Waterfront Blues Festival

Waterfront Blues Festival
The festival's main stage in 2007
FrequencyAnnually
Locations
Inaugurated1988
Most recent2025
Participants17,000 (2025)
Websitewaterfrontbluesfest.com

The Waterfront Blues Festival is an annual event in Portland, Oregon, United States, featuring four days of performances by blues musicians. The festival takes place in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, along the west bank of the Willamette River in downtown Portland.

History

The event was established as the Rose City Blues Festival in 1988.[1] It later became known as the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival.[2]

Approximately 50,000 people attended the 1991 event.[3] Tickets were required for admission starting in 2016.[4]

The 2020 event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6] Subsequently festivals were shortened to save costs.[7] The 2021 event was held at Zidell Yards.[8][9][10] Approximately 17,000 people attended the two-day festival in 2025.[11][12] Event organizers said the 2026 festival will span three days.[13]

Every year there is a new poster for the Waterfront Blues Festival. The artist is Gary Houston, who has been making the iconic poster art for the festival for eighteen years.[14]

Food donations

Collecting food donations has always been a part of the event. In 1988, the festival raised $7,500 and 650 pounds of canned food donations for the Oregon Food Share. The 2013 event raised $1.3 million and approximately 78,000 pounds of food. In the festival's first 27 years, approximately $10 million and 800 tons of food were donated to the food bank.[2]

Musicians

Robert Plant headlined in 2013. The following year, Gregg Allman was scheduled to headline, but was hospitalized a few days before and forced to cancel; Curtis Salgado replaced him.[15]

Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band, The Wood Brothers, Galactic, Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, Lettuce, and the War and Treaty were part of the 2022 lineup.[16] The 2023 lineup included C.J. Chenier, Rick Estrin, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Los Lonely Boys, and Cory Wong.[17][18] Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals headlined the 2024 event.[19]

Reception

The event was a runner-up in the Best Music Festival category of Willamette Week's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2017.[20] It ranked second and was a finalist in the same category in 2024 and 2025, respectively.[21][22]

See also

References

  1. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2023-06-29). "Where to Eat, Drink, and Hang During the 2023 Waterfront Blues Festival". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  2. ^ a b Hale, Jamie (2014-06-27). "How Portland's home-grown blues fest grew into a million-dollar Food Bank fundraiser: Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival 2014". oregonlive. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  3. ^ Irving, Stephanie; Carlson, Kim (1992). Portland Best Places: A Discriminating Guide to Portland's Restaurants, Lodgings, Shopping, Nightlife, Arts, Sights, and Outings. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-0-912365-69-5.
  4. ^ "Waterfront Blues Festival To Go To Ticketed System". opb. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  5. ^ "What to listen for as Oregon music festivals return this summer". opb. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  6. ^ Swindler, Samantha (2020-03-24). "Waterfront Blues Festival canceled for 2020, will return in 2021". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  7. ^ Acker, Lizzy (2025-07-06). "Smaller but still mighty Waterfront Blues Festival brings crowds to downtown Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  8. ^ "The Waterfront Blues Festival Will Return to Portland's Riverfront for Fourth of July Weekend". Willamette Week. 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  9. ^ "A new Portland venue looks to bring back live events during the pandemic". opb. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  10. ^ Donaghey, Jozie. "2021 Waterfront Blues Festival - oregonlive.com". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  11. ^ Acker, Lizzy (2025-11-19). "One of Portland's marquee music festivals will expand – a bit – next summer". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  12. ^ Acker, Lizzy (2025-03-06). "Portland's summer music festival lineup is packed. It's also hanging by a thread". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  13. ^ Villanueva, Mia (2025-11-19). "2026 Waterfront Blues Fest returns to 3-day event". KOIN.com. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  14. ^ "Gary Houston". KOIN. 10 June 2019.
  15. ^ Greenwald, David (2017-05-28). "Remembering Gregg Allman's last concert in Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  16. ^ "The Waterfront Blues Festival Has Announced Its Initial 2022 Lineup". Willamette Week. 2022-03-12. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  17. ^ "Show Review: The 2023 Waterfront Blues Festival". Willamette Week. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  18. ^ Russell, Michael (2023-06-30). "Portland's Waterfront Blues Festival, other outdoor events announce food lineups for 2023". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  19. ^ "Waterfront Blues Festival 2024: Ben Harper leads lineup of more than 100 acts". The Oregonian. 2024-06-28. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  20. ^ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  21. ^ "2024 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Arts & Entertainment". Willamette Week. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  22. ^ "2025 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Arts & Entertainment". Willamette Week. 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
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45°30′58″N 122°40′21″W / 45.516°N 122.6726°W / 45.516; -122.6726


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