The Downtown Tacoma Blues & Jazz Festival Returns This Weekend

Live music takes over downtown Tacoma this weekend.

The Downtown Tacoma Blues & Jazz Festival runs Friday, August 14 through Sunday, August 16, 2026, on Broadway between S 11th and S 13th Streets — and it's free and all ages.

Here's how the three days shape up:

Friday, August 14 — "Pre-Funk," an opening-night warm-up to kick off the weekend.

Saturday, August 15 — The main event: an outdoor daytime celebration from noon to 7 PM, headlined by acclaimed blues artist Vanessa Collier. The festival runs two stages — a blues stage and a big-band stage — featuring top Northwest jazz and blues musicians.

Sunday, August 16 — "Soul Brunch and More" to close things out.

Each night of the festival also brings an after-party at Hotel Murano for those who want to keep the music going.

The whole thing is free to attend, which makes it one of the best live-music values of the Tacoma summer. Bring a chair, bring friends, and settle in on Broadway.

Details:

• Dates: Friday–Sunday, August 14–16, 2026

• Location: Broadway between S 11th and S 13th, Downtown Tacoma

• Cost: Free, all ages

Real estate note: downtown Tacoma's Theater District and the Broadway corridor have spent years building back into a genuine arts-and-entertainment core — the theaters, the restaurants, and free festivals like this one. A weekend that closes a downtown street for two stages of live music is exactly the kind of activation that makes downtown living desirable. If you're watching downtown Tacoma condos and apartments, these are the weekends that show you what the neighborhood can be.