Inaugural Upstream Music Fest + Summit Closes with Strong Attendance and 390+ Live Shows

"It has always been our mission to create a festival that would shine a light on the amazing sound of the Pacific Northwest. We couldn't be happier that the first year of Upstream brought together so many members of the music community and music lovers from around the region," said Jeff Vetting, executive director, Upstream Music Fest + Summit. "We want to thank all of our artists, speakers and sponsors for their incredible support and participation this inaugural year, and we look forward to the future."

"The experience of walking through Pioneer Square over the last three days, hearing so many of the region's most promising bands and seeing attendees discover new talent has been surreal," said Meli Darby, Upstream curator. "This is what the music scene in the Northwest is all about—discovering new music and people collaborating across genres and styles."

"Through close collaboration between the neighborhood and Upstream, the residents and businesses successfully welcomed more than 30,000 visitors to Pioneer Square," said Karen True of the Alliance for Pioneer Square. "We were honored to give event attendees a sense of what makes our neighborhood and its thriving creative spirit so exceptional."

Key Highlights from Upstream Music Fest + Summit

• Following his opening keynote address on May 11, Quincy Jones spent time with students from Garfield High School, his alma mater, and spoke to them about how his time at the school fostered his early career development.
• During his keynote discussion on May 12, Macklemore shared an unprecedented look into his personal history and gave an empowering charge to the Seattle music community to come together and support the local scene. He also touched on the streaming world's influence on the dynamic music industry, noting, "it's already changed since I started this sentence."
• Mainstage shows at CenturyLink featured Deep Sea Diver, Beat Connection, AlunaGeorge and Flying Lotus. The mainstage closed out strongly with Snarky Puppy, Jay Park, Dinosaur Jr. and Shabazz Palaces.
• Star Anna, Thunderpussy and The Thermals performed to full houses at the Mike McCready and Hockeytalkter Stage at Comedy Underground.
• Upstream founder Paul Allen was spotted at 88 Keys checking out Bill Laurance on Friday. He also hit the Main Stage, presented by Amazon, for Flying Lotus and Snarky Puppy. Quincy Jones was spotted at Court in the Square giving a personal introduction to each of his artists and delighting attendees at his curated stage.
• Upstream art installation, Liminal Passage, was a hit with consistent lines of people waiting to experience the piece.

Upstream Music Fest + Summit by the Numbers

• 30,000 attendees experienced Upstream Music Fest + Summit throughout the weekend
• An estimated additional 5,000 joined in on the free festivities:
• Attending 9 shows programmed by KEXP in Occidental Park
• Engaging with the 7 art installations throughout the festival footprint; and
• Enjoying the food and beer garden in the North Lot of CenturyLink Field
• No single genre or style defines the Northwest and Upstream's final lineup of 360 bands featured a diverse mix of rock, hip-hop, electronic, pop, R&B, soul, jazz, folk and more.
• 8 artists performed at the main stage, all exemplifying the Upstream mission with their shared passion for delivering creative live performances and their support of emerging artists
• 40+ buskers provided entertainment between venues throughout the Pioneer Square footprint
• 55 local music influencers Guest Curated 25+ stages resulting in more than 390 performances
• An additional 5 venues were available to VIP ticket holders and were also programmed with surprise shows
• Four Summit keynote speakers – Macklemore, Quincy Jones, Dr. Portia Sabin and Ron Jones – made the Upstream Summit a can't miss industry event.
• They were joined at the Summit by more than 70 breakout session speakers at 24 breakout sessions representing artists, the music industry, industries like tech, gaming, design and regional community organizations.
• Upstream harnessed technology to deliver a great experience for artists and attendees that fosters collaboration at the Summit and music discovery at the Fest. More than 70% of attendees downloaded the app and:
• Spent on average 42 minutes in the app
• Played more than 29,000 songs, an average of 76 times per band
• Favorited more than 45,000 artists in the schedule  
• Participated in 336 Braindates at the Summit

Founded by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and inspired by his love of live music, Upstream Music Festival + Summit was conceived to celebrate the sound of the region and provide the industry with an experience that fosters and supports Northwest artists at every level of their career.

For multimedia assets, e-mail [email protected]. Follow Upstream on Twitter at twitter.com/UpstreamFest, on Facebook at facebook.com/UpstreamMusicFest, on Snapchat @upstreamfest and on Instagram at instagram.com/UpstreamMusicFest. For more information about the festival, please visit www.UpstreamMusicFest.com. 

Upstream Music Fest + Summit Corporate Partners:
Upstream is proudly sponsored by Foundation Partners, Amazon Music, Amazon Web Services, Visit Seattle, Miller Lite, Heineken and CenturyLink; as well as Associate Partners, Weyerhaeuser, ReachNow, Sparkling Ice, Canada 150, JP Morgan, Starbucks, Seahawks, SKB Architects, and Thompson Seattle.

About Upstream Music Fest + Summit:
Upstream Music Fest + Summit is a three-day festival and industry summit celebrating the emerging sound and culture of the Northwest. Founded by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, the music festival includes intimate performances and unique collaborations across 25 venues around Pioneer Square and at the Main Stage in CenturyLink Field's North Plaza. The two-day industry summit gathers artists, influencers and industry experts at WaMu Theater for keynotes and breakout sessions exploring the new music economy. Upstream offers a unique experience that fosters and supports artists at every level of their career, while offering music lovers a weekend of showcases from the Northwest and beyond.

SOURCE Upstream Music Fest + Summit

Related Links

http://www.UpstreamMusicFest.com