The KEXP BBQ is coming to Seattle Center on Friday, August 15th. 2-9 PM. With live performances from Curtis Harding, True Loves, Vagabon, Family Worship Center, Monsterwatch, and the Maya Experience, live sets and meet-and-greets with KEXP DJs, family-friendly games and activities, a 21+ bar and beer garden, and, of course, great food!

An old-school KEXP summer tradition, the BBQ is a day filled with music, food, and community.

Proceeds benefit KEXP.
Kids 12 and under get in free.

Food is for purchase from our vendors, not included in ticket price. 

 

Get your tickets here:
https://ti.to/kexp/kexp-bbq

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Know Before You Go

When do things start? 

Doors will open at 2 PM on Friday, August 15, 2025.  Music will begin shortly after.

Artist/Band Schedule

TIME	ARTIST	STAGE
2:30 PM	The Maya Experience	DuPen Fountain Stage
2:00 PM	DJ Set - DJ Morgan	Gathering Space
3:30 PM	MONSTERWATCH	Music Heals Stage
3:15 PM	DJ Set - Lace Cadence	Gathering Space
4:30 PM	True Loves	DuPen Fountain Stage
5:00 PM	DJ Set - DJ Jewel	Gathering Space
5:30 PM	Vagabon	Music Heals Stage
6:15 PM	DJ Set - Kid Hops	Gathering Space
6:30 PM	Family Worship Center	DuPen Fountain Stage
7:30 PM	Curtis Harding	Music Heals Stage
8:15 PM	DJ Set - Kevin Cole	Gathering Space

 

Meet & Greet Schedule - KEXP Canopy in the Upper Courtyard

TIME	DJS
2:30 PM	Evie & Cheryl Waters
3:30 PM	Overnight DJs (Abbie, Mike, Rev, Atticus, Reeves)
4:30 PM	The Morning Show Crew (John Richards, Morgan, Owen)
5:30 PM	Kevin Sur & Greg Vandy
6:30 PM	Albina & Diana

 

Accessibility

• Our event footprint will include accessible entrances and exits as well as signage pointing towards these accessible ramps and paths.
• Most of the event footprint is level concrete which means the viewing space will be flat. We will have designated areas near the front of each stage for wheelchair users and their companions.
• We will have accessible bathrooms both indoors (accessible stalls in our public restrooms in the KEXP Gathering Space) and outdoors (wheelchair accessible porta potties from Green Latrine.)
• We will have space near the front of each stage sectioned off for people that need a seat or space to watch in a wheelchair
• Service animals are welcome

Bag Policy

Bags will be checked by security before entry and re-entry. 

• Are outside drinks allowed? No, but you’re welcome to bring a non-glass refillable water bottle. 
• Is outside food allowed? You can definitely bring snacks. We ask that they are in sealed bags/packaging rather than glass tupperware containers.  
• Will there be food/beverages available within the Festival? Yes. We will have food for purchase from vendors Tomo and Seattle Pops, plus a beer garden! 
• Can I bring sunscreen? Yes! And you should! It could be hot and sunny and we recommend sun protecting hats, visors, and sunscreen.
• What payment forms will be accepted? Vendors will be set up to take credit/debit cards only. KEXP will not be accepting cash. If you use your BECU debit card in the beer garden, you will get a discount! 
• Will I need to bring ID? ID is required to enter the beer garden.
• Can I walk around the entire event with a drink from the beer garden? Drinks may not leave the Beer Garden.
• Can I bring a stroller? Can I park my stroller? Yes, you can bring a stroller. We will not have designated stroller parking, and we ask that you do not leave your strollers unattended. 

• Can I bring chairs? No. We ask that you do not bring chairs. There are some benches in our upper Northwest Courtyard area and limited seating for people to utilize inside our Gathering Space. We will have an ADA area and some seating at the front of each stage for individuals that are using a wheelchair or cannot stand up during a performance. 

Items not allowed:

• No alcohol or cannabis
• No animals (except service animals)
• No audio/video recording devices (cell phones ok) 
• No bags larger than 18"x18"
• No beverages or glass bottles/containers (free water station at Cafe Vita in Gathering Space. Empty, refillable non-glass water bottles allowed).
• No bullhorns/ noise makers
• No confetti/ explosive devices/ fireworks
• No drugs/ paraphernalia
• No firearms and no knives
• No inflatable items
• No large blankets or towels
• No large umbrellas or shade structures
• No smoking within 25 feet of BBQ event grounds
• No musical instruments 
• No drones or other remote-controlled aircraft/toys
• No tents

Tickets and Purchases

All ticket sales are final and considered a donation to KEXP so we cannot refund your tickets. KEXP will not exchange/resell tickets. Ticket holders will be responsible for facilitating any transfers. KEXP is not responsible for any third party transactions. 

• This event is all ages. Children under 12 are free with accompanying adult. You must register children who are attending. Please register here.
• Tickets will be $50 at the door
• We will have re-entry. Please note that if you exit you will need to re-enter at the main entrance and re-entry will be first come, first served based on capacity. If the event reaches maximum capacity we will move to a one in/one out entry method.
• KEXP will not be accepting cash at the event for any purchases (tickets, merchandise, beer garden.) Please ensure that you have a physical card or your phone
  • We DO NOT accept checks, money orders, or foreign currency.

Beer Garden

• Bring a valid ID to enter the beer garden.
• Bring your BECU Debit card for a discount in the beer garden!
• Beverages cannot leave the beer garden area
• You can bring food from the event into the beer garden

Northwest Harvest Food Drive 

The KEXP BBQ will feature a Community Food Drive from our friends at Northwest Harvest with a non-perishable donation drop off at the entrance to the event. Collecting items from 2 PM until 6 PM.

More information about what to bring at: https://www.northwestharvest.org/event/kexp-bbq-community-food-drive

Water Stations

• Attendees will have access to a water station in the Gathering Space for refills.
• Water will be sold inside the beer garden.
• Empty non-glass containers are allowed at entry for water-filling.

Bring It Screen It with The Vera Project

The Vera Project has made an exclusive at-event-only graphic to print onto bags, tees, whatever you want! They will use an ink color that shows up best on dark colored items. The print is free if you bring your own tote/shirt/sweater/etc. 

More questions?

Missing tickets?

• Our ticketing program, Tito, will send ticket confirmations and updates. These will contain your ticket information, registration number and ability to assign a name/names to your ticket(s)
• Depending on your email provider you may have to search your Spam/Junk folder for “Tito.”
•  If you have any questions about tickets (assigning, not sure how many you have, wondering where your confirmation email is, etc) please reach out to rsvp@kexp.org and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

What happens if artists cancel? Can I get a refund? 

No. The KEXP BBQ is a community and fundraising event that will feature multiple artists, food vendors and small activities for our communities to engage in together. We will not issue refunds if one artist can no longer make it.

Need Customer Service?

Please send ticket and event questions to rsvp@kexp.org. We will likely be slow to respond on 8/14 and 8/15 as the same team that answers the majority of the event questions will be working on producing the event.

Can I bring my dog?

• Pets will not be allowed into the event this time
• Service animals may enter.

What if it rains?

The BBQ will happen rain or shine! We currently have some light rain forecasted but we’ll carry on whether it drizzles, rains, or continues to be sunny! We will have some extra coverage in the beer garden and bands are covered outside. 

Is there any shade?

This event is not heavily shaded outside. Please bring sunscreen, hats, visors, sunglasses, whatever you need to stay comfortable in the sunshine outside during performances. The Gathering Space will be cool and a break from the sun but not heavily air conditioned because our large doors will be open during the event. 

Lost & Found

Lost and Found items will be taken to the Front Desk inside the KEXP Gathering Space. These items will be donated after a couple of months if not picked up between business hours (9 AM-6 PM, Monday through Sunday) 

How do I get to the Northwest Courtyards?

The upper and lower Northwest Courtyards are nestled between KEXP’s studios and Gathering Space, The Vera Project, SIFF and Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle Center have a great page about how to get here (click here) and a map here.

The event entrance will be located on the ramp between KEXP and Climate Pledge Arena (off of 1st Ave North.) Our Gathering Space entrance will be used for staff and volunteers only.

We encourage using public transit to get here if you can but there are many parking lots and areas to pay for street parking nearby.