REVIEW & Gallery: Bumbershoot 2026
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY RACHEL LANE ☆
SEATTLE CELEBRATED THE END OF SUMMER HARD AT THE BUMBERSHOOT MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL. THE CITY CAME TOGETHER ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND TO CELEBRATE ART, COMEDY, FASHION AND, MOST OF ALL, MUSIC. The eclectic mix of genres and artists performing all weekend long—from synth punk to J-pop to hardcore—made the weekend jam packed full of excitement. We kept our heads on a swivel and our sneakers tied tight in order to run from stage to stage to catch it all! Here are some highlights from a few of our favorite Bumbershoot sets.
JVB
Every time Joey Valence & Brae come to Seattle, they put on a damn show. I’ve seen them a couple of times now, but they continue to step it up each and every time, making each show bigger than the last. The best way I can describe this duo is “uniquely chaotic.” Have you ever jumped in unison with thousands of other people before? Go to a JVB show and you will. They truly have so much fun on the stage it is infectious. The audience has fun right back with them. Opening with “THE BADDEST” and closing with “OK,” they somehow kept themselves and the audience moving the entire time.
LUCY DACUS
Lucy Dacus delivered a beautiful set, bringing all of the girlies in the crowd straight to the barricade. Coming in as a last-minute replacement for Japanese Breakfast (who has a baby due any day), Dacus paid tribute to the band by covering their song “Paprika.” While the set was her own, she slipped in a boygenius song “TrueBlue” which had fans losing their minds. The tenderness to her performance and the intimacy of her songwriting really created a great community moment in the pit! She had everyone screaming “Night Shift” by the end of her set.
BLOOD ORANGE
Champagne Coast. In the rain. Need I say more? Watching Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) as the rain came down was cinematic and created a beautiful experience for fans. Haynes played plenty of new songs from his latest album, Essex Honey, while also giving OG fans some favorites such as “Charcoal Baby,” “Jesus Freak Lighter” and “You’re Not Good Enough.” This set was really special.
TURNSTILE
Turnstile fever was running wild all throughout the entire day Saturday. You could feel the anticipation in the air from the moment doors opened that afternoon. By the time the band hit the stage for their closing set, they made it worth the wait. Opening the setlist with “Birds” sent the crowd into chaos. There was no easing into it. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was moshing in the pit, screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Children were crowd surfing, folks were falling down and getting picked right back up by their peers. It’s bands like Turnstile that make you fall in love with live music all over again. There is a reason why Turnstile has become one of the best bands in the world, and watching the entire festival grounds erupt proved it.
ATARASHII GAKKO!
Perhaps one of the most surprising and engaging sets of the weekend came from Atarashii Gakko! The Japanese group left our jaws on the floor and our hands in the air. If you walked into their set knowing absolutely nothing about them, I guarantee they were shouting and dancing just as much as the die-hard fans in attendance. The choreography was intense and downright impressive, with the four members of the group performing synchronized routines all while singing and, at one point, stage diving. I had never seen anything like it, and I don’t think I'll see anything like it ever again.
We’ll see you next year Bumbershoot!
