Earshot Jazz Festival
- Dates
- Expected October 2027
- Status
- Expected
- Venue
- Multiple venues across Seattle
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Oct 16, 2026
The last Earshot Jazz Festival was October 7 to 25, 2026, in Seattle, WA. Its 2027 dates haven't been announced yet. Froligo tracks ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
The Earshot Jazz Festival is the Pacific Northwest's largest jazz festival, presented each October by the Seattle nonprofit Earshot Jazz across more than a dozen venues over roughly three weeks. Now in its late thirties, it honors jazz as a vital Black American art form and is known for adventurous, carefully curated programming that spans NEA Jazz Masters and touring greats alongside Seattle's own musicians, plus premieres, panels and workshops. It sits within Earshot's wider year-round work of artist advocacy, education and community engagement.
What people love
Within the local jazz community the festival is consistently praised for the quality of its curation, with listeners saying the organizers do an excellent job of programming so you can 'hardly go wrong,' and singling out its willingness to book adventurous, forward-looking music alongside a broad range of local and visiting artists.
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Listen
Tap an artist to play them right here.
No official playlist linked yet. Find Earshot Jazz Festival on Spotify.
Lineup
Here's who played in 2026:
Getting there
Nearest airport SEA.
How do I get to Earshot Jazz Festival?
By car
Most people drive to Earshot Jazz Festival. The nearest major airport is SEA, and from there it is a straightforward drive to the venue. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
For attendees coming from Portland, Vancouver BC, or points east rather than flying: all three Amtrak routes stop at King Street Station (303 S Jackson St), at the south end of downtown Seattle in Pioneer Square, a Link ride or short rideshare from the core festival venues. Not an airport connector; listed as a regional-arrival alternative.
Book / infoBy bus & public transit
Intercity coaches from Portland, Vancouver BC, Spokane and beyond arrive at the shared Greyhound facility at 503 S Royal Brougham Way (SODO), with FlixBus boarding at the bus slips outside the same station; it's about a 10-minute walk to King Street Station/Link for the last leg downtown. Regional-arrival alternative, not an airport connector.
Book / infoLink 1 Line runs directly from SEA Airport station (walkway from the 4th floor of the airport parking garage) into downtown Seattle. Westlake station is the most central stop. University Street station is ~2 blocks from Benaroya Hall and a 4-block walk from Town Hall Seattle. Trains every 8-15 minutes, roughly 38-40 minutes airport to Westlake. Pay with ORCA card, contactless bank card, or Apple/Google Pay at station readers.
Book / infoTaxi & rideshare
Uber and Lyft operate at SEA with a designated app-ride pickup zone on the 3rd floor of the airport parking garage; metered taxis load from the 3rd floor of the garage (north and south curbs), 24/7. King County ordinance sets a $20 minimum fare on taxi trips originating at the airport; downtown Seattle is ~14 miles north. Third-party estimates put a taxi at roughly $40-55 and rideshare at roughly $35-60 to downtown depending on demand.
Book / infoTaxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
Affiliate Flying in? You can book an airport transfer from SEA in advance rather than joining the taxi queue on arrival. Transfer links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
🅿 Parking
Cost No central festival parking. Earshot runs across a dozen-plus venues city-wide and publishes no parking program of its own; parking is per-venue. Benaroya Hall has a 430-car underground garage with direct elevator access into the hall, drive-up event rate $24, prepaid passes available via the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office (206-215-4747). Town Hall Seattle has a large pay lot immediately adjacent (entrances on Seventh Ave, Spring or Seneca St) plus several commercial lots within 1.5 blocks. Smaller neighborhood venues (Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, jazz clubs) rely on street and small-lot parking. Prepay via the Seattle Symphony ticket office.
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at SEA
If you are hiring a car, it is worth checking parking near the venue before you go.
Search car hireCar hire links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Where
Map shows the center of Seattle. The venue's exact point is not confirmed yet.
Venue
Multiple venues across Seattle
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Earshot Jazz Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Mid-range hotels 2
Typically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates
Check ratesTypically $120-220 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates
Check ratesTreat yourself 2
Typically $350-700 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates
Check ratesAirport hotels 1
2930 South 176th Street, SeaTac, WA 98188
Typically $100-190 a night off-peak guide, higher on festival dates
Check ratesMore hotels nearby 1
Airbnb & private camping
Seattle has a large year-round Airbnb market across downtown, Capitol Hill (closest neighborhood to Town Hall and several club venues), and the Central District (near Langston Hughes). The festival's 19-day October run spreads demand out, and October is Seattle's shoulder season, so festival-driven surge pricing is unlikely, normal city rates apply; book Capitol Hill/First Hill for the best walk-to-venue coverage.
Search AirbnbFor campervan or budget travelers, Hipcamp lists private-land sites within 6-15 miles of Seattle, urban homestead van parking, glamping sheds, yurts, and forest sites toward the Kitsap Peninsula (verified live listings, several rated 97-100%). October in the Puget Sound area is wet, so covered/glamping options are the realistic pick for a jazz-festival trip.
Search HipcampSearch all hotels near Multiple venues across Seattle
Hotel links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Accessibility & comfort
Crawled earshot.org on 3 Sep 2026 including the buy tickets page. Earshot publishes no accessibility statement and nothing on access at the venues it uses, accessible seating, ASL or a quiet space. The only accessibility wording on the site concerns free ticket availability, not disability access. Ask on (206) 547-6763 or [email protected].
Pricing
While you're in Seattle
AffiliateTiqets sells timed entry to Seattle's museums, towers and tours, booked on your phone, worth a look if you have a spare day either side of the festival.
Browse Seattle attractionsWe may earn a commission if you book a ticket. It costs you nothing extra and never changes what we tell you about a festival.
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Quick answers
When is Earshot Jazz Festival 2027?
Not announced yet. The last festival was October 7 to 25, 2026. The next one is expected in October.
Where is Earshot Jazz Festival held?
Multiple venues across Seattle, Seattle, WA.