This week Seattle turns into one big event scene: from major music shows at Climate Pledge Arena and Lumen Field to intimate evenings at the Cabaret Festival and premium Broadway musicals — Phantom and Jesus Christ Superstar. Film and dance fans will find gems at SIFF and the MFA Dance Concert; foodies can enjoy Taste of Seattle tours, wine walks in Bellevue and around Lake Chelan; and for family weekends there are fairs, farmers markets, Dozer Day and Petpalooza. Street celebrations and festivals (U District Street Fair, Spirit of Africa, Viking Fest, 17th of May in Ballard) promise days and evenings filled with music, street food and crafts, while sports fans can choose between baseball and soccer matches, rugby and roller derby. The detailed program and links to events are compiled from available city listings and calendars. Sources: events12.com (Seattle).
Notable Seattle-area events (May 11–17)
| Date(s) | Venue | Description | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 11–16 | Seattle (various venues) | Seattle Beer Week — dozens of beer tastings and food pairings at bars and breweries across the city. | Seattle Beer Week site |
| May 11–17 | Seattle (various venues) | Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) — one of the largest independent film festivals with screenings from around the world. | SIFF site, video |
| May 11–Oct. 31 | Waterfront | Sailing cruise on the tall ship Bay Lady in Elliott Bay: 2‑hour daytime and evening sails with drinks and snacks onboard. | Info & tickets, video |
| May 11–Dec. 26 | Seattle | Taste of Seattle — walking food tours: Pike Place Market, downtown chocolate, Capitol Hill coffee, wine, cheese and chocolate tours. | |
| May 11–Dec. 31 | Seattle and suburbs | Free activities: tours of the Ballard Locks, Bellevue Botanical Garden, museums and galleries, gardens and walking trails across the city. | |
| May 12 | Climate Pledge Arena | Concert: Florence + The Machine at Seattle's large arena. | |
| May 13 | Climate Pledge Arena | Concert: Demi Lovato. | |
| May 13 | WaMu Theater | Hip‑hop artist Baby Keem. | |
| May 13 | 5th Avenue Theatre (Downtown) | The musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" — Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera with vivid choreography and emotional music. | Info & tickets, map |
| May 13 | McCaw Hall, Seattle Center | Bizet's opera "Carmen" performed by Seattle Opera — a classic tale of passion and jealousy with orchestra and English supertitles. | Opera site, map, video |
| May 13–24 | Paramount Theatre (Downtown) | "The Phantom of the Opera" — Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary musical about the mysterious Phantom and a young singer. | Info, tickets, map, video |
| May 13–June 7 | Everett Performing Arts Center (Everett) | Musical "Grease" — 1950s music, high‑school romance and dancing in a Village Theatre production. | Info, photo, video, map |
| May 13 | Lumen Field (Pioneer Square) | MLS match: Seattle Sounders vs. San Jose Earthquakes. | Schedule & tickets, map, tickets |
| May 13–20 | Various theaters | "Live theater" series: romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park (Taproot), a Poirot mystery, family shows and the musical She Loves Me. | |
| May 13–Nov. 7 | Lumen Field and away matches | MLS season for Seattle Sounders: home and away games through November. | Schedule, stadium map, tickets |
| May 14 | Central Cinema (Central District) | Karaoke‑movie night "The Totally ’90s Sing Along" — 90s music videos (NSYNC, TLC, Nirvana, Spice Girls) with sing‑along subtitles. | Info & tickets, map, video |
| May 14 | Old Bellevue | Old Bellevue Wine Walk — an evening shopping stroll with local wine tastings (souvenir glass and 12 tastings). | Info & tickets, photo, video, map |
| May 14–17 | Meany Center, University District | MFA Dance Concert — new works by UW dance MFA graduates performed by 60 student dancers. | Info, photo, video, map |
| May 14–17 | Lake Chelan area | Lake Chelan Wine and Jazz Festival — jazz concerts at wineries around the lake and tastings for pass holders. | Site, map, photo, video 1, video 2 |
| May 14–21 | Seattle and suburbs | Evening Art Walks — free neighborhood strolls with open galleries and art spaces (Capitol Hill, West Seattle, U‑District, Edmonds). | Info |
| May 14–June 6 | Egan’s Ballard Jam House (Ballard) | Seattle Cabaret Festival — dozens of intimate music shows: rock, blues, opera, satire, chanson and singer‑songwriter programs. | Site, tickets, map |
| May 15 | Climate Pledge Arena | Concert: Yungblud. | |
| May 15 | Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle Center | Rebels + Icons Opening Party — opening of a photo exhibition with DJs, live graffiti and a bar (21+). | Info, map |
| May 15 | West Seattle Junction | West Seattle Wine Walk — wine tastings at neighborhood shops (souvenir glass and 14 pours, 21+). | Info, photo, map |
| May 15 | Lumen Field (Pioneer Square) | NWSL match: Seattle Reign vs. NJ/NY Gotham. | Schedule, map, tickets |
| May 15–16 | Cornish Playhouse, Seattle Center | Contemporary dance evening Whim W’Him: Spring ’26 featuring works by three choreographers. | Info, video, map |
| May 15–16 | Tacoma Armory | GeekCraft Expo — handmade goods with "geek" themes: comics, games, fantasy accessories. | Site, map |
| May 15–17 | Poulsbo Center | Viking Fest — Scandinavian festival with a carnival, music, food court, artisans and a parade in "Little Norway" Poulsbo. | Site, parade, photo, video, map |
| May 15–Sept. 27 | T‑Mobile Park (SoDo) | MLB season: home games for the Seattle Mariners. | Schedule, map, tickets |
| May 16 | W Seattle (Downtown) | Bourbon tasting evening The Ambrosia Sessions with craft cocktails and snacks (21+). | Info & tickets, map |
| May 16 | Seattle Center Armory | Spirit of Africa Festival — African music and dance, fashion show, artisan market and food. | Site, details, gallery, video, map |
| May 16 | Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center | Revelry After Hours — cocktails, snacks, DJ and photo zones supporting the theatre. | Info, map |
| May 16 | Polish Cultural Center (Capitol Hill) | Pierogi Fest — Polish dumplings with various fillings, sausages, baked goods and live choir music. | Info, photo, map |
| May 16 | Columbia City | Columbia City Night Market — evening street market with food trucks, artisans, live music and a beer garden. | Site, photo, video, map |
| May 16 | Shoreline → across Seattle | Seattle Super Saunter walk — informal 24‑mile hike from north to south Seattle (you can join for part of the route). | Site, route, photo, start map |
| May 16 | Edmonds College, Lynnwood | Jet City Roller Derby bouts — women's roller derby with stands, food and a bar. | Info, tickets, photo, video, map |
| May 16 | Sammamish Commons Plaza | Family event Rig‑A‑Palooza — over 20 specialty vehicles and machinery, bounce houses and food trucks. | Info, photo, video, map |
| May 16 | Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, Federal Way | Blue Poppy Day — blue poppy blooms, music, artists and a food truck at the rhododendron garden. | Site, photo, map |
| May 16 | Wild Waves, Federal Way | Touch‑a‑Truck — kids can explore working vehicles: fire and police trucks, heavy equipment and more. | Info, video, map |
| May 16 | Game Farm Park, Auburn | Petpalooza — dog races, contests, adoption area and pet activities. | Info, photo, video, map |
| May 16 | Thea’s Park, Tacoma | Rainier Dragon Boat Festival — dragon boat races, food court and fair. | Site, photo, video, map |
| May 16 | Crescent Moon Gifts, Tacoma | Spring Fairy Festival — outdoor and indoor festival with fairies, elves, musicians and 100 craft booths. | Site, map |
| May 16 | Uptown Gig Harbor | Gig Harbor Beer and Cider Festival — over 40 beers and ciders, outdoor music (21+). | Site, tickets, photo, map |
| May 16–17 | Lake Union Park (Westlake) | Classic Workboat Show — exhibition and tours of working vessels: tugs, fishing and rescue boats. | Site, photo, video, map |
| May 16–17 | U District, University Way NE | U District Street Fair — a large street fair with 250 artisan booths, food trucks, music, a kids' zone and beer gardens. | Site, fair map, photo, video, map |
| May 16–17 | Magnuson Park, Hangar 30 | Seattle Mineral Market — minerals, fossils, jewelry and art from 60 vendors. | Site, layout, photo, map |
| May 16–17 | Washington State Fair Center, Puyallup | Dozer Day — kids can operate construction equipment under supervision and see fire and police vehicles. | Site, site map, photo, video, map |
| May 16–17 | Saint Martin’s University, Olympia | Lacey Spring Fun Fair — family festival with free rides, a giant slide, shows and a food court. | Site, photo, map |
| May 16–17 | Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon | All My Relations Powwow — traditional Native American powwow with dances, regalia, music and food. | Site, photo, map |
| May 16–17 | Camano Island | Camano Island Studio Tour — self‑drive tour of 24 studios and galleries on the island with no ferry required. | Site, tour map, photo, map |
| May 16–30 | Seattle and neighborhoods | Seattle Architecture Foundation walking tours — downtown, waterfront, Queen Anne and Mount Baker architecture tours. | Site, FAQ, video |
| May 16–Oct. 31 | Skykomish | Scenic rides on the Great Northern & Cascade Railway miniature train with a bridge and tunnel. | Site, photo, video, map |
| May 17 | Ballard | 17th of May Festival — a large celebration of Norway's Constitution Day with a parade, concerts, banquet and beer hall. | Site, events, parade route, photos, video |
| May 17 | Phinney Center, Phinney Ridge | PhinneyWood Garage Sale Day — about 100 garage sales and a flea market in the center parking lot. | Site, map |
| May 17 | Bellevue College | Sawubona Festival — African music, dance, poetry, a children's area and a panel discussion. | Site, video, map |
| May 17–19 | Benaroya Hall (Downtown) | National Geographic Live — talks by explorers, scientists and photographers with unique photo and video presentations. | Info, map |
| May 17–June 7 | Starfire Sports, Tukwila | Home matches for the Seattle Seawolves rugby club in MLR. | Schedule, map, tickets, video |
