The Waterfront Blues Festival is downtown Portland’s largest and longest-running music festival and one of the most renowned celebrations of the Blues in the world. 2022 marked the 35th anniversary of the festival and a jubilant return to downtown Portland. Founded in 1988, the festival has welcomed over 2,000 acts including Gregg Allman, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Plant, Mavis Staples and Trombone Shorty, garnering international acclaim and raising over $10 million dollars to fight hunger.

The festival is also an unparalleled showcase for Portland’s local music community and features local legends like Curtis Salgado, Liv Warfield and Norman Sylvester. As the festival moves into our next 35 years, we’ll continue to build upon our longstanding legacy and fanbase while also welcoming new artists and audiences, deepening our commitment to Portland and the community, and bringing the most exciting and dynamic blues, soul, funk and R&B artists to the stage for one magical, can’t miss Fourth of July Weekend.