, a free neighborhood celebration, returns along the downtown shoreline on August 29, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The all-ages celebration will span all 20 acres of the Park, with more than 20 performances across three stages, local food trucks and a new neighborhood dining program, Taste the Waterfront.

Waterfront Block Party bookends what has been a historic summer for the city and for its waterfront that began with FIFA World Cup 2026™. During the three weeks that Waterfront Park acted as an official Fan Celebration Zone, the Park recorded more than a million visitors. This year, Waterfront Block Party also marks one year since the Grand Opening of Waterfront Park, which brought over 50,000 visitors to celebrate their new downtown shoreline in September 2025.

“The waterfront has become Seattle’s newest neighborhood, and Waterfront Block Party is its homecoming,” says Kelli Faryar, Senior Programs Manager for Friends of Waterfront Park. “What began in 2021 as a single activated pier, is now a 20-acre public space where the whole city gathers. Each year, Waterfront Block Party renews our promise that this park is a place where everyone is welcome, every neighbor belongs, and community comes first.”

A Record Summer on Seattle’s Shoreline

Over the three weeks Seattle hosted the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in June and July, Waterfront Park recorded over 1,083,957 visits, including 99,549 visitors on July 6 alone, the highest single-day attendance at the Park since it opened last year. As one of the city’s fan celebration zones, the festivities included watch parties, Juneteenth celebrations, and fun activities that drew coverage world-wide.

In 2025, Friends of Waterfront Park welcomed over 2.4 million unique visitors over the Grand Opening Season of the Park, between May and September. Local businesses earned an aggregated $2.5 million in revenue through Friends’ vending programs. Over 80% of programming partners were Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led.

A full day of Music, Community and Cultural Celebration

Across three distinct stages, the 2026 Waterfront Block Party brings together a lineup of local and internationally recognized artists spanning Latin jazz, reggae, West African dance, Indigenous performance, Polynesian drumming, hip hop and more.

Attendees can experience music from local reggae legend Clinton Fearon and the Boogie Brown Band, acclaimed Indigenous collective Khu.éex’, Todo Es, RUB, and KEXP’s DJ Jewel and Lace Cadence while participating in community movement and dance experiences with A.I.M.: Adaptive & Inclusive Dance, Rhythms of India, and Hustle & Soul Dance workshop with Rhythm of the People.

The day of celebration will include performances by Khmer Amarak Performing Arts, Sohoyini West African Dance, Daughters of Royalty Drill & Dance Ensemble, Sunshine from Polynesia, Friday Night Hip Hop, and Shunpike’s ACES (Artists of Color Expo & Symposium), featuring DJ 1ook, DJ Siempre Bruja, DJ TEB, DJ Toya B, and a multidisciplinary performance by Stefan Richmond with Cherubim.

Waterfront Block Party will also include interactive art activities by local artist Takiyah Ward and Alex Nason’s The True Butterfly Effect. Friends will also bring in local food trucks including Le Nomade, Ryan’s Rez-ipes, ad Whateke. Waterfront Block Party will be emceed by Trae Holiday, Adrian Braxton and Latha Sambamurti throughout the day.

MUSIC AND BITES AT PIER 62

• 1:00 p.m. Latin jazz performance by seven-piece band Todo Es
• 3:00 p.m. Synth-pop rock music performance by RUB
• 4:30 p.m. Reggae music performance by Clinton Fearon & the Boogie Brown Band
• 6:45 p.m. A blend of funk, bass and spoken word by Khu.éex’

Ongoing: The Butterfly Effect Art Activity I Food trucks: Le Nomade, Ryan’s Rez-ipes and Whateke

DANCE AND CULTURE AT PIER 58

• 1:00 p.m. Dance with Khmer Amarak Performing Arts
• 1:45 p.m. DJ 1ook
• 2:00 p.m. Performance by Sohoyini West African Dance Group
• 3:00 p.m. Dance performance by Daughters of Royalty Drill and Dance Ensemble
• 3:25 p.m. DJ Siempre Bruja
• 4:05 p.m. Polynesian drumming and dancing by Sunshine From Polynesia
• 4:50 p.m. DJ TEB
• 5:30 p.m. Dance with Friday Night Hip Hop
• 6:15 p.m. DJ Toya B
• 7:00 p.m. Dance and music performances curated by ACES

Ongoing: The ReSole 206 Art Activity I Seattle Children’s Museum activation

MOVEMENT AND COMMUNITY AT SALISH STEPS

• 1:00 p.m. Adaptive and Inclusive Dance Workshop with A.I.M.
• 2:15 p.m. Energetic performance by Daughters of Royalty Drill and Dance Ensemble
• 2:45 p.m. Parade heads south led by Daughters of Royalty Drill and Dance Ensemble
• 3:45 p.m. Interactive dance workshops with Rhythms of India
• 6:00 p.m. Hustle & Soul workshop by Rhythm of the People

Taste the Waterfront: A Program Designed to Support Waterfront Businesses & Neighbors

Alongside Waterfront Block Party, we as Friends are introducing a new program, Taste the Waterfront, offering $10 eats, goods, and experiences at participating waterfront businesses—including Boon Boona Coffee, Ivar’s, The Crab Pot, Post Alley Pizza, Seattle Aquarium, Heart and Seoul, Argosy Cruises, Fisherman’s Restaurant, Sub Pop Records, and more.

“Waterfront Park has brought new energy to Seattle, and Taste the Waterfront is what’s possible when local businesses and community partners work together,” says Bob Donegon, Ivar’s President. “We offer special $10 eats, goods, and experiences, to make it easy for you to explore the waterfront, discover someplace new, or revisit your old favorites.”

Neighboring destinations hosting their own activations throughout the day include the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion Rooftop, Tidelands Native art gallery, Aquí Mercado at Occidental, Olympic Sculpture Park mini golf activation, Seattle Art Museum, and the Triangle Pub beer garden at Railroad Way North.

Rooted in Inclusivity & Accessibility

We aim for our events to be inclusive, accessible and welcoming to all. Courtesy wheelchairs and sensory kits will be on-site and available throughout the event as well as ASL interpreters on stage, closed captioning via QR code, assisted listening devices, sensory and nursing tents, reserved priority seating and wheelchair charging station/outlet. Check out our full list of resources here.

For accommodation inquiries, reach out to [email protected].

To see the full calendar of events at Waterfront Park, visit www.waterfrontparkseattle.org/events.

Meet us at Waterfront Park on August 29.