The community festival is celebrating a refreshed name and branding, as well as 52 years of tradition as north Seattle’s largest and longest-running celebration of seafood, craft beer, live music and community.
The festival has evolved into a celebration of not only delicious seafood but also offers three days of musical entertainment. With a consistently solid lineup of musical entertainment for more than a decade, the name change reflects this aspect of the festival’s evolution. However, attendees can still expect an equally solid lineup of delicious seafood prepared in myriad ways. Ballard Music & Seafoodfest remains a free community festival, and all are welcome.
Musical performances will kick off on Friday evening with headliners and local 80s sensation, NITE WAVE. Saturday evening’s 2026 headliner is Built To Spill, performing on July 11, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. Sunday’s festival lineup will feature a variety of local artists with an emphasis on bands that cover favorite classics with headliner Wild Rumours closing the weekend.
KEXP PRESENTS LIVE MUSIC LINEUP:
BUILT TO SPILL | LOW CUT CONNIE | NITE WAVE | THE DUSTY 45s | WILD RUMOURS | CORAL GRIEF | SEATTLE’S LAST WALTZ | THE MAYA EXPERIENCE | JOYLA RED | BEATLECONCERT | PHINNEY RIDGE STEEL BAND | #ALL4DORAS | SCHOOL OF ROCK
“We are so excited to present a refreshed Ballard Music & Seafoodfest to the greater Puget Sound region this July,” said Ballard Alliance Executive Director Mike Stewart. “It is a privilege and an honor to uphold the 50+ year tradition of providing a free, weekend-long event packed with spectacular entertainment, craft beverages and delicious seafood to our community,” Stewart continued.
Drawing more than 75,000 attendees annually, the festival has grown from its origins as a neighborhood salmon BBQ and fundraiser in 1974, into a three-day extravaganza of music, seafood, craft beverages, cultural and all-ages activities. The event continues to honor its legacy as a fundraiser for neighborhood improvement projects and programs administered by the Ballard Alliance, ensuring Ballard remains a dynamic and welcoming place to live, work, and visit year-round.