The Waterfront Blues Festival is the largest celebration of blues, soul, funk, and rhythm & blues west of the Mississippi. Join us for a long weekend filled with amazing performances across four stages, food, vendors, river boat cruises, and more!
All 4-day pass options on sale now. Kids 12 and under free (with paid accompanying adult).Single day tickets on sale in June – $20 advance, $25 at the gate. No re-entry privileges with single day tickets. Limited quantity available.
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Blues Fan Pass
- $50
- 4-Day Pass (That's only $12.50 per day!)
- Priority Festival Re-Entry
- Buy Now!
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Blues Buddy Pass
- $85
- $15 Discount for After Hours Show tickets (Only $5 for admission!)
- Keepsake Blues Buddy Button
- Priority Festival Re-Entry
- Early Entry - 30 Min
- Buy Now!
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Single-Day Gold Pass
New in 2019! - $175
- Premium shaded seating near South Main Stage, private bar & restrooms
- Premium Central Viewing Area – views of both Main Stages
- Commemorative Poster
- Parking Pass
- 1 Food Vendor meal & 2 Beverage Tickets
- $15 Discount for After Hours Show tickets (Only $5 for admission!)
- Priority Festival Re-Entry
- Early Entry - 45 Min
- Buy Now!
-
Gold Pass
(formerly Benefactor) Sells out every year - $350$Sold Out!
- Premium shaded seating near South Main Stage, private bar & restrooms
- Premium Central Viewing Area – views of both Main Stages
- T-Shirt & Poster
- Parking Pass
- 4 Food Vendor meal & Beverage Tickets
- Free After Hours Tickets
- Priority Festival Re-Entry
- Early Entry - 45 Min
- Sold Out!
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Platinum Pass
(formerly Patron) Limited number available - $1250
- ON STAGE SEATING at both Main Stages
- HOSPITALITY PAVILION Access – hosted meals, private bar & restrooms
- Premium shaded seating near South Main Stage, private bar & restrooms
- Premium Central Viewing Area – views of both Main Stages
- T-Shirt & Poster
- Parking Pass
- Free After Hours Tickets
- Priority Festival Re-entry
- Early Entry - 45 Min
- Buy Now!
Festival Entry and Re-Entry
All 4-day passes including the Blues Fan, Blues Buddy, Gold and Platinum Passes and the NEW single-day Gold Pass allow for entry, exit and re-entry to the festival. Festival re-entry is not included for single-day ticket holders.
Gates open daily at 11am. Gold and Platinum Passes allow for early entry at 10:15am. Blues Buddy Passes allow for early entry at 10:30am. All other passes and tickets can enter at 11am.
Priority Festival Re-Entry: When festival is at capacity, your 4-day pass entitles you to enter or re-enter the festival when space is available, with priority over single-day ticket holders.
Closer to the event a full hour-by-hour, stage-by-stage schedule will be viewable here. In the meantime, we’ll be adding to this preliminary artist-by-day listing as acts are confirmed.
KBOO will also be broadcasting all 4 days of the festival, as well as Oregon Community Media stations all over Oregon!
Thursday, July 4
- FIREWORKS!
- THE ROBERT CRAY BAND
- Curtis Salgado
- Ron Artis II & the Truth
- Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings w/Carlos Reyes
- Lucious Spiller
- Vanessa Collier
- Andy Stokes & the Brothers in Black
- Mary Flower & Doug Cox
- Too Slim & the Taildraggers
- Kevin Selfe Big Band
- Sarah Grace from The Voice
- David Jacobs-Strain+WORTH
- Reggie Houston
- Fenix Rising
- The King Louie Organ Trio + Tracey Harris
- River City Riot! Brass Band
- Journey to Memphis Competition
- Harmonica Blow-off
- “Beat the Heat” Dance Competitions
- Afternoon “Driftin” Blues Cruise:Mary Flower & Doug Cox, Ron Artis II & the Truth, Too Slim & the Taildraggers, Karen Lovely
- and more to come!
Friday, July 5
- KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE
- MARCHFOURTH
- THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS
- LARKIN POE
- Kevin Burt
- Lucious Spiller
- Brother Yusef
- Terry Hanck
- Anthony “Big A” Sherrod
- Harpdog Brown & the Uptown Blues Band
- Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints
- Farnell Newton & the Othership Connection: James Brown Tribute
- Arietta Ward
- Rose City Kings w/Travis “Moonchild” Haddix
- Lisa Mann w/Lara Price
- Big Monti
- Dan Nash
- Spiritual Brothers
- Joy Now!
- Afternoon “Bayou Blues” Cruise: Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, Terry Hanck, Bayou Boys, The Brass Roots Movement
- After-Hours Show (Marriott Grand Ballroom) featuring Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe presents “Eat A Bunch of Peaches” & The California Honeydrops
- and more to come!
Saturday, July 6
- ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES
- VINTAGE TROUBLE
- Lydia Pense & Cold Blood
- Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
- Southern Avenue
- Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble
- Lil’ Pookie & the Zydeco Sensations
- Wayne Singleton & Same Ol’ 2-Step
- Feufollet
- LaRhonda Steele & the Steele Family Band
- Terry Robb Quartet
- Marina Crouse w/Ben Rice
- Memphis Shorty Harmonica Hoedown
- Ty Curtis & Dave Scher
- Samuel E-M & The Joyful Noise
- Bloco Allegra
- Afternoon “Sail on Sister” Blues Cruise: NW Women in R&B Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sister Mercy, Pam Taylor
- Evening “Rock the Boat” Dance Cruise: Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, Norman Sylvester, Brother Yusef, Dan Nash
- After-Hours Show (Marriott Grand Ballroom) featuring Vintage Trouble & Southern Avenue w/Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
- and more to come!
Sunday, July 7
- TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
- Cyril Neville
- Shemekia Copeland
- Chubby Carrier & Bayou Swamp Band
- Sugaray Rayford
- Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
- Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble
- Lil’ Pookie & the Zydeco Sensations
- Wayne Singleton & Same Ol’ 2-Step
- Feufollet
- Sons of the Soul Revivers
- Ural Thomas & the Pain
- Saeeda Wright
- Lilla
- Mary Flower w/Sons of Soul Revivers
- Skull & Bones Gang
- Too Loose Cajun Zydeco Band
- Turtle’s Guitar Mafia
- United by Music
- and more to come!
After-Hours Shows
Catch some of the festival’s biggest acts across the street at the Festival AFTER-PARTY at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront’s Grand Ballroom.
Friday, July 5
Karl Denson’s ‘Eat A Bunch of Peaches’ Allman Brothers Tribute & the California Honeydrops
Saturday, July 6
Vintage Trouble & Southern Avenue w/Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
Details
- With a Blues Buddy multi-day pass, these after-hours shows are only $5! [$20 advance].
- Admission to after-hours shows is included with the purchase of Gold & Platinum passes.
- After-Hours Shows are 21 and over only.
- Doors 9:30 pm, show starts 10:30 pm
Blues Cruises
Waterfront Blues Cruises • Portland Spirit
Cruise the beautiful Willamette River and hear the blues in an intimate setting on the Portland Spirit. A no-host hors d’oeuvres buffet and full bar are available on all cruises.
KICK-OFF Blues Cruise (all ages)
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019 (7:30-10 PM): “HOODOO MOON” Cruise – $50
THURSDAY, July 4, 2019 (3-5 pm): “DRIFTIN’ BLUES” CRUISE – $40
FRIDAY, July 5, 2019 (3-5 pm): “BAYOU BLUES” CRUISE – $40
SATURDAY, July 6, 2019 (3-5 pm): “SAIL ON SISTER” CRUISE – $40
SATURDAY, July 6, 2019 (11 pm – 1 am): “ROCK THE BOAT” DANCE CRUISE – $40
General Information on Blues Cruises
- All Blues Cruises board from the seawall at S.W. Salmon and Naito Parkway, in front of Salmon Street Springs Fountain, just north of the Oregonian Front Porch Stage.
- PLEASE BRING YOUR PHOTO ID. All passengers 18 years of age and older must present photo ID upon boarding. All carry-on bags are subject to inspection, and passengers may be photographed.
- The cruises will head south up the Willamette River to Oregon City, and/or north past the Port of Portland docks.
- Blues Cruise tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Don’t miss the boat. Purchase your ticket before the festival begins. These popular Blues Cruises sell out quickly.